Report by Engineering Post
Pakistan has the highest rate of urbanization in South Asia. As per the Population Census of 2017, urbanization in the country had increased from 32.52 percent to 37.20 percent in 2020 and it was estimated that by 2025, next year, nearly half of the country’s population will be living in the cities.
Recently held Digital Population Census figures in this regard were somehow not immediately available, please.
Ongoing process of rapid urbanization was already stretching cities’ resources in the country.
The tremendous challenge of absorbing such a massive number of people in the urban areas of the country and providing them with shelter, food,, employment, healthcare, education, municipal services and recreational facilities was quite obviously more difficult given the shortage of urban facilities and resources, skilled human resources and good government.
However, despite these challenges, urban areas were demonstrating the immense economic potential for generating growth in the country.
When contacted, the official sources said that in order to address the increasing urbanization issues and challenges in the country, the federal government under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) an allocation of approximately Rs 41.5 billion was made for the outgoing financial year 2023-24 for the physical planning and housing sector programmes to be launched and implemented by various ministries, divisions and departments concerned . The important programmes being implemented included flood-affected areas’ rehabilitation and resilient reconstruction,, construction of the government offices accommodation, low-income income, water supply and sanitation and achievement of the relevant Sustainable Development Programme (SDGs ) programme.
When asked about completion of so launched development schemes, the sources said that they were keeping their fingers crossed, hoping for completion of a good number of development schemes by end June 2024.
