Urbanization in Pakistan & its Key Challenges

March 20th, 2012

UKP: Colombo

Dr Nasir Javed Director Urban Unit Punjab: Pakistan

Moen Jo Darho: 2600 BC

Pakistan is land of one the oldest cities in the World

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The Issue of Definition

Till 2001, the LG system had a clear cut definition of urban areas
Metropolitan Corporation Municipal Corporations Municipal Committees Town Committees Cantonment Boards

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The Growth of Urbanization

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URBAN GROWTH IN PAKISTAN

Total population of country is 173.5 million (2011) Urban population 63.1 million (36.3%) Current Rate of Urbanization = 3% per year Over the next 25 years, the urban population in Pakistan is likely to increase by 140%. Addition of 4 more cities of +1 million people by 2030 By 2030 the urban population of Pakistan will be 50% of the total population.
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Demography
AREA, POPULATION, DENSITY AND URBAN/RURAL PROPORTION BY ADMN. UNITS
Administrati Area ve Unit (Sq. Km.) Population 1998 Population Density per Number Percentage Sq. Km. ..........Proportion........... Urban Rural

PAKISTAN NWFP FATA PUNJAB SINDH BALOCHIST AN

796096 74521 27220 205345 140914

132352279 17743645 3176331 73621290 30439893

100.00 13.41 2.40 55.63 23.00

166.3 238.1 116.7 358.5 216.0

32.5 16.9 2.7 31.3 48.8

67.5 83.1 97.3 68.7 51.2 76.1 34.3

7

347190 906

6565885 805235
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4.96 0.61
Pakistan

18.9 888.8
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23.9 65.7

ISLAMABAD
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Transformation of the Economy

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FEATURES OF URBANIZATION
Urban areas are major contributors to the national economy, generating and diffusing growth across country. Pattern of urbanization across provinces exhibits large variation. More than half of the total population of the country is clustered in and around eight cities i.e., Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, Gujranwala and Peshawar. About 20% of the urban population is under 25 years of age.
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Existing Conditions in Urban Areas

Unregulated urban property market, and Distortion of prices of urban real estate Real estate development suppressed by byelaws and zoning regulations Automobile dependent urban sprawl Housing development catered to elite and not need based

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Challenge: Infrastructure
In most of the intermediate cities, there is lack of municipal infrastructure Water Supply & Sewerage coverage is less than 50% Less than 50% of the Solid Waste is not managed and either not collected or is not properly disposed off

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Urban Services
The service delivery standards are low, compared to the investments made in infrastructure; Reason being that focus is on laying more and more infrastructure and less on sustainable operations

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Challenge: Planning
There is no notified integrated Urban Planning framework Master plans for various cities, but have no legal backing Almost all development is unplanned There is a serious dearth of Urban Professionals in the Country

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Lahore

WASA Boundary

Ex-MCL Boundary

LDA Boundary

District Boundary

New City Boundary

The Institutional Confusion

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Capacity?
The land, the natural resources & the Young brilliant population provide a Great Opportunity for the Cities & Economy; However Inadequate Institutional Capacity to turn this potential into an opportunity & Profit is the real challenge
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Challenge: Policy
One of the key challenges is that there is hardly any National level Policy for urbanization and urban sector.

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The Real Challenge: Vision

Most of the senior level policy makers are still captivated by the romanticism of Rural Development and Pakistan being an agriculture based economy!!!!. Do we have the Vision of an Urban Pakistan?

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Meeting the Urban Challenge in real time is like

Running the length of a Marathon

At the speed of a 100m Sprint

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Thank You
The Urban Challenge is A Reality: Act NOW

Tomorrow might be Too Late

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