ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman urged the need for making conducive policies to promote flood and climate resilient houses in Pakistan.
She said that the recent floods had brought huge devastation in Pakistan destroying millions of houses and causing loss of over Rs 1.2 trillion, therefore, it was very important that the government should focus on making new policies to promote environment friendly green houses in the country that should reduce floods and climate induced risks.
The minister said that Pakistan was witnessing growing urbanization as in the future, 60 percent of the population would be living in urban areas and it was very important that sustainable urbanization with better municipal services in the cities should be promoted to reduce pressure on urban communities.
She was addressing at the inaugural session of the 1st International Housing EXPO 22 organized by the Ministry of Housing and Works and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).
Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Deputy Chairman Senate speaking at the occasion, said that the construction industry stimulates the economy and emphasized that the State Bank of Pakistan and the government should make policies in consultation with the private sector to facilitate the better growth of this important industry.
Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works said that it was the responsibility of the government to provide affordable housing to the people, but it needed the help of the private sector to achieve this goal.
He said that organizing the 1st International Housing EXPO 22 in collaboration with ICCI on a public-private partnership model was a right step in that direction.
Sherry urges for conducive polices to promote flood and climate resilient houses in Pakistan
He said that the government was intending to promote planned cities with focus on vertical housing and hoped that various sessions were being organized on the sidelines of the EXPO would come up with good proposals to help the government in materializing its plans of green and resilient housing.
He hoped that the EXPO would be a major achievement of the Ministry of Housing and ICCI.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to allocate land to ICCI to build housing units, university and hospital for traders and urged for giving permanent representation in the CDA Board to resolve the issues of the business community more effectively.
He urged the government to fully cooperate with ICCI in establishing a new industrial zone in the region. He said that the Islamabad Citizen Club should be revived urgently and ICCI be given representation in its administration.
