Experts pore over Islamabad’s urbanisation dilemma

Participants stress local, regional govts’ role in driving sustainable uplift

ISLAMABAD:

As Pakistan experiences rapid urbanisation, projections indicate that nearly half of its population will reside in cities by 2025.

This urban growth presents significant challenges, including poor planning, inadequate municipal services, insufficient housing, and substandard infrastructure, all of which impede economic progress and environmental sustainability.

In response to these challenges, the United Nations Habitat Programme (UN-Habitat) is assisting Pakistani cities in enhancing their sustainability and resilience, with a particular focus on Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG-11), according to a recent press release.

In partnership with Islamabad's Capital Development Authority (CDA), UN-Habitat recently organised a two-day training program centred on SDG-11 and the 2030 Agenda.

This training aimed to equip urban planners, engineers, and policymakers with the skills necessary to incorporate SDG-11 principles into city planning and development. Additionally, the programme focused on improving the monitoring and reporting of SDG-11 in alignment with the New Urban Agenda and developing Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).

The training, which took place at the Jinnah Convention Centre and CDA Training Centre, commenced with a welcome address by Habitat Program Manager, UN-Habitat, Jawed Ali Khan.

He emphasised the importance of this training for Islamabad, marking it as a critical step towards integrating sustainable development goals into urban planning.

Acting UN Resident Coordinator, Mio Sato, highlighted the importance of localising SDG-11 for Pakistan's urban future, ensuring cities like Islamabad achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP, Ammara Durrani stressed the need to include secondary cities in these capacity-building efforts, affirming UNDP's commitment to collaborate with UN-Habitat under the One UN framework.

Experts like Martino Miraglia and Riccardo Maroso from UN-Habitat presented on SDG localisation and VLRs. They noted the growing global movement of VLRs, with cities worldwide using them to track and report on SDG progress. UN-Habitat views VLRs as crucial accelerators for localising the Sustainable Development Goals, offering opportunities for peer learning, capacity building, and international engagement.

The training highlighted the joint efforts of UN-Habitat and CDA to equip Pakistani cities, starting with Islamabad, with the tools and knowledge necessary to achieve sustainable urban development. CDA, responsible for implementing the Islamabad Master Plan, has committed to aligning all its projects with SDG-11 by 2030.

To support this, CDA has established an SDG-11 cell within its Planning Wing to strengthen regulations and build institutional capacity with UN-Habitat's assistance.

Participants in the training underscored the role of local and regional governments in driving sustainable development.

These governments ensure the delivery of essential public services and act as catalysts for transformative change. APP