Call to protect capital's shrinking green cover

The call was made at a citizens' dialogue titled "Reclaiming Green Islamabad", organised by the Institute of Urbanism (IoU), bringing together policymakers, government officials, urban planners, researchers, journalists and civil society representatives to discuss concerns over the loss of natural spaces in the capital.

Often described as Pakistan's "Green Capital", Islamabad's population has risen from just over 100,000 in the early 1960s to an estimated 2.4 million in 2023. Data presented at the dialogue showed that the city lost around 1,622 hectares of tree cover between 2020 and 2022.

Chairperson of the IoU Board of Directors Tariq Banuri said the loss of green cover was not merely an environmental issue but also a matter of social equity, as pollution, extreme heat and declining tree cover affected residents differently with environmental pressures.

"Greening isn't just about nature, it's about us, and especially about fairness," he said, stressing that environmental protection should be a core consideration in every future development decision. He called for restoring lost green cover, naturally managing rainwater and drainage, and protecting ecological corridors linking parks, trees and waterways across the city.

IoU Executive Director Dr Ejaz Ahmad said urban development and environmental protection should not be viewed as competing objectives, emphasising the need for government, communities and technical experts to work together from the planning stage. "Urban development and environmental protection are too often treated as opposing forces; in reality, they don't have to be," he said.

Participants expressed concern over recent tree removals and gaps in monitoring, protecting and restoring Islamabad's natural assets. They proposed practical measures, including training students and young volunteers as community organisers and securing formal government support for community-led plantation and conservation initiatives.

They stressed that the ongoing revision of Islamabad's Master Plan provided an important opportunity to embed environmental sustainability, liveability, biodiversity and climate resilience into the capital's future development rather than addressing ecological damage after it occurs. The participants emphasised that Islamabad's green spaces should be treated as public assets essential to the quality of life of all residents.

They called for coordinated action to preserve the natural systems supporting the capital for present and future generations.