Support urban cities in Pakistan to implement low-cost nature and technology-based solutions, creating water or climate sensitive cities
Volatile rain patterns, exacerbated by climate change, lead to frequent urban flooding in Lahore. With low water penetration and dropping ground water levels, there is decreasing access to clean water – especially for the vulnerable and marginalized communities of Lahore.
The Project – What do we plan to do about it:
This technical assistance falls under the larger South Asia Water Security Initiative (SAWASI) led by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to strengthen the capacity of institutions and improve the sustainability of new and existing initiatives in urban water management for South Asian cities.
The Australia-Pakistan Water Security Initiative (APWASI) focuses on the city of Lahore, and is a 2 year, AUD 1.2 million grant promoting the adoption of Water Sensitive Cities (WSCs) approach to build a resilient urban environment.
ASI is the implementing partner for this initiative and is working with a local team to conduct an analysis on urban flood prevention and management in Lahore, building on global, regional and Pakistan experiences. The aim is to provide relevant government stakeholders a range of optimal options and solutions for the challenge highlighted, in the form of a detailed feasibility report.
What the project has achieved (thus far):
The project launched on 15th May 2022, and over the past 7 months has successfully;
- Identified and engaged with more than 20 key stakeholders in the water governance sector of Pakistan.
- Formed the 1st Coordination Committee of its kind (for a Technical Feasibility Study). The first session convened on 27th September 2022, involving key government stakeholders and DFAT.
- Produced and presented a detailed background review of water management in Lahore to the Committee.
- Identified and disseminated Australian best practices linked with the background review from Pakistan with key stakeholders – this is an ongoing process to streamline two-way learning between Australia and Pakistan in the water management sector.
- Initiated a detailed hydrology of Lahore City, to also include updated GIS-Scoping.
