ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and UN-Habitat discussed viable strategic measures to transform Pakistani cities into climate-resilient, sustainable engines of economic growth, with a renewed focus on developing an action-oriented National Urban Strategy.
This was stated by Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, on Saturday in the context of a meeting between Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Musadik Masood Malik and a UN-Habitat delegation led by Kazuko Ishigaki, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, at the ministry. He said that the meeting centred on strengthening cooperation on climate-resilient urban development, including sustainable housing, improved land management and the upgrading of informal settlements. Both sides emphasised the urgency of equipping cities to withstand floods, droughts and heatwaves while enabling long-term economic growth.
Secretary of the ministry Ms Aisha Humera Moriani, Director General (Environment and Climate Change) Mr Asif Sahibzada Khan, Deputy Director (Architecture) Mr Fayaz Memon and Deputy Director (Media and Communication) Mohammad Saleem also attended the meeting.During the meeting, Ms Ishigaki briefed at length the minister Dr, Musadik Malik on UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029, which prioritises housing, land and access to basic services with a strong integration of climate adaptation and resilience. She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting Pakistan in developing strategies to reduce urban flooding, mitigate drought impacts and tackle other climate-related risks confronting rapidly expanding urban centres.
She also highlighted the importance of Pakistan’s high-level participation in the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF-13), scheduled to be held in Baku from May 17 to 22, 2026. The forum, she noted, would provide a global platform for Pakistan to showcase its urban resilience initiatives and engage with international partners, investors and experts.
Dr Malik outlined the scale of Pakistan’s urban challenges, citing rapid urbanisation, urban heat islands, inadequate drainage and sewerage systems, water contamination, encroachments, housing shortages and weak enforcement of zoning regulations. He observed that poor urban design and fragmented planning lay at the root of many of these issues.
The minister stressed that Pakistan required a context-specific and implementable National Urban Strategy rather than a generic policy document, underlining the need for coordinated planning and institutional reforms. He said the government had taken steps to operationalise the ongoing National Urban Strategy project under the Adaptation Fund and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to meaningful reforms in urban planning, climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure development.
Sharing details of the meeting, Media Spokesperson for the ministry Mohammad Saleem Shaikh said the engagement reflected Pakistan’s resolve to transform its cities into climate-resilient, inclusive and economically vibrant urban centres. He said the bilateral discussions underscored the need to develop smart cities capable of withstanding climate shocks while driving sustainable economic growth through green infrastructure, innovation, investment and job creation.
Both sides also emphasised stronger inter-organisational cooperation, enhanced knowledge-sharing and coordinated planning among federal, provincial and local governments, development partners and the private sector.
Such collaboration, officials said, would be critical for advancing integrated urban planning, digital governance and modern infrastructure solutions to build sustainable and people-centred cities across the country.
