Presentation is aimed at comparing the lifestyle of the inhabitants of District Charsadda, KP, Pakistan with the concept of Sustainable Development. Initial slides cover the introduction of the area, its demographics and history. After that the UNSDGs and Indicators are compared with the data that is available for the population. Last slides shed light on key measures needed to improve the life style of the inhabitants of Charsadda

1. Q:
Do you think that the lifestyle of the inhabitants of your town or city reflects behavior
that is in line with the concept of sustainable development? In your opinion, what
should be improved?
IE GXMBA Application
By
Muhammad Ali
Regional Sales Manager
Orient Energy Systems (Pvt.) Ltd
Islamabad, Pakistan.

2. District/ Town Profile
 Charsadda is one of the 26 districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of
Pakistan. KPK is the North-western province of Pakistan. Together with Sindh, Punjab,
Baluchistan, Gilgit- Baltistan, Islamabad Capital Territory and AJK region it forms the
Federation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
 Charsadda is located about 30 kms from Peshawar-the provincial capital of KPK
 Population according to the latest national population census carried out in 2017 is
1,616,198 (1) with 18.9 % identified as Urban population (4)
 The district is divided into 3 sub units (Tehsils) and 46 Union Councils.
 The inhabitants of Charsadda are from the Pashtun ethnic group which resides on both
sides of the Durand line (the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan)
 The local language of the area is Pashto. Urdu being the national language of Pakistan
is also used and understood.

3. KPK Districts

4. Geographic map of District Charsadda and its 46 Union Councils

5. History
 Charsadda was the capital of Gandhara civilization from 6th century BCE until 1st Century
AD. Back then it was called Pushklavati ( Sanskrit term meaning Lotus City). (2.)
 During the gandhara period the area was ruled by Achaemenids (~600-400 BCE),Greeks
(~326-324 BCE), Mauryans (~324-185 BCE), Indo-Greeks (~250-190 BCE), Scythians (~2nd
century to 1st century BCE),Parthians (~1st century BC to 1st century CE), Kushans (~1st to
5th century CE),White Huns (~5th century CE),Hindu Shahi (~9th to 10th century CE) (3).
The inhabitants of the region were mostly Buddhists. Ancient ruins (Stupas) from that period
are still visible in places like Hisar Dheri, Bala Hisar, Sar-Dheri etc.
 Later after the conquest of the region by predominantly Turkic Muslim conquerors after the
tenth century CE, the name of the region changed to Hasht-Nagar (Persian term meaning
eight villages). The people of the region converted from Buddhism to Islam.
 After the conquest of India by the British in 19th Century the name changed to Charsadda

6. History
Female spouted
figure, terracotta,
Charsadda, Gandhara,
3rd to 1st century
BC Victoria and Albert
Museum
Mother Goddess (fertility
divinity), possibly derived
from the Indus Valley
Civilization, terracotta, Sar
Dheri, Gandhara, 1st century
BC, Victoria and Albert
Museum
Hisar Dheri Mounds, Charsadda

7. Lifestyle in perspective of UN SDGs

8.  37.53 % of population lives below the poverty line (1.25 $/day)
 The prime social safety net BISP (Benazir Income Support Program) managed by
the Govt of Pakistan covers 29% of the district’s population. (5)
 84% of population live in houses they own, with 47% being mud brick homes
lacking sanitation and electricity in some cases. (6)
People lining up outside the ATM
Machine to receive cash hand-outs
Through their BISP cards. A typical monthly
Handout per households is equal to 30 $

9.  According to UNDP Survey conducted across KPK region, the proportion of
underweight Children under 5 years of age is 37% in Charsadda.
 The above indicator is especially alarming when we consider the fact that Charsadda has
the most fertile and productive land in the country.
 Total land available for agriculture is 98,641 Hectares out of which 74.45% is
cultivated(7)
 38.1% of farmers of the district cultivate farmland under 1 Acre and are classified as
small farmers(7)
 The major crops cultivated in the district are wheat( 1.4 ton/ Acre), sugarcane (17.4
ton/acre), corn(1.02 ton/acre) and tobacco.(7)
 Taking into consideration the price of different crops it can be concluded that the
average income of small farmers from their crop is around 0.85~1 $/ day

10. Sugar Cane is the most important
Cash Crop of Charsadda
Brown-Sugar manufacturing “Factory” its
called Ganrai in Pashto which means
“The mill”- The factory consists of a crusher
Which crushes the cane, the juices the flow
into a HUGE pan which is heated by burning
Dried cane leaves and dried cane pulp.
The end product is lumps of brown sugar which
Is cooled off and stored in sacks of 40-50 kg and
sold in the local market.

11.  Neonatal mortality rate is 5 per thousand births (8)
 Data on maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is not available but the MMR of the nearest district Peshawar is
310/100,000 births which is significantly higher than the national average which is 275/100,000(8)
 Proportion of births attended by Skilled persons is 59.95% out of which deliveries conducted at primary or
secondary health facilities is a mere 25.23% (8).
 Ante-natal care facilities were available to only 53.21% of pregnant women in the district.(7536 out of
14,161 i.e. an estimated 6625 pregnant women received no ANC services)
 Full immunization coverage children under 12 months of measles, polio and pentavalent vaccines stands at
52%
 Tuberculosis prevalence is 10 per hundred thousand residents
 Prevalence of Malaria (MP) is 1 per 2000 residents
 Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) prevalence is 3 per 100,000 residents.
 Estimated 12% of medical mortality is from disease related to un safe water/ sanitation
 The Govt health structure comprises of 44 Basic Health Units (BHUs), 3 Hospitals and 11 Dispensaries
 According to latest Social Audit Committee report only 33%(40) of the vacancies out of total 120 allocated
to the District Headquarter Hospital(DHQ) are occupied while 67% are vacant.

12.  Literacy rate among the general population is 43%.(9)
 The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) for children at primary level age 6-10 is 60%.(6)
 NER at Middle, Secondary and higher secondary level age 10-14 is 31% (10)
 Out of the 968 Govt. Primary Schools 138 (14%)do not have running water, 286
(30%) have no electricity and 50 have no toilet.(11)
 For the total 149,507 students enrolled in govt. primary schools there are 3775
working teachers ( 1 teacher for every 40 students)(12,13)

13.  The society of Charsadda is very conservative and Islamic. While Islam promotes empowerment of
women and allows them the right to own business, inherit property, learn, choice in making
decisions regarding their marriage etc, the pashtun culture is more radicalized and limits even the
basic rights of women.
 The difference in Net enrollment ratio based on population age 10 -14 years between boys and
girls is 17% (39% boys Vs 22 % girls)
 Incidences of domestic violence against women are prevalent but almost always go un-reported.
 The police department often underreports violence against women but in the year 2017 68 women
were reportedly killed in the name of honour throughout the KPK province and 1400 women were
abducted in the whole province.
 Although present govt has allocated 33% seats for women in the local government, the LG
structure in the province is un-empowered and in-effective.
 Laws guaranteeing land ownership and inheritance to women are in place, but land ownership and
inheritance rights are highly discouraged for women.

14.  66% of the total population has access to safe drinking water
 25% of households do not have a toilet.(6)
 Water supply systems are run by Union Councils (UCs) but due to leakages and in some
cases mixing of sewage lines with the water supply systems have made them unsafe.
That is why most households rely on ground water which is abundantly available.
However there is no concept of water treatment as it is generally believed that ground
water is safe from all contaminations.
 Research has shown high concentration of Heavy metals( Ni, Pb, Cd) and coliform
bacteria in water samples collected from bore wells, tube wells and hand pumps
(Ground Water) from different areas of the district. (15)
 Water supply in rural areas is also contaminated by NO3 and SO4. The biggest reason
being the excessive utilization of pesticides and fertilizers (15)
 Estimated 12% of medical mortality is from disease related to un safe water/ sanitation
 2 water treatment plants are present in the entire Charsadda district.

15.  99.7 % of households are connected to the national electricity grid
 Daily power outage averages 10-12 hours depending on the season.
 Reasons for power outages includes general energy shortage, Transmission losses and
Power Theft. Charsadda being a district with higher power losses due to theft faces
Power outages more frequently than the rest of the country.
 Due to the energy crisis that is effecting the country, the proportion of the population
using PV panels as a back up for the grid power is increasing. However the most
prevalent source of power for commercial and critical applications is Diesel Generator.
 Government has taken some significant strides to overcome energy shortage in the
country and is looking into power generation through more sustainable sources and to
reduce the dependence on fossil fuels

16.  Growth rate of GDP per capita of Pakistan for 2016 was 3.6%
 Charsadda is categorized as among the districts of Pakistan with the lowest indices of
Human Development with an HDI of 0.27.
 For comparison the HDI of the capital of KPK province-Peshawar has an HDI of 0.55
 49% of employed people are associated with Agriculture followed by 17% employed in
Construction. (7)
 Proportion of youth Not in Employment, Education and Training (NEET) data for
Charsadda is not available but the NEET rate for KPK province is 31%
 The disparity between NEET rate for males and females is a staggering 47 %. NEET rate
for females stands at 55.5%.
 The availability of Commercial Bank Branches and ATM Machines is 1.5/ 100,000
population for district Charsadda.

17.  Road infrastructure is better, over 90% rural population has access to all weather roads
within 2 kms of their homes.
 95% of households have mobile network coverage
 Only 2.4% of all employed people are associated with Manufacturing (incl. Labor Force)
Manufacturing includes very low tech sectors.
 Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) has played a crucial role
in developing a textile weaving cluster in the district
 Under SMEDA’s supervision and funding the number of small mechanized weaving units
has increased from 230 in 2003 to 1380 units in 2017. Before SMEDA’s intervention the
weavers in the area used hand looms. (16)
 SMEDA’s intervention has generated an investment of 4.5 MUSD and has resulted in the
creation of 3600 jobs. (16)
 The biggest local industry is making brown sugar from sugar cane.

18.  Although Average Income per day for bottom 40% of population is not available
for Charsadda, it is going to be significantly lower than the national average of 2.44
$/day.(17)
 80% of households live below the National Median Household income (18)
 Gender based discrimination is prevalent in the society. There is discrimination in
Education, Employment, Social Status, Inheritance and Land Ownership etc.

19.  47% population lives in Mud-brick homes, 25 % households don’t have a toilet,
sanitation infrastructure is either very basic or non existent in many rural areas.
 Public transport infrastructure is neither efficient nor very efficient. Public transport
mostly occurs through buses, Vans or Autorickshaws/ tuk-tuks. There is no railroad
infrastructure.
 Urban planning and development institutions are very weak and generally do not
include much participants from the civil society. Although the local govt structure
has been focused on lately by the Provincial Government, it still lacks funds and
authority to focus on development.
 Charsadda district being a part of Peshawar basin is very prone to monsoon floods.
In 2010 heavy floods affected 44000 Households causing around 1400 deaths and
huge economic losses to the ditrict. (18)

20.  Charsadda district being a part of Peshawar basin is very prone to monsoon floods.
In 2010 heavy floods affected 44000 Households causing around 1400 deaths and
huge economic losses to the district. (18)
 The natural response to such catastrophes in Pakistan is either formation of
another department or the printing of a new plan and in his case the govt has
formed the “District Charsadda DRM Plan”(19)
 The document- in its pages which are not blank, lays the onus of disaster
management on the weak and ill prepared local government and the Non
Government Organization the ICRC(20)
 None of the methods of over coming and combating climate change such as
mitigation, adaptation and early warning have been integrated into the curriculum
to raise awareness about floods

21.  There is no land classified as forest area in the whole district.
 The river swat and river Kabul and their tributaries traverse the charsadda basin and
sustain not only the agriculture of the region but also a rich eco system full of bio
diversity.
 Unfortunately there is no initiative of any significance from govt or the NGOs to
preserve the bio diversity which is at risk from pollution, erosion, illegal
encroachment and local tourism industry which is not concerned about the
environment.

22. Summary
 Charsadda presents the profile of a typical semi- rural district
of the developing south Asia. We as the inhabitants are stuck
between the inertia of our lifestyle and the need to adapt to
new models of development necessary to survive and thrive
in the modern age.

23. What Needs Improvement?
 First and foremost is EDUCATION.
The basic education system especially
the govt. run schools need reform to
reduce the drop out ratio. Curriculum
should be reformed to include
subjects which cover sustainable
development goals. Special attention
needs to be focused on women's
education. Empowering women will
not be possible with the current
female literacy rate of under 30%.
Vocational training also needs focus
as it can greatly help with
accomplishing goals number 8 and 9.

24. What Needs Improvement?
 Local Government Structure needs
to be reformed and empowered. An
efficient and empowered LG system
with sufficient representation of
women and people from all sections
of the society is necessary for the
implementation of all SDGs.

25. What Needs Improvement?
 Since more than half of the
population of the district is directly
dependent on Agriculture for their
livelihood, sustainable agricultural
entrepreneurship is necessary for
sustainable development of the area.
Agriculture needs to be more efficient
and agricultural products need value
addition. Goal number 1,2,3,8,9,10,11,
and 12 cannot be significantly
achieved unless agriculture is
modernized.

26. What Needs Improvement?
 Reforming the health sector should
be among the priorities and it should
start with improving the existing
infrastructure that is available instead
of mask measures such as
constructing new buildings lacking
the staff and facilities required for
providing healthcare. Opportunities
for public-private partnership should
also be explored to take full
advantage of the existing healthcare
systems.

27. References
1. http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf
2. https://www.kparchaeology.com/front_cms/museum/museum_info/34
3. https://www.ancient.eu/Gandhara_Civilization/
4. http://bisp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Poverty-Profile-1.pdf
5. http://bisp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/BISP-Demographic-Directory.pdf
6. PSLM_2014-15_National_Provincial-District_Report by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
7. http://kpbos.gov.pk/files/1399368724.pdf
8. http://www.dhiskp.gov.pk/reports/repot2016.pdf
9. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/Downloads/Education%20Sector%20Plan.pdf
10. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/Downloads/School%20Statistics/NER%2010%20to%2014%20years.pdf
11. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/Downloads/School%20Statistics/Basic%20facilities%20Primary%20Schools.pdf
12. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/Downloads/School%20Statistics/Primary%20Schools%20enrollment.pdf
13. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/Downloads/School%20Statistics/Teaching%20staff%20Primary%20Schools.pdf
14. http://www.kpese.gov.pk/SchoolStatistics.html
15. https://www.waterinfo.net.pk/sites/default/files/knowledge/Drinking%20Water%20Quality%20and%20Human%20Health%20Risk%20in%20Charsadda%20District%2C%20Pakistan.pdf
16. https://www.aptma.org.pk/news%20clippings/News%20Clippings%2028-08-2017.pdf
17. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.SPR.PC40?end=2013&locations=PK&start=2013&view=map
18. https://tribune.com.pk/story/37175/death-stalks-flood-ravaged-charsadda/
19. http://www.ndma.gov.pk/plans.php
20. www.ndma.gov.pk/plans/District%20DRM%20Plan%20Charsada.pdf