Daily Times

Pakistan is rapidly urbanizing, with projections indicating that nearly half of its population will live in cities by 2025.

Urban growth comes with significant challenges cities face issues like poor planning, inadequate municipal services, insufficient housing, and substandard infrastructure and these problems hinder economic progress and environmental sustainability.

To address these challenges, the United Nations Habitat Programme (UN-Habitat) is supporting Pakistani cities to improve sustainability and resilience, focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG-11), said a press release.

In collaboration with Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority (CDA), UN-Habitat recently conducted a two-day training program centered on SDG-11 and the 2030 Agenda. The training aimed to equip urban planners, engineers, and policymakers with the skills needed to integrate SDG-11 principles into city planning and development. It also focused on improving the monitoring and reporting of SDG-11 in line with the New Urban Agenda and developing Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).

The training, held at the Jinnah Convention Center and CDA Training Center, began with a welcome address by Habitat Program Manager, UN-Habitat, Jawed Ali Khan. He emphasized the significance of the training for Islamabad, marking a critical step toward integrating sustainable development goals into urban planning.

Acting UN Resident Coordinator, Mio Sato highlighted the importance of localizing 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.

Director General of Trainings at CDA, Dr. Zafar Ali Zafar reinforced CDA’s dedication to aligning city planning with SDG-11 goals, ensuring Islamabad’s development is both sustainable and resilient. Senior government representatives and 50 officers from CDA and ICT participated in the inaugural session.

Experts like Martino Miraglia and Riccardo Maroso from UN-Habitat presented on SDG localization 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 localizing 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.

However, they face gaps in data, capacity, and resources needed to fulfill this mandate. Investing in municipal capacity building, institutional efficiency, and partnerships with stakeholders at all levels is crucial for localizing the SDGs.

CDA Chairman Ch. Muhammad Ali Randhawa, in his keynote address at the concluding session, appreciated UN-Habitat’s technical support in raising awareness about the SDGs and aligning CDA projects with these goals. He reiterated CDA’s commitment to making Islamabad inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The training enhances the capacity of CDA urban planners and demonstrates CDA’s commitment to achieving SDG-11 targets.

CDA has also initiated a program to promote an affordable and accessible sustainable transport system, including 30 electric buses with plans to add 170 more. Additionally, CDA has launched an ambitious tree-planting program, aiming to plant 4 million trees in Islamabad to combat climate change and enhance the city’s environment. This initiative includes a mobile app, “Track Your Tree,” allowing residents to monitor tree growth.

The training concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants, marking a significant step toward sustainable urban development in Pakistan.