ALTHOUGH Pakistan contributes minimally to GHG emissions, its extreme climate vulnerability threatens its economy and food, water and energy security.

Pakistan’s construction industry is exacerbating these woes with its unplanned, unregulated development and unsustainable practices. Despite expanding populations, unchecked urban sprawl, and rising energy demands, building policies remain entrenched in outdated colonial-era standards. As a result, the construction sector often pursues energy-intensive and spatially inefficient developments, disregarding Pakistan’s unique climate and culture.

Influenced by Western modernist principles, current architectural and urban planning practices fail to address issues such as inappropriate building density, height restrictions, unfavourable street layouts and building setbacks.

Exclusive urban zoning, separating residential and commercial areas, limits multi-functionality and increases transportation needs, particularly disadvantaging low-income communities and restricting socioeconomic opportunities for women. Policy shortcomings and inadequate enforcement have brought the architectural, engineering, and construction industry into sharp relief.

Energy provisions were introduced in Pakistan’s building codes in 2011, but they did not cover residential buildings or address urban-scale issues. The launch of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2023 is a significant step towards greater sustainability and climate resilience. The revised code includes efficiency mandates for the residential sector, promotes renewable energy, and targets both new and existing building retrofits. It emphasises passive design strategies and water conservation to ease pressure on overloaded infrastructures and overcrowded urban areas.

A review of the Energy Conservation Building Code shows areas for improvement.

However, a review of the ECBC reveals areas for improvement. The code heavily relies on international standards, such as ASHRAE, and includes lists of material specifications that may not be entirely suitable for local conditions. It fails to promote the use of local, sustainable building materials and overlooks the potential for upcycling waste from industrial processes and debris for new construction. For example, ‘green concrete’, an alternative to traditional concrete, can create lighter, more cost-effective, and better-insulating systems with reduced carbon footprints by incorporating fly ash, recycled aggregates, and slags. However, no mention of such sustainable alternatives is found in the ECBC, which also lacks discussion on environmentally feasible building typologies specific to Pakistan’s different climatic zones.

Although the ECBC emphasises building envelope performance and system efficiency, it places less focus on designing spatial configurations that optimise performance, enhance multi-functionality, and ensure accessibility. While it acknowledges issues like horizontal sprawl and advocates for more compact, vertical expansion, the types of housing and spatial configurations for improved functionality, accessibility and inclusivity remain unexamined. Also, while passive design strategies for vertical buildings are included, it exempts high-rise, commercial, and office buildings from these requirements.

Another shortcoming is the ECBC’s reliance on prescriptive standards rather than performance-based ones. Its specific material and product specifications limit flexibility and innovation. In Pakistan, this approach marginalises traditional, vernacular construction techniques that are often more climate-responsive, resource-efficient, and culturally appropriate. In contrast, many developed countries, like those in Scandinavia, have adopted performance-based criteria, focusing on energy use, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. These countries set specific energy performance or carbon emission targets without dictating how to achieve them, allowing for greater innovation, and advancing towards net-zero buildings.

Pakistan’s economic progress is stymied by weak policy enforcement, and an outdated, clientelist political system, raising doubts about the ECBC’s effective implementation. Apart from the need for energy auditors and skilled professionals to monitor and assess building performance, concerns remain about code compliance in rural, peri-urban, and informal housing sectors. Estimates show that about 30 million people live in informal housing in urban Pakistan, with limited access to basic services. Retrofitting these areas to ECBC standards will be costly due to the high costs of energy-efficient materials and technologies, compounded by limited financing options and absence of property ownership or credit history among the poor.

The government must enhance support for energy-efficient systems and technologies through grants and subsidies, encouraging partnerships for innovative energy efficiency and urban planning. For energy performance ratings and certifications, it is crucial to bolster the capacity and number of skilled professionals to conduct energy audits and performance evaluations. It is also essential to promote building research and innovation, update educational curricula, and cultivate cutting-edge design practices that are climate-responsive and culturally relevant.

Adopting performance-based standards focusing on outcomes, like energy use intensity, can enhance flexibility and innovation in achieving efficiency goals. These regulations articulate desired outcomes without dictating specific methods, allowing for greater adaptability and alternative approaches. For example, South Africa is exploring performance-based strategies to improve informal housing quality, including incremental development. This approach develops various performance ratings for houses, enabling solutions that vary in efficiency, performance, and resilience levels, tailored to specific contexts.

While regularly updating building codes is essential, it is equally important to encourage the use of local, sustainable materials such as bamboo, earth, mudbrick, and lime. Integrating traditional knowledge with technological innovation can yield effective adaptation strategies. Further, standardised practices should account for both social and technical factors in design, development, and enforcement.

It is crucial to understand different users’ needs and examine the social impacts of building and planning regulations, particularly how they influence community dynamics, accessibility, resilience, and quality of life, while minimising resource consumption and carbon emissions. This approach is vital for a truly sustainable and green future for Pakistan.

Rihab Khalid is a socio-technical energy research expert with a PhD in Architecture from the University of Cambridge.

Hamd ul Moeed Riaz, founder of The Building Zero, is a thought leader in sustainable construction innovations inPakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024