Date: 29^th March
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm (PKT)
Venue: SDPI Conference Hall

Climate crises and the impacts have been exacerbated due to human induced actions which are the root cause of climate change and global warming. Having witnessed intense impacts of climate change largely due to significant violation of the original Master Plan prepared in 1960 ( by the Greek planning firm Doxiadis), the capital city of Islamabad, as well as the larger Islamabad metropolitan area, highlights a clear example of how climate induced impacts can cause ripple effects on all forms of ecological and economic activites if provisions to prevent,  preserve and enhance the ecological conditions are not adhered by municipal city level leadership.

Not only due to global climate crises, but also because of human induced factors, extreme weather events, including heatwaves, floods, and erratic rainfall patterns, pose significant threats to the city’s infrastructure, economy, and the well-being of its residents. The clear skies of the city are no longer visible due to pollution, the beautiful Margalla Hills National Park face forest fires due to extreme heat, the springs, aquifers, rivers and dams dry up, due to soaring temperatures, creating water scarcity. Furthermore, due to urbanization, deforestation has increased and the city now face the urban heat island effect. Once considered as one of the most beautiful capital in the world, Islamabad is bearing the brunt of human-induced climate change impacts, giving rise to socio-economic and ecological crises.

In this backdrop, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) is conducting a stakeholder consultation on 29^th March from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (PKT).

The purpose is to bring together key stakeholders and representatives from the local municipal authority and city leadership including government, policymakers, urban planners, environmental experts, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders, to discuss challenges and opportunities and a way forward for building urban climate resilience in Islamabad. The objectives of the workshop include the following:

• To identify and prioritize key areas within Islamabad’s urban landscape that are most susceptible to climate impacts and require immediate resilience interventions.
• To encourage cross-sectoral discussions among policymakers, urban planners, environmental experts, and community leaders to foster a holistic understanding of urban climate resilience and its integration into governance structures.
• To generate actionable strategies and recommendations tailored to Islamabad’s context for effectively integrating climate resilience into urban planning, infrastructure development, and policy formulation.