Rethinking Urban Growth: Sustainability in South Asian Megacities

“By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management”- Target 11.6 of SDG 11. 

Urban areas with populations under one million serve as economic and growth centres, providing markets for rural products and urban services, and play a crucial role in ‘bridging’ rural areas and larger urban centres. In this way, medium-sized cities play an important role in providing indirect links between the rural areas and the global economy. Many small towns not only serve as administrative headquarters for districts or sub-districts, but they also serve as ‘stepping-stones’ for rural migrants on their way to further destinations. Furthermore, many small and medium-sized towns and cities in Asia have emerged as important economic centers in their own right. Hence, it is important to give more attention to sustainable planning in these types of cities. 

Unplanned development is one of the issues facing South Asian urbanisation; it results in slums and sprawl that eat up natural ecosystems and agricultural land. The rapid increase puts a strain on infrastructure, leading to extensive traffic congestion, poor housing, and bad sanitation. Informal settlements are also more susceptible to the effects of climate change, such as heat waves and sea level rise, and poor local governance compromises efficient urban planning and management by limiting resources and empowerment. 

Dynamics and Dilemmas of Urbanization in South Asia: 

There have been some significant demographic shifts, especially in Asia. There were just over one billion people living in cities in the Asia-Pacific area in 1990. That number increased by almost 75% to 1.76 billion during the next 20 years, and the trend is predicted to continue. An estimated 2.6 billion people will live in Asian cities by 2030. Asia's urban population grew from 31.5 percent in 1990 to 42.2 percent in 2010, the largest percentage rise (10.7 percent) of any area in the globe, even though it is not anticipated to reach the 50 percent urbanisation level before 2026. 

According to 2023 assessment by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), if the current pollution levels continue, the average Delhi resident may lose up to 8.5 years of life expectancy. The pollutants from an expanding fleet of cars crowding unplanned highways, the dust from ongoing construction, and the burning of garbage in landfills that are themselves monuments to overconsumption are all factors contributing to unchecked urban sprawl. The environmental disaster in Delhi serves as a sobering reminder of what happens when a city grows faster than it can control its own impact, poisoning the people who drive its economy. 

The repercussions are disastrous for a metropolis with a population of more than 20 million. The water crisis is the most obvious example. Due to Karachi's daily water shortage of more than 500 million gallons, large portions of the populace are forced to rely on the exploitative tanker mafia. Neighbourhoods have devolved into landfills due to the breakdown of basic services like waste management. In the past, political parties have divided the city into fiefdoms and put patronage ahead of the general good. Due to this lack of administration, Karachi's vital infrastructure has deteriorated even though its population and economic significance have increased. It is a terrible illustration of how political failure can threaten a city's core base, a strong engine without anyone effectively in control. 

Since 2011, Bangladesh, a lower-middle-income nation with a population of around 57 million living in cities as of 2016, has been urbanising at an average yearly pace of 1.37%. The country's percentage of the urban population is expected to reach 56% by 2050, despite the fact that this pace is lower than the average rate of lower-middle-income nations. 

The capital of Bangladesh serves as a case study of the extreme demographic strain and the resulting societal breakdown. Almost 23,000 people live there every square kilometre, making it one of the most densely populated regions on Earth. The direct cause of this hyper-density is the continual mobility caused by poverty and climate change.  

Urbanisation and industrialisation have accelerated the growth of GDP. However, the fast and unplanned urban transformation process has brought forward pressing urban challenges that have seriously disrupted the balance among social, economic, and built environment aspects. The results of urbanisation in Dhaka are reflected in the high-density urban living and the socio-spatial divisions. In some of South Asia’s cities, the pattern of urbanization has also been hidden because of severe shortages of official statistics on the share of the population living in areas with urban characteristics. 

Barriers to Sustainable City Planning in South Asia Megacities: 

According to the Change Initiative,  

“The strong inverse relationship between vegetation cover and LST highlights the critical importance of urban greenery in enhancing climate resilience.” 

Social inequality (poor housing, lack of services, segregation), environmental degradation (pollution, climate change, loss of green space), and economic instability (traffic congestion, strained infrastructure, rising unemployment) are just a few of the many negative effects of unsustainable city planning. The strain on cities and their residents is made worse by a number of important factors, including resource depletion, growing urbanization, institutional impediments, and antiquated planning techniques. 

Dhaka, Lahore, Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai are some of the megacities in South Asia that are growing quickly, but their expansion has mostly been unplanned and unsustainable. Due to inadequate urban design, many cities are currently dealing with a vicious cycle of poor waste management, ongoing waterlogging, and extreme pollution. All of these issues show a lack of long-term vision in local governance in addition to infrastructure deficiencies. 

One of the most urgent issues is waste management. Over 6,000 tons of waste are produced daily in Dhaka, yet the majority of it is disposed of in open landfills without any sort of treatment or segregation, posing risks to human health and the environment. Similar problems exist in Lahore, where, despite government waste management efforts, illicit dumping and open burning persist, and significant volumes of trash go untreated.  

With its expansive Dhapa dumpsite, Kolkata finds it difficult to handle the increasing amount of urban waste, endangering the nearby towns. In contrast, Delhi has gained notoriety for its soaring landfills, such as Ghazipur, which have surpassed historic sites in height and are still releasing poisonous materials into the ground and air. Massive amounts of rubbish are also produced in Mumbai, and the Deonar landfill has burned several times, sending toxic smoke clouds over residential areas. 

Another persistent problem in these megacities is waterlogging. Roads and neighbourhoods in Dhaka are frequently submerged by intense monsoon rains because drains are still blocked with plastic and construction waste. Lahore's drainage systems are unable to handle the strain of uncontrolled urban development, which results in seasonal urban flooding. Although Kolkata is a low-lying city that is extremely susceptible to waterlogging, a large portion of its drainage still uses antiquated colonial-era systems. Due to the building, Delhi has lost many of its natural water bodies, making it vulnerable to localised flooding during periods of high precipitation. Millions of commuters in Mumbai are suffering from seasonal waterlogging, which has nearly turned into an annual calamity due to choked storm drains and encroached wetlands. 

The urban situation is further compounded by pollution. Traffic jams, dust from uncontrolled development, and emissions from brick kilns make Dhaka one of the most polluted cities in the world. Every year, a deadly combination of industrial discharge, cross-border crop burning, and vehicle emissions causes dangerously high levels of pollution in Lahore. Old cars and industrial clusters around the city are the main causes of Kolkata's increasing air pollution, which is characterised by fine particulate matter. With its "airpocalypse" every winter when stubble burning from nearby states, along with its own traffic and construction dust, pushes air quality to dangerous levels, Delhi has come to represent urban air pollution on a worldwide scale. Mumbai also suffers from declining air quality, especially during the winter when a layer of smog is produced by a combination of industrial pollutants, traffic jams, and fast-moving construction. 

All of these difficulties stem from a lack of sustainable city planning. With no investment in green infrastructure, public transportation, or environmental preservation, these megacities continue to grow reactively rather than purposefully. Drainage infrastructure is antiquated, waste management systems are still crude, and wetlands and green belts are getting smaller. These cities run the risk of becoming uninhabitable if immediate reforms are not implemented, such as implementing waste-to-energy technology, enforcing stronger pollution controls, creating sustainable drainage systems, and safeguarding ecological spaces. Megacities in South Asia must move towards an integrated urban design that puts environmental sustainability and economic growth first if they are to survive. 

Why SDG 11 matters: 

Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims to create sustainable cities and communities by 2030. This goal conceptualizes the economy, housing and urban services, the natural environment, and the socio-spatial divisions as the vital elements of a sustainable city and its neighbourhoods. This section unpacks seven key challenging areas hindering equity, welfare and shared prosperity, which are critical to achieve a sustainable future for our cities and communities. 

Urban areas are both important centres of economic activity and significant causes of social and environmental issues. By assuring green areas, lowering environmental impact, and enhancing access to essential services, housing, and transportation, it seeks to make these settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable-all of which will ultimately improve everyone's quality of life. Ignoring this objective will raise the danger of disasters and climate change while depriving billions of people of proper services. 

Law, Policies and Programs: 

UN-Habitat is the focal point on sustainable urbanization and human settlements in the United Nations system and plays an important role in implementing the New Urban Agenda. The New Urban Agenda represents a shared vision for a better and more sustainable future. 

Zero pollution for action plan (2021): According to the EU's zero pollution action plan, by 2030, 30% fewer people would be chronically bothered by road noise than in 2017. Noise levels can start to have serious impacts at 55 dB, ranging from hearing damage to extreme discomfort and sleep disturbance. The EU Zero Pollution Action Plan is not merely a European framework; also it serves as a strategic blueprint for South Asian megacities to address pollution in a methodical manner, enhance public health, and transition to sustainable urban futures. Cities in South Asia may be motivated by this model to implement wastewater treatment, circular economy principles, and safer chemical usage in industry. 

National Sustainable Development Strategy (2010–2021): The goal of Bangladesh's 2010–2021 National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) was to make the nation a middle-income economy by 2021 while achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability. It was created to alleviate Bangladesh's environmental, social, and economic problems. It specified five strategic priority areas, including environmental conservation, sustained economic growth, social security and protection, Urban environment, environmental natural resources and natural disaster. Government representatives, non-governmental organizations, and academia participated in a consultation process to establish the policy. 

National 3R Strategy for Waste Management (2010): The National 3R Strategy for Waste Management was approved by Bangladesh in 2010 with the intention of encouraging a circular economy and avoiding open dumping. Waste minimization can be achieved in an efficient way by focusing primarily on the first of the 3Rs, "reduce," followed by "reuse" and then "recycle." There are a few priority sectors, municipal solid trash, commercial and institutional waste, biomedical waste, industrial waste, and agricultural waste. Working together with research organizations is crucial to advancing 3R.  Scientific research institutes have the necessary resources and know-how to carry out studies on suitable technologies that encourage trash recovery and recycling. Through the implementation of effective waste management techniques, it promotes urban sustainability by lowering pollution, improving public health, and creating cleaner cities. 

Smart Cities Mission (2015–present): The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) aims to enhance the quality of life in India's cities through smart, sustainable solutions. Its goal is to create cities that are economically vibrant, inclusive and environmentally friendly. The mission of the Government of India's Smart Cities Mission was to create sustainable and citizen-friendly smart cities throughout the nation through urban regeneration and retrofitting.  

Launched on June 25, 2015 and it aims to improve the quality of life in 100 cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and sustainable solutions. Focused on economic growth, inclusivity, and sustainability. The implementation of the Smart Cities Mission primarily follows two key approaches. First, under the Smart Cities Mission, cities are being developed using an Area-Based Development (ABD) approach. Second, every city has included Pan-City Projects, which are technology-driven solutions to make infrastructure and services better. 

Clean Green Pakistan Movement (2018): 

A nationwide initiative, the Clean Green Pakistan Movement (CGPM) was started in 2018 by Prime Minister Imran Khan with the goal of advancing environmental sustainability through institutional and behavioural reform. The movement is based on five main pillars: complete sanitation, safe drinking water, solid waste management, liquid waste management/hygiene, and plantations. The CGPM places a strong emphasis on the role that citizens play in protecting the environment and making Pakistan cleaner. 

The urbanization process, however, has brought pressing urban challenges towards sustainable cities and communities, including an increasing number of slums and squatters, inadequate essential services and facilities for neighborhood residents, a lack of affordable housing, and pollution in different forms. The current growth and urbanization pattern exhausted the housing and urban services, including access to health and education services and facilities, severely damaging the sustainability of the natural and built environment. To address current sustainability challenges, South Asian megacities require policies for decentralization of activities rather than pro-growth planning. A new joined-up national and local policy agenda and an active city government are crucial to tackle the multidimensional crisis of megacities.