A new paradigm for sustainable and climate-adaptive city planning IBA Karachi and UNDP Pakistan reimagine resilience through an international urban conference.

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi in collaboration with UNDP Pakistan and the Government of Sindh hosted an International Urban Resilience Conference entitled, "Reimagining Resilience The Transition to Sustainable Cities" at the IBA City Campus. The conference facilitated expert discussion and policy recommendations for Pakistan to effectively respond to urban resilience and development challenges. It focused on 'reimagining resilience' to create a new paradigm for city governance - by stepping out of traditional governance and economic development approaches and create spaces for engagement with citizens and experts alike to create inclusive and climate-adaptive cities.

Pakistan currently has 82 million people living in urban areas, 30 million of whom are living in informal settlements. Karachi is no different; approximately half of its population lives in informal settlements. Hence, urban population growth in Pakistan needs to be matched with effective urban planning and development initiatives. This has become even more important in the wake of Pakistan's devastating floods, which have caused additional migration from rural areas to already migrant-stressed cities like Karachi.

In this context, the conference brought together senior government representatives, national and international urban resilience advocates, subject matter experts, and representatives of Pakistan's private sector and UN agencies.

Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA Karachi and Principal Investigator for the UNDP-IBA Karachi Urban Resilience Project, welcomed the audience and mentioned that "Even though cities are considered hubs of economic activity, poor urban planning has left many in want of basic services such as water, electricity, energy, health, and education. Unregulated expansion of these communities has resulted in overburdened transport networks which exacerbate the issue of low employment opportunities for such people."

UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative, Mr. Knut Ostby said of Pakistan's urban challenges, "While Pakistan's current urban context presents a crisis for cities and its governments, it also presents an opportunity for resilience building. This is key to achieving sustainable development and ensuring that urban areas continue to serve as inclusive spaces for human development and economic growth."

The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Muhammad Ismail Rahoo, Minister, Environment, Climate Change and Coastal...