Urban Sustainability: Pioneering green infrastructure in Sargodha, Pakistan
Urban infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and transportation, is crucial for any city. But green urban infrastructure, such as parks, forests, and water bodies, is just as important.
These green spaces enhance the quality of life in cities and make them more resilient to extreme weather events.
Take Sargodha, Pakistan, a city of 660,000 people and one of the nation's fastest-growing urban centres. Like many such areas, authorities want to ensure the integration of green infrastructure as the city expands, enhancing its liveability and resilience.
To tackle these challenges, the Urban Sustainability team of ESA’s Global Development Assistance (GDA) programme has partnered with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the "Integrated and Innovative Solutions for More Liveable Cities" project. Using Earth Observation (EO) tools, they aimed to help Sargodha improve planning to make the city more liveable and resilient.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
Urban infrastructure, such as buildings, roads, and transportation, is crucial for any city. But green urban infrastructure, such as parks, forests, and water bodies, is just as important.
These green spaces enhance the quality of life in cities and make them more resilient to extreme weather events.
Take Sargodha, Pakistan, a city of 660,000 people and one of the nation's fastest-growing urban centres. Like many such areas, authorities want to ensure the integration of green infrastructure as the city expands, enhancing its liveability and resilience.
To tackle these challenges, the Urban Sustainability team of ESA’s Global Development Assistance (GDA) programme has partnered with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the "Integrated and Innovative Solutions for More Liveable Cities" project. Using Earth Observation (EO) tools, they aimed to help Sargodha improve planning to make the city more liveable and resilient.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
As cities grow, there's often pressure to prioritise built infrastructure over green spaces. Excessive grey urban infrastructure, dominated by buildings, roads, and concrete, leads to the so-called urban heat island effect.
This phenomenon, caused by buildings and roads absorbing and retaining heat, results in higher temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas.
The lack of green spaces exacerbates this issue, contributing to heat-related health problems, increased energy consumption for cooling, and poor air quality.
Also, the absence of vegetation and water bodies diminishes residents' quality of life and worsens the impacts of extreme weather events.
Balancing grey infrastructure with green spaces is essential for creating healthier, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
As cities grow, there's often pressure to prioritise built infrastructure over green spaces. Excessive grey urban infrastructure, dominated by buildings, roads, and concrete, leads to the so-called urban heat island effect.
This phenomenon, caused by buildings and roads absorbing and retaining heat, results in higher temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas.
The lack of green spaces exacerbates this issue, contributing to heat-related health problems, increased energy consumption for cooling, and poor air quality.
Also, the absence of vegetation and water bodies diminishes residents' quality of life and worsens the impacts of extreme weather events.
Balancing grey infrastructure with green spaces is essential for creating healthier, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
The GDA AID Urban Sustainability team, in collaboration with the ADB, the Government of Punjab, and the Municipal Corporation of Sargodha, addressed these challenges in Sargodha.
They used EO technology to map Sargodha's green spaces and monitor changes from 2018 to 2021. This helped them identify areas where investing in new green spaces, such as parks, would have the most significant positive impact.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
The GDA AID Urban Sustainability team, in collaboration with the ADB, the Government of Punjab, and the Municipal Corporation of Sargodha, addressed these challenges in Sargodha.
They used EO technology to map Sargodha's green spaces and monitor changes from 2018 to 2021. This helped them identify areas where investing in new green spaces, such as parks, would have the most significant positive impact.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
Using cutting-edge analysis techniques and EO data, the team measured the intensity of Sargodha's urban heat island effect by examining land surface temperatures.
They also looked at EO population data to estimate the number of people who would benefit from the introduction of green spaces to mitigate this effect.
The analysis revealed significant temperature variations across Sargodha, providing valuable insights for implementing solutions like green roofs and urban green spaces.
Furthermore, the team provided inputs to update Sargodha's Green Transformation Action Plan (GTAP) based on these findings. The plan sets out 16 priority actions to be implemented over a ten-year period, ensuring that resources and funding are directed towards initiatives that will positively impact residents' well-being and the city’s resilience.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
Using cutting-edge analysis techniques and EO data, the team measured the intensity of Sargodha's urban heat island effect by examining land surface temperatures.
They also looked at EO population data to estimate the number of people who would benefit from the introduction of green spaces to mitigate this effect.
The analysis revealed significant temperature variations across Sargodha, providing valuable insights for implementing solutions like green roofs and urban green spaces.
Furthermore, the team provided inputs to update Sargodha's Green Transformation Action Plan (GTAP) based on these findings. The plan sets out 16 priority actions to be implemented over a ten-year period, ensuring that resources and funding are directed towards initiatives that will positively impact residents' well-being and the city’s resilience.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
The project, now named "Developing Resilient Environments and Municipal Services (DREAMS)," will build on the insights gained from these analyses.
While urban infrastructure is crucial, green spaces are equally important for enhancing cities' quality of life and resilience. The partnership between the GDA team and the ADB is addressing challenges in cities like Sargodha, Pakistan. They are doing this by leveraging EO tools and updating urban plans based on data-driven insights. These efforts aim to create healthier, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments for all residents.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
The project, now named "Developing Resilient Environments and Municipal Services (DREAMS)," will build on the insights gained from these analyses.
While urban infrastructure is crucial, green spaces are equally important for enhancing cities' quality of life and resilience. The partnership between the GDA team and the ADB is addressing challenges in cities like Sargodha, Pakistan. They are doing this by leveraging EO tools and updating urban plans based on data-driven insights. These efforts aim to create healthier, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments for all residents.
Location
Sargodha, Pakistan
Institutions
Conclusion
While urban infrastructure is crucial, green spaces are equally important for enhancing cities' quality of life and resilience. The partnership between the GDA team and the ADB is addressing challenges in cities like Sargodha, Pakistan. They are doing this by leveraging EO tools and updating urban plans based on data-driven insights. These efforts aim to create healthier, more sustainable, and resilient urban environments for all residents.
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