Karachi and Lahore are home to one-third of Pakistan’s metropolitan population, which has caused unplanned development and uncontrolled sprawl.
According to the “Pakistan National Urban Assessment” assessment by the Asian Development Bank, informal settlements damage municipal services, provide subpar living conditions, and violate planning regulations.
The Garden and Lyari subdivisions in Karachi are home to two of the most densely populated residential neighborhoods in the world, according to ADB. While Manhattan had 27,757 people per km² due to its comparable size and high rise, Karachi Central had 43,064 people per km² in 2017. Manhattan’s population density was expected to be 28,016/km² by the middle of 2023, which is still significantly lower than Karachi Central’s 2017 level.
Anyone who lives in Karachi would tell you that having the water in the taps run constantly is a luxury only the wealthy have. According to ADB estimates, water theft, leaks, and an antiquated water distribution system cause 35–58 percent of the treated water supply to be lost, with the Karachi Water and Sanitation Board only serving 55 percent of the city’s population. Even though it is higher, Lahore is not much better off, with the Water and Sanitation Agency catering to only 62% of the city’s population.
According to ADB estimates, Karachi alone accounts for 12–15% of the nation’s GDP. And yet, there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight given the strain on the city, which is still beset by a growing lack of infrastructure and services. According to the research, the situation has become so bad that government organizations in charge of about 90% of Karachi’s public land have shown little interest in allocating even a small amount of that land for the construction of affordable homes.
