The Asian Development Bank describes Pakistan’s urban centers as “congested, unattractive, and polluted,” and millions of Pakistanis will concur.
The ADB provided solutions based on international best practices as well as local conditions in the country in its comprehensive report, Pakistan National Urban Assessment, which listed the numerous issues that plague our cities. The study projects that by 2030, nearly 100 million people, or approximately 41 percent of the total population, will live in cities. The current urban population is estimated to be 93.8 million, according to the study. There are additionally worries that metropolitan populace counts are underrated. Life in our cities may become more difficult than it already is unless the state has viable strategies for coping with rapid urbanization.
Pakistan’s situation has been referred to by the ADB as a “messy urbanization model,” indicating a lack of planning, inadequate infrastructure, and inadequate services. Lack of housing, inadequate services for water and sanitation, and inadequate services for managing solid waste are among the difficulties that our cities face. The fact that cities are experiencing funding shortages in an “uncertain” economic environment and that urban governance has been complicated by “partial devolution,” which has resulted in “mutually exclusive governance structures,” both add to the severity of these issues.
The bank believes that Karachi, the Sindh capital, is plagued by class division and a “complicated political situation,” while Lahore, the Punjab capital, is the victim of “uncontrollable sprawl.” Peshawar has seen significant migration, particularly following the merger of former Fata with KP. Islamabad, on the other hand, is facing an increasing demand for housing. However, the Asian lender has praised KP’s decentralization process, and the ADP states that Peshawar’s infrastructure is “improving.”
The ADB says that while access to water and sanitation has improved, changes have been “incremental” when it comes to providing water to urban areas. Additionally, there has been progress on strong waste administration administrations, at this point these stay “restricted and wasteful”. According to the ADB, Pakistan needs a new model of urbanization and empowered local governments to carry out sustainable urban planning.
In these columns, this paper argues that almost all of our urban problems stem from a lack of functional and independent LGs. Unfortunately, nearly all political parties have attempted to thwart the establishment of elected and functioning LGs out of concern that these institutions, which are closest to the voter, could weaken the patronage networks that underpin Pakistani politics. The advice provided by the ADB and other experts must be taken into consideration by the state in order to prevent an unstoppable descent into urban dystopia.
Urban slums should be replaced with affordable, dignified housing for the working classes, and Pakistanis deserve cleaner, greener, and more sustainable cities that provide equal opportunities to all residents.
