Sustainable development requires planning for ‘green’ cities

Urban transport ties should be made environment-friendly to achieve sustainable development, says environmentalist.


Shahram Haq March 04, 2011

LAHORE:


Urban transport ties should be made more environment-friendly to achieve sustainable development, Asif Kabani, an environmentalist, said on Thursday. He was speaking at a session on Smart Growth, Green Cities with Climate Change and Adaptation at the third day of the Pakistan Urban Forum.


Kabani urged that the green cities concept should be introduced with buildings, transport facilities and other infrastructure abiding by environmental standards.

He said the government needed to educate the public about environment-protection issues. Most people, he said, were not aware of the challenges of global warming and climate change so that it was the cities administrations’ job to launch awareness campaigns in this regard.

He said there were three core strategies for building a public transport system: one based on light rail, cars or subway lines; second on expansion of intra-city bus system and third on promoting walking and cycling.

He said big cities in Pakistan lacked a functioning public transport system. He added that most low-population cities too lacked proper transport facilities.

He said the shortage of public transport was forcing more and more people to use private vehicles. “Cars and trucks alone account for between 20 and 50 per cent of the total green house gases emitted in urban areas across the world,” he said. He said mostly only the poor were using public transport in Pakistan, while a significantly large number of people had switched to private vehicles, making traffic jams a regular feature of city life and raising the level of pollution.

In the short-term, he proposed, diesel-run busses should be replaced with CNG-powered busses.

He highlighted that public transport system should be designed keeping in view the needs of the population. He said at present public transport was not catering to the needs of the women.

He said cities needed to reduce vehicular traffic in order to improve the health of its residents and save their money.

This, he said, should be done by adopting sound development policies and not by penalising people for driving cars or motorcycles. He said research showed that government could decrease road traffic from 20 per cent to 40 per cent by adopting sound policies.

He said construction of environmentally-friendly buildings should also be a priority.

Asif Qayum, an adviser with the Planning Commission, said the government had formed several task forces to work on reducing the damage to environment in urban areas.

He said around Rs500 million had been sanctioned to purchase CNG busses for big cities.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

Asif Kabani | 12 years ago | Reply Dear Storm, Thanks for the comment, the first thing we all are do is to education people by giving lectures, trainings, and writing articles in leading newspaper, so people like you, friends and our leaders understand. Yes we should use TV and newspaper for promote, can you share and support us by making a campaign for TV and newspaper with funding support, if any available. To understand the problem firstly and solution People around the world use public transport including Presidents/PM and CM, Take example of UK PM, Switzerland and Singapore head of states, Pakistan leaders we are trying level best, but cant help the protocol of this country we want you to also join us in this cause and promote the subject. Yes, we need to Educate egotistical male class as you say it, if you would get a copy of my speech from Pakistan Urban Forum 2011- this what I have told the participants and policy makers. Again, thanks for sharing the example of Shell, Yes we should first start from our self from example I use public transport where available in Pakistan and abroad, like Switzerland and Singapore has very good even in Pakistan my family and friends walk to Market and Some offices near by our house, please share how you contribute towards this, we want to be inspired by you and your friends whom are doing some as best practice. Please keep us posted
storm | 13 years ago | Reply Mr.Kabani educate people first of the benefits of green city .Advertise aggressively on tv ,newspapers and make people come to terms with the idea . Also mentality of people here is not to take public transport to commute the social status factor comes as a hurdle . My idea is if you want to make this campaign flourish popularly then ask our CM,PM and President to aspire people by using these modes so that the rich and famous don't feel embarrassed in following the footsteps . Wealthy here are not too wise about money they have it and they flaunt it so the idea might not be very popular among them .i love cycling and walking myself but due to social constraints i cannot do this even if i ve to go the next lane. Educate egotistical male class . i d like to bring to your attention what the head of Shell oil co.did when he launched this windscreen wiping service while the customer gets his fuel tank filled up.He was the first one to clean the windscreen of the car of his first customer .Thats what is aspiration,inspiration,motivations for subordinates. Be a part of of what you re propagating .People dont like to be told to do this and do that ,we all look around to be inspired .
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