Green to grey

Karachi’s rapid urbanisation has come at a steep environmental cost: the alarming depletion of our green spaces. This deficit is not merely an aesthetic concern; it has tangible consequences for our city’s health and resilience. The increasingly severe heatwaves we endure are intensified by the urban heat island effect, a direct result of the dominance of concrete and asphalt. Our air quality deteriorates daily, contributing to a surge in respiratory illnesses, as trees, our natural air purifiers, vanish. The loss of green spaces also disrupts our local ecosystem, threatening biodiversity and increasing the risk of urban flooding. I urge the authorities to implement and enforce stricter regulations to protect existing green spaces, prioritise the development of new parks and green belts, particularly in underserved areas, and launch city-wide tree-planting initiatives with strong community engagement.

Iqra Sarfaraz

Karachi