World Habitat Day

Dr. Jassim Taqui

DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic Studies

Islamabad, October 6,  2021: UN-Habitat Pakistan organized a seminar to kick start the celebration of  Urban October activities– World Habitat Day on 4^th October 2021 in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change, Water and Sanitation Agency, National Disaster Risk Management Authority, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, Shehersaaz and TMA Nowshera. The event was organized to discuss and reflect on the increasing effects of climate-related disasters. Extreme climatic events are disproportionately affecting poor, rural populations who are usually the least prepared to cope with them.

 The event commenced with a message from Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, and Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director UN-Habitat in which it was highlighted that cities and towns contribute to 70% of greenhouse gas emissions, a result of which are the devastating floods, droughts, and violent storms. There was stress on the importance of putting climate action at the top of our agenda and changing how we generate power, mode of transport, dependence on fossil fuels, and the need to work towards energy-efficient infrastructure to encourage walking and cycling. Lastly, the benefits of a green transition were pointed out especially for the most vulnerable communities, and the need to unite and work together to ensure all climate goals are met.

 Mr. Jawed Ali Khan, UN-Habitat Programme Manager, Pakistan reiterated the need of the hour: to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas production from ever-expanding urban centers and for the natural and built environment to move in parallel to achieve our climate goals. He added that UN-Habitat Pakistan has launched a project on Climate Change adaptation in Pakistan to enhance the capacity of government and communities to deal with the impacts of floods and droughts. This project is important and is a curtain-raiser for adaptation activities and will be instrumental in building climate change-related resilience in Rawalpindi and Nowshera districts.

The discussions in the seminar were centered around how cities can be made more resilient through the implementation of climate targeted actions such as planning for more compact and walkable cities, support in enhancing national building codes, sustainable building and construction practices, promoting clean energy generation in cities, improving waste management and provision of water and sanitation for a carbon-free world.

Partners engaged in productive deliberations on how to mitigate the impacts of floods and droughts through innovation and new technology. There was a great focus on groundwater recharge instead of surface water storage which has been the primary focus previously. This would cater to water scarcity and provide longer-term benefits to the most vulnerable communities. Additionally, the technology that would enable groundwater recharge will be solar-powered, making it energy efficient and helping to reduce the carbon footprint.

UN-Habitat, Pakistan will also organize the following events to celebrate Urban October

·       Dedicated Session in Innovate 4 Cities (I4C) 2021 Conference   to demonstrate the importance of GHG emission reduction in urban areas

·       Seminar on Housing Challenges in Pakistan and Lessons Learnt from Success Stories of Korea and other Countries is to bring home the rich experiences and the lessons learned from the successful interventions in the housing construction sector from Korea and other parts of the world to reinforce the Five Million Housing Program.