ISLAMABAD: Senate Committee on Climate Change Chairperson Sherry Rehman on Saturday unpacked the challenges posed by Pakistan’s accelerated urbanization, currently growing at a rate of 3% annually, and its implications for Islamabad’s limited natural resources and fragile ecosystems.
She delivered a keynote address at the Green Urban Development event organized by the School of Leadership Foundation, the Institute of Urbanism, and the US Embassy. The event highlighted the urgent need to innovate sustainable solutions for the rapid urbanization of Pakistan with a focus on Islamabad, highlighting water conservation, waste management and green infrastructure in the city.
Sherry said Islamabad was now at a critical juncture and its story shouldn’t just be one of a city grappling with the pressures of urbanization, it should be a story of transformation of a city that rose to meet its challenges with resilience and creativity. “Our future depends on the decisions we make today, and the time to act is now.”She emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaborative efforts in advancing green urban development. “I want to express my gratitude to all the actors who have come together, capitalizing on the energy and creativity of young people, and translating these into actionable and tangible outcomes,” she said, highlighting the pivotal role that youths and innovative startups played in shaping Pakistan’s urban future.
With water shortages becoming an increasingly critical issue, she pointed to the alarming statistic that Islamabad was currently facing a daily shortfall of 53 million gallons. “This isn’t just a future problem, it’s a present crisis,” she warned, adding that Pakistan was on the brink of becoming a water-scarce country by 2025 and “if we don’t take actionable steps now, we are condemning future generations to live with the consequences of our inaction”.
She also stressed the urgent need for effective waste management, referencing 9 million gallons of untreated sewage entering the Rawal Dam daily, compromising the water quality for the city’s residents. She called for a holistic, long-term approach to manage resources and urged policymakers to adopt new technologies and sustainable practices. “We need bold, tangible solutions to secure Islamabad’s and Pakistan’s future water security,” she said.
Recognizing the role of young people and innovative startups, she applauded the efforts made by the Green Urban Development School (GUDS) in piloting projects like the Sar Sabz Qadam, a green efficient paver, an enterprise that generates electricity through pedestrian activity and the Terra Tech, a green home initiative for rainwater harvesting. “My generation may not have given you the perfect example to follow, but today’s youth are taking the lead, turning every challenge into an opportunity to create lasting solutions,” she remarked.
She said the real youth dividend was paying off and “we must continue to support these efforts to ensure that they go beyond isolated success stories and become catalysts for change across Pakistan”. She advocated a new paradigm of urban development rooted in circularity, conservation, and connectivity. “Our development trajectory has often come at a high environmental cost. We have encroached on wildlife habitats and overexploited our resources. It’s time to re-imagine our cities, not as isolated entities, but as ecosystems where every resource is valued, and every piece of waste is repurposed. Circularity isn’t just a trend; it’s an essential blueprint for urban planning,” she said.
She concluded the address by asserting the importance of scalability of the pilot projects. “The nurturing of startups and innovative projects has been remarkable. However, the challenge now is to scale up these solutions and integrate them into mainstream policy frameworks. The potential of clear, cutting-edge technologies must be fully realized through partnerships that involve both public and private sectors. Efforts to pilot water-saving initiatives in local mosques or launch green tech innovations should be expanded and supported by comprehensive policy measures. We must also consider how these initiatives can be adapted and applied to different urban contexts across Pakistan.”