The continuous expansion of urban areas in Pakistan is a striking feature of contemporary transformations in the country. According to the Population Census 2023, around 40 per cent of the population lives in urban areas. Compared to other South Asian countries, Pakistan has the highest rate of urbanisation. The drivers and consequences of unregulated urban expansion processes are evaluated together with the associated encroachment upon ecologically sensitive areas.

The expansion of unplanned urban migration leads to urbanisation, and this, in turn, leads to the expansion of housing societies. For instance, in Punjab, out of 7,905 societies, 5,118 are illegal; in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, more than 90 per cent of the housing societies are not legally approved; the Sindh government has declared 480 housing schemes illegal; in Balochistan, only Quetta has more than 125 illegal housing schemes; and lastly, within a radius of 22 km, Islamabad has declared 99 societies illegal.

Unregulated human activities have severely disrupted the natural flow and ecological balance of rivers and streams across Pakistan. The encroachment of residential and commercial settlements along waterways, combined with improper solid waste disposal practices and weak enforcement of existing environmental regulations, has intensified flooding risks, degraded water quality, and diminished the capacity of natural drainage systems. The encroachment and construction in riverine areas have not only disrupted the ecological balance but also put human lives at risk.

Pakistan faces either water shortages or floods every year during the monsoon season. Human life has always been linked to water, which is why settlements have traditionally been established near rivers, springs, and other........

© The Friday Times