Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: To launch its latest study on the potential of Climate-Smart, Low-Income Housing in Pakistan, a webinar was held here on Friday during which industry leaders and stakeholders came together to deliberate on the housing needs in Pakistan and the impact green initiatives can have in meeting the needs of populations especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change.
Between 2000 and 2019, Pakistan was found to rank eighth amongst the top ten countries most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. This vulnerability became starkly evident Earlier this year, as one-third of the country was flooded as a result of unprecedented rainfall and glacier melt. As estimated by Karandaaz, over 33 million people were displaced, and one-seventh lost their homes due to the floods of 2022. With an ever-increasing frequency of severe climate-related events, depleting energy resources, and a population growth rate that far outpaces the provision of housing, this webinar was arranged as a platform to bring together a wide set of stakeholders, including architects, urban planners, financiers and funding providers, etc. to discuss Pakistan’s housing needs.
Mr. Arif Hasan, one of Pakistan’s most reputable architects and urban planners, delivered the keynote address. In his address Mr. Hasan stated that “The most obvious climate change event in Pakistan has been the recent flooding.
The main cause was consistent rain and though we cannot do anything about rain changing its course, lessons can be learned.
A key factor that amplified the impact of the floods and contributed to the damage caused, was the fact that flood waters could not be drained out. Roads without culverts in them; canals, headworks, barrages that have not been desilted; and saim naalis that have been clogged with vegetation led to entire villages being wiped out.
Therefore, a very important aspect in the rural areas will be the choice of a location for reconstruction. It has to be in a location where this is a disposal point for water, and any hindrances to reach the disposal point need to be removed.
Another important issue in reconstruction is the high cost involved in building conventional housing such as that of cement and steel. So, affordable alternatives become pertinent. Subsidies cannot be provided to individuals but should be available for the supply of these materials in flood effected areas”.
