Quantifying Crop Residue Burning in Punjab, Pakistan: A GEE-Based Assessment of Air Pollution

Momina Anwar; Isma Younes

Authors

Momina Anwar Institute of Geography, University of the Punjab,54000 Lahore, Pakistan
Isma Younes Institute of Geography, University of the Punjab,54000 Lahore, Pakistan

Keywords:

Crop Residue Burning, Google Earth Engine, Burned Area, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro Radiometer, Sentinel 5P

Abstract

Crop residue burning has become a common agricultural practice in developing countries due to numerous economic and social factors. To delineate the current pollution generated from crop residue burning in Punjab, Pakistan, a detailed study was conducted based on district-level crop production data from 2020 to 2024. The extraction of agricultural land was gathered from the European Space Agency/Climate Change Initiative (ESA/CCI), and the active fire count data were acquired from the VIIRS 375 m FIRMS standard active fire product. Air quality parameters, including CO and CH4, were assessed using Sentinel 5SP Tropomi. It was determined from the results that approximately 27% of the burned area increased from the years 2020-2021, accounting for a rapid increase from 31,984.15 sq km to 40,651.86 sq km, correlated with high CO and CH4 concentrations in 2021 and 2024, respectively, whereas a 17% decline occurred from the years 2022 to 2023, accounting for a decrease from 37,008.54 sq km to 33,710.85 sq km. However, it increased again by approximately 5.9% from 2023 to 2024 (33,710.85 sq km to 35,691.10 sq km). Using GEE, our study demonstrates the application of satellite data to map agricultural residue burning, and this information can provide valuable insights for policy formulation and managing crop residue practices.

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