ISLAMABAD: Provincial government officers on Thursday agreed that insufficient knowledge about rapid urbanisation has resulted in a lack of untimely service delivery, resource allocation and municipal solutions by city authorities.

During an event hosted by UN-Habitat, officials working on the national State of Pakistani Cities Report were told that data for the report was complied with support from all the provinces, the representatives of which said they want to produce a State of Provincial Cities reports as well.

Speakers at the event agreed that consultations had reaffirmed the provinces’ support for increased public participation and for their plans to take greater account of environmental concerns and be more inclusive particularly in addressing the needs of women, the youth and the disabled.

Spearheaded by the Ministry of Climate Change with technical assistance from UN-Habitat and funded by the Australian government, the report will support planners, administrators and decision makers by providing information to help design effective urban solutions without leaving out vital segments of urban society.

Govt preparing a report on the state of urbanisation

Climate Change Secretary Syed Abu Akif said urbanisation is one of the key challenges faced by Pakistan today.

“But also offers greater opportunities, which can also be beneficial through calculated measures. However, insufficient knowledge of the urban dynamics is resulting in lack of timely service delivery, resource allocation and urban solutions by city authorities”.

He said the government is spearheading the development of the report to tackle the issue and to present a well-informed analysis of the state of urbanisation across Pakistan consisting of economic, social, demographic, political and cultural aspects.

“This data will be vital for planners, policy makers and legislators in responding to the urbanisation challenge,” Mr Akif added.

The meeting brought forward interesting findings. For instance, with the exception of Quetta where joint and extended families still prevail, the average household size has decreased in other cities. According to the speakers, this suggested a trend towards smaller families. Another emerging trend is that women’s participation in the labour force in all major cities has increased.

Also, those who are unable to find jobs in rural areas and those looking for better opportunities continue to be accommodated in the cities in increasing numbers.

It is not only existing cities which are growing, but more settlements are becoming urbanised, particularly along transport routes emanating from the cities.

It was agreed that for cities to be able to perform as engines of growth, more emphasis will have to be put on enabling strategies which provide better housing, infrastructure and access to finance.

The meeting was told that the report will provide urban information and updated data on first level major cities, establish appropriate key urban indicators and baselines, analyse development trends and challenges and present potentials for investment and growth.

The report will also help build the capacity of relevant departments for evidence-based decision making and monitoring. It will also support the implementation of the 2030 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, as well as the New Urban Agenda.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2017