KARACHI: Pakistan’s leading architects, planners, public health specialists, development experts, and government officials convened at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Global Health and Development (IGHD) on Thursday to address one of the nation’s most urgent challenges: how to redesign homes, neighbourhoods, and public systems to withstand growing climate pressures in both urban and rural areas.
The dialogue took place at IGHD’s Annual Conference on Climate Change and the Built Environment, organised in collaboration with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Pakistan, under the leadership of IGHD’s Founding Director, Professor Zulfiqar A. Bhutta. This year’s theme, “Climate Change and the Built Environment: Promoting Resilience & Adaptation in Low-Income Settings,” focused on evidence-driven solutions and innovative approaches to climate adaptation.
A special statement by His Highness the Aga Khan, read during the event, highlighted the scale of the challenge. He noted that climate change acts as a “threat multiplier,” intensifying disease, malnutrition, displacement, learning loss, and poverty — disproportionately affecting women, children, older adults, and marginalized communities. He stressed that addressing these impacts is imperative for equity and sustainable development and underscored that meaningful progress will depend on strong partnerships across sectors and borders.
The inaugural session welcomed Chief Guest His Excellency Tariq Khan, High Commissioner of Canada to Pakistan, who emphasized Canada’s support for countries like Pakistan facing climate-induced vulnerabilities. “The ideas shared at this conference can help shape a more sustainable future for millions of people,” he said.
A special message was also delivered virtually by Honourable Minister Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. He underlined the national urgency for climate adaptation, stating that Pakistan’s progress will depend on how boldly it reimagines its cities and institutions. He said that building resilience must be treated as a national development priority and that research shared at such conferences can help inform policy reforms for safer and more climate-adaptive environments.
Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Sajida Haider Vandal (THAAP), Christopher Burman and Joseph Augustine (University College London), and Dr. Zahra Hussain (Laajverd), who showcased climate-smart architecture, indigenous design practices, and community-led adaptation models.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of AKU, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to advancing climate resilience in Pakistan. He stated that climate change is reshaping life across the country and that AKU is dedicated to generating evidence, solutions, and partnerships that support climate adaptation at scale.
The opening day concluded with reflections outlining the roadmap for the remainder of the conference, which will examine rural adaptation strategies, climate-resilient health systems, indigenous solutions, community-driven innovations, and a high-level national policy panel aimed at translating ideas into action.
