Urban Environment:

The major factors contributing to rapid urban growth at both the national and the provincial level are a rapid increase in population and migration from rural to urban areas, largely due to rural poverty. Other factors that directly or indirectly contribute to urbanization are the concentration of entrepreneurial capital, financial and commercial institutions, and the infrastructure required for trade and industry in a few cities and towns. To meet the growing pressures and demands, urban development has usually occurred with little or no environmental controls and with forms of urban governance that cannot be- gin to meet their responsibilities.

Rapid urban expansion without effective governance means that in virtually every urban centre a substantial proportion of the population is at risk from natural and human environmental, social, and economic threats.
For instance, in most urban areas a high proportion of the population lives in shelters and neighborhoods with little or no provision of basic services or facilities like clean drinking water or the safe disposal of solid and liquid wastes, and with poor- quality and overcrowded houses built on low-lying and marginal lands subject to periodic floods and other natural hazards. The outcome is increasing frustration among the low-income groups for social and economic mobility, rising discontent, and ultimately violent behavior, primarily against urban elites and the state. This is leading to in- creased crime, violence, and civil unrest in large cities and towns.

A number of issues about urbanization emerged from the extensive consultations held throughout the province. Future policies and programmes will be designed in a way to guide urbanization into suitable locations and acceptable forms, and to distribute growth and development more evenly throughout towns and cities. The SPCS addresses these issues with a comprehensive list of both short- and long-term measures.

Institutional Reform

The responsibility for urban development and environmental management is distributed amongst various Government organizations, with little coordination or cooperation between them. Institution-strengthening efforts should be focused on increasing the technical skills of the staff in urban environmental management, efficient delivery systems, and the maximum use, operation, and maintenance techniques for the avail- able equipment. Coordination, cooperation and communication amongst various organizations at different tiers of city management will be improved by initiating community-based integrated urban development programmes. These programmes will develop a long-term partnership and culture of collective action among organizations, city management, NGOs, and the general public, and they will enhance the organizational capacity for the efficient delivery of urban services.

Air Quality

Air pollution in the major urban centers has reached alarming levels. The main contributor is vehicular traffic, smoke from the exhausts of industrial units, brick kilns and the burning of solid waste in open dumps. These, combined with dust from stone crushing and cotton ginning units within cities, have reduced ambient air quality.
To improve air quality, transport plans for each city need to be developed; better vehicular tuning, lead-free petrol and catalytic converters need to be introduced; and the feasibility of a mass transport system for Peshawar, including the option of activating the Peshawar-Hayatabad railway, needs to be assessed.
The use of pressure horns and misuse of loud speakers in public places will be banned; the feasibility of phasing out slow- moving traffic like tongas, donkey and bullock carts will be assessed; clean brick-kiln technology will be made available commercially; and urban green spaces will be improved.

Solid Waste

Approximately 50% of the total waste in urban areas is believed to be collected; the remaining accumulates in the streets and open spaces and in the drains of the cities. The collected solid waste is disposed off in open areas, without any proper treatment and protective measures.
To improve the capacity for solid-waste collection and disposal, the systems will be privatized; the action plan for solid-waste management for Peshawar under consideration by the government will be adopted; and programmes for handling special wastes, such as hospital waste, will be initiated.

Water Sewerage & Drainage

Proper sewage networks, drainage systems, and waste water treatment facilities are completely lacking in the cities of the NWFP. Future programmes for improving this situation must concentrate on lining the existing drains, linking them with a primary drainage network, and providing treatment facilities at the outfalls of the drains. More programmes for sewerage and sewage treatment in the cities must be prepared and approved, and funds need to be arranged for implementation. And the community actively involved in the planning, design, and implementation of new programmes as well as in the execution of existing programmes, if wider support and acceptance is expected of the community for the operation and maintenance of these systems.

Drinking Water Supply

In the NWFP more than 80% of the urban population has access to relatively clean drinking water. The sources for drinking water are both surface and underground. In the southern part of the province, surface water re- sources are limited, while groundwater is brackish or only available in limited quantities at greater depths. The central part of the province has greater groundwater potential and the water is pumped from tube-wells with house connections.
Potable water quality and distribution in urban areas will be improved. Water bodies, such as the Kabul River, will be protected from pollutants. The availability of clean water treatment in the urban areas will be increased.

Noise Levels

The increasing level of noise in urban areas is becoming a matter of concern for residents. To reduce noise levels, efforts will focus on a
mass awareness campaign highlighting the ill effects of noise on human health; enforcement of legislation with regard to noise; reduction of the haphazard and unplanned growth of cities; and refusal to establish non-compatible uses in the same location.

Land Use

The present unprecedented growth of towns and cities indicates the pressure on scarce urban land. The result has been the non-compatible sitting of different uses and encroachment on open spaces. This is causing congestion in many areas, making people more vulnerable to environmental and public health problems.

With well-defined, effective, community- based land development control measures, many land-related issues can be addressed and the required space for basic services can be achieved. An urban land policy is required for the NWFP based on new initiatives such as charges for services, land improvement taxes, and public-sector participation in land acquisition and development. The urban development institutions need to prepare long-term development plans based on rational land use patterns and the introduction of development planning controls in urban areas.

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