Feature 
 

Urban Life

Action, Reaction

Half of Karachi’s population lives in informal settlements. The rise in population levels in these settlements is twice that of the overall population increase in the metropolitan city.

By Azhar Ali | May 2021

Karachi has been facing multiple problems for decades. With a population influx of people in search of livelihood and being the only port available for years, the city has sprawled well beyond its intended boundaries. This exponential growth has strained the limited sources of the city as well as generated complex problems for the people inhabiting the city and its surroundings. Drinking water, a vital means of survival took a toll with time and waste water flowing under and above ground further deteriorated the living conditions. The solid waste problem further added to this as the city expanded further and further. The city is still surviving and even growing but the future is neither a livable city, nor a sustainable one.

Among many environmental problems that are hampering the life of Karachiites, the heat wave seems to be the newest one. Those living without a roof and with enough water or electricity are among the most vulnerable ones. Irrespective of our search for quick fixes, all problems, including the heat wave issue needs long-term implementation of a feasible plan. To every action there is a reaction and most of the time this reaction is more complex and severe. It may also create another action to get a new reaction. This is also known as chain reaction. Heat wave is also a consequence of different chains of action and reaction.

Heat wave and air pollution, heat wave and urban planning, heat wave and municipal services are all interlinked. A city with higher levels of air pollution will magnify the effects of climate change. Similar to creation of smog, the polluted air intensifies the effects of heat wave too. Cities do produce heat and this has always happened in human history. The internal heat produced in Karachi is expected to be quite high, mainly due to three major problems. The population has increased manifolds, the city has mostly developed in an unplanned manner and the lack of services has added to the apathy of people.

Population increase is a complex issue and has widely been discussed without any useful results in case of Karachi. The unplanned development of the city stands out to be the most important culprit behind the heat wave problem. The number of vehicles has increased exponentially in the city due to absence of any reliable public transport system and has thus added to heat and pollution levels in the city. The existing public transport system is not only insufficient but is also outdated and has a high potential of adding to the air pollution. Similarly, as the climate gets more heated, the need for cooling also increases. This has resulted in the increase of cooling systems at every possible place so that human activities may continue. To every action there is a reaction and while we our houses, offices and malls are chilled, the outlets of these systems keep heating up our ambient environment.

The number of air conditioners produced and sold in the city are on an increase for several years. Similarly, our obsession with the use of glass exteriors in buildings has further resulted in increased outside temperatures. The quest for getting sunlight and switching off a hundred-watt bulb during the day has resulted in more operation of air conditioners in all neighbourhood. Congested buildings, blocked parks and nullahs act as floating dumps of waste and add to the misery of the city.

There is no single solution to the problem as there is no single cause. A successful city has two features, it is walkable and it is a living city. A city can only be walkable if it has pedestrian passages without hindrances of over-flowing waste water, solid waste dumps, parked vehicles, over-tretched commercial activities and broken paths. It also needs the shadow of trees. Secondly a city like Karachi must be a living city, clear of waste dumps, polluting waste water rehabilitation of its water streams and more green-corridors. Green-corridors are mitigation measures rather than adaptations.

Air corridors along with well-planted water nullahs, streams and road networks help air to circulate. Karachi needs to revive its nullahs by making their surroundings planted and kept clean. Major roads that lead from one side of the city to another must be considered as air corridors. Along with these, efficient transport systems and use of nature-based solutions to construct green buildings may help mitigate the effects and reduce the intensity of severe rise in temperatures. The sooner the city adapts in response to climatic disruptions, the more it will become resilient. The adaptation phase could be very expensive and troublesome as it might be the end of living and start of survival only.

Read More

One thought on “Action Reaction”

  • Fatima Mahmood
    May 7, 2021 at 8:04 pm
    Permalink

    There are some practical recommendations mentioned by the writer. That could be used for formal policy formulations.

    Reply