ACTION & CHALLENGES FOR URBAN RESILIENCE IN KARACHI

Transcription

1 SOUTH ASIA HYDROMET FORUM SESSION 5: LINKING COMMUNITIES TO WEATHER AND CLIMATE SERVICE ACTION & CHALLENGES FOR URBAN RESILIENCE IN KARACHI Abdul Fattah Tunio, Member, Planning & Development, Government of Sindh September 19, 2018

2 Sequence of Presentation Karachi: A Mega City Effects of Climate Change Case Study: Heat wave 2015 Urban Resilience in the Context of Climate Change Urban Resilience Role of Private Sector Challenges for Urban Resilience in Karachi Actions for Enhancing Resilience 2

3 KARACHI: A MEGA CITY Population: > 16 million Sixth most populous city in the world Pakistan s premier financial and industrial hub Grave challenges of basic service delivery Informal settlements Orangi town largest slum in Asia High vulnerability for climate impacts 3

4 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE Pakistan is among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change due to its high population density, monsoon-dependent agricultural economy and aging infrastructure It has already endured several climate-related losses during the period in the form of; 4 Mega floods, Heavy rainfalls, Droughts and Earthquakes

5 CASE STUDY: HEAT WAVE 2015 Heatwave summer 2015: > 1000 heat related fatalities in Karachi Formation of low pressure cell over Arabian Sea shut down sea breeze causing rise in humidity. Absence of timely early warning and response capacity gaps. Contributing factors: o Power breakdowns o Water shortages o Old buildings infrastructure o Lack of preparedness 5

6 URBAN RESILIENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE While we cannot avert natural disasters due to extreme weather events, we can significantly reduce their impact through sustainable development, which aims to minimize losses through building a climate-resilient infrastructure Karachi city is exposed to all the possible climate change hazard scenarios; urban flooding, drought, extreme heat and rising sea levels While emergency response systems like healthcare and firefighting facilities are grossly inadequate to meet high-scale disaster situations A possible resilience framework for Karachi, encompassing all key stakeholders, would have to start with an assessment of the existing status 6

7 URBAN RESILIENCE ROLE OF PRIVATE SECTOR Karachi, being vulnerable city, must begin to build resilience to climate change To maintain competitiveness and enhance security of supply and service delivery, the private sector must invest in resilient infrastructure Ultimately all stakeholders including the government, private sector, research community and policy makers must act in collaboration to enable the city to withstand future shocks and stresses and flourish in the face of a changing climate 7

8 CHALLENGES FOR URBAN RESILIENCE IN KARACHI Institutional Capacity Human and financial resource constraint Overlaps in mandate Limited institutional coordination Unplanned Urbanization Informal settlements Challenges of basic service delivery Land use changes Urban Heat Islands Urban Flooding due to blockage of drains Monitoring & Early Warning 8 Data Collection & Research

9 ACTIONS FOR ENHANCING RESILIENCE Strengthening of city level emergency response services Establishment of Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and SOPs Development of Karachi Heat Wave Management Plan Strong participation of non-government entities, private sector and news media in disaster response and recovery Upgradation of national hydro-meteorological infrastructure linked with local EOCs Innovative institute responsible for disaster management in the city of Karachi 9

10 ACTIONS FOR ENHANCING RESILIENCE Support of International Development Partners: World Bank through Sindh Resilience Project is assisting in strengthening capacity of government functionaries to manage risks from natural disasters & climate change and to improve resilience of communities and economic assets in the province 10

11 11 THANK YOU