A third of Pakistan’s urban population lives in Karachi and Lahore, leading to unplanned sprawl and growth of illegal developments. Informal settlements do not comply with planning rules, delivering substandard living conditions and disrupting city functions, says ADB’s report “Pakistan National Urban Assessment”.

Karachi has two of the world’s most overpopulated residential areas, the Garden and Lyari subdivisions, according to ADB. In 2017, Karachi Central had 43,064 inhabitants/km², while similarly sized and high-rise Manhattan had 27,757 persons/km². By mid-2023, Manhattan’s population density was estimated at 28,016/km², still far below of Karachi Central in 2017.

As anyone living in Karachi will attest, continuous running water in taps is a privilege reserved for the elite. ADB estimates that 35pc-58pc of the treated water supply is lost due to water theft, leakages, and an outdated water distribution system with the Karachi Water and Sanitation Board reaching only 55pc of the city’s population. Though higher, Lahore is not better off by much with the Water and Sanitation Agency serving just 62pc of the population of the city.

Karachi alone contributes 12-15pc of the country’s GDP, estimates ADB. And yet, given the pressure on the city that continues to be mired in ever-increasing deficits in infrastructure and services, there appears to be little respite in sight. So much so that government agencies that control nearly 90pc of the public land in Karachi have been reluctant to release even a portion of that land for affordable housing development, states the report.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, September 9th, 2024