Balochistan faces many urban challenges due to rapid urbanization including unplanned growth, lack of infrastructure, shortage of water and sanitation issues. The population of major cities like Quetta has increased substantially with half of the population living in informal settlements with substandard conditions. Addressing the multi-dimensional issues of urban planning, housing, poverty, security and empowerment will require long term planning and economic development efforts.

1. NAME: NIAZMAJEED
DEPARTMENT sociology
international islamic university

2. Urbanization
Challenges in
Balochistan

3. Contents
1. Introduction: The Balochistan
2. Urban challenges in Balochistan
3. The Way Forward

4. • Balochistan is the largest province by
covering approximately 43% geographical
area of Pakistan
• Estimated Population (2017) =12.34million
• Land Area =374,190 sq.km
• Total Districts =32
• Major Cities are: Quetta, Khuzdar, Turbat
and Chaman
• Economy is largely based on extraction of
natural resources
Administrative Unit Area Sq. Km 1951 1961 1972 1981 1998
Balochistan 347190 Population (000) 1187 1385 2433 4332 6566
Percent Distribution* 3.5 3.2 3.7 5.1 5.0
Pop. Density/Sq. km 3.4 4.0 7.0 12.5 18.9
Introduction: Balochistan

5. Major Urban
Challenges

6. • the social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban
• Tempo of urbanization in Balochistan is considerably high
• Quetta indicate steady rising growth over the past 40 years
• By 1998, the census counted 6.51 million people, an annual growth rate of
2.42%
• From 1981-98: highest
growth during the period
3.58 times as compared to
1981.
Urbanization

7. Population Growth in Pishin, Chaman and Quetta
Balochistan’s Total and Urban Population
Urbanization

8. • The lack of effective planning, implementation and enforcement has contributed to the
poor state of the housing stock, congestion and traffic problems in urban areas.
• Development of Master Plans for 19 urban areas, including Gwadar (1983), Turbat (1985),
Quetta (1986) and Ziarat (1994). But few of the recommended planning measures have
been implemented
• The principal organizations responsible for Quetta are
 Quetta Development Authority (QDA, planning and development),
 Quetta Municipal Corporation (QMC, waste disposal and sanitary facilities)
 Balochistan Water and Sanitation Agency (BWASA).
 Other agencies with key roles.
• Since last 50 years, Quetta underwent through significant changes in its make-up
• A city initially planned for 50,000 people now supports a population of more than 1
million
Uncoordinated or Non-existent Urban Planning

9. • Quetta is expanding rapidly onto prime agricultural land and groundwater recharge
zones
• It is estimated that up to half of the population is housed in kachi abadies and in slums on
the fringes of the city
• New housing schemes are being developed on prime agricultural land
• Little natural vegetation remains is being removed
• Residential colonies, common to the core of the city and established during the colonial
era, have not improved much in that time
Haphazard Urban Growth

10. • Balochistan is affected with plethora of natural
and human induced hazards
• Natural hazards:
• floods, earthquakes, landslides, epidemics,
sea tides and drought
• Human induced disasters:
• fires, civil unrest, terrorism, refugees, health
epidemics and water and transport accidents
• Impose severe consequences on sustainable
development process ofBalochistan
Disaster Risks

11. • The availability of potable water is perhaps the most
important concern in the urban areas of Balochistan
• Given the rate of withdrawal, the water reservoirs will be fully
exhausted in 20 years if the supply and demand situation
remains the same
• The shallower aquifers are now contaminated by sewage,
waste water and other pollutants and will likely not be
suitable for drinking infuture
• About 800,000 people in Quetta, are without proper sanitation
and drainage facilities
• Kachi abadies are settlements of predominantly low-income
people, living in mud (kacha) houses served by substandard
physical and socialservices
Water Supply & Sanitation Problems

12. • Gender Disparity & Lack of women empowerment
• Inadequate social infrastructure facilities (roads, schools, health facilities etc.)
• Lack of access primary healthcarefacilities
• Lack of Quality education in most of the cities
• High rates ofunemployment
• Urban Poverty: 52% of household live below poverty line in Balochistan
according to the report Clustered Deprivation published by Sustainable
Development Policy Institute
• Limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities
• Weak coverage and distribution of educational facilities to a large
population especially females
• Difficulty for women in accessing employment opportunities due to low
mobility
• Inequitable distribution of public sector expenditures between urban and
rural areas
Estimates of
Multidimensional Poverty
[% Poor Population]*
Social Issues

13. • The Balochistan is challenged by various security threats including internal conflicts
such as:
• Ethnic,
• Terrorism,
• Extremism, and
• General law and order situation
• The support organizations for emergency assistance are Civil Defense, Fire Brigade,
Community, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Boy Scouts Association, Military, Civil
Defense
Urban Security

14. • Increasing gap between housing demand and supply.
• Increasing rural to urban migration trends are contributing in shortage of available
housing stock.
• The housing facilities are inadequate and their quality is also substandard
• In major cities of Balochistan, new housing schemes are being developed in the
outskirts of large cities, giving rise to unplanned mushroom growth
• Increase level of housing demand, causing the urban poor for slums development
Housing Challenges

15. The Way Forward
• Dealing with population growth as a long-term process
• Exploiting potential of CPEC for regional economic development
• Planning principles have to be adopted, and the parameters for
planning have to be
 established
• Steps must be taken to address urban environmental issues and solutions
must be found and implemented to reduce the stress arising from urban
growth
• A systematic urban planning and implementation process is a high
priority for the
 province
• Basic infrastructure services delivery needs to be improved
• Residential planning must take into account the need to protect the