Beautification of Islamabad for SCO 2024: A Sustainable Vision Amidst Challenges
As Islamabad sets to host the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Conference- 2024, the city’s visual transformation has become cornerstone point of preparation. Leading the challenge, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), has charted a sustainable, one of its own kind and innovative approach to revive the aesthetic appeal of the city. With key focus on VVIP routes from Koral to Constitution Avenue, Srinagar Highway, Faisal Avenue, and other prominent sectors and avenues, the core emphasis is on creating an eco-friendly, sustainable and resource-efficient landscape. Notwithstanding, challenges remain in striking balance in long-term goals of sustainability with the pressures of delivering efficiently and quickly for such a momentous event.
The CDA has carved out guiding principle, “Preserving the Inherent Serenity of Islamabad with a Dynamic Blend of Futuristic Elements,” which emphasizes a responsible consumption approach in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12—”Responsible Consumption and Production” and target 12.5 of SDG 12 that by 2030, to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. Instead of dolling out public funds for building new structures, the focus has been on optimizing resources, renovating, refurbishing and repurposing materials. It is interesting to note that abandoned lying structures such as old sculptures, redundant boats, and discarded frames have been creatively transformed into captivating decorations. For instance, old butterfly sculptures, which were lying quiescent in storehouses, are revitalized and adorn D-Chowk and Serena Chowk, similarly, Srinagar Kashmir Chowk now speaks fables by refurbished boats inspired by the iconic Dal Lake of Srinagar.
The striking aim of this initiative is to reduce the environmental burden by advancing the fundamentals of reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is truly remarkable as Islamabad’s transformation ahead of the SCO summit underscores innovative and dynamic blend of the city’s organic beauty with modern, eco-conscious designs, highlighting futuristic and progressive Pakistan. With country being the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change perils, the initiative to maintain and upgrade the Islamabad’s natural landscape is not only a local concern but it is conceived as a symbolic statement of Pakistan’s commitment to the cause of sustainability on the worldwide scale.
Hosting a significant international event of this scale like the SCO Conference dwells mammoth pressure on local authorities to deliver remarkable results within strict deadlines. The sheer volume of the projects—VVIP routes, including roadside interchanges, center medians, green strips, and bridges—requires meticulous, comprehensive planning and execution. In such scenario upscale beautification projects may often lead to resorting on tendering and outsourcing, a common trend in public sector in recent years.
Previously, the quick-fix of relying on external contractors for landscaping and beautification, has hindered the in-house capacities within CDA’s Environment Wing. While convenient at times, for large-scale projects, the practice of outsourcing, often stifles innovation and eat up the institution’s own ingenious potential. In the past, as a matter of fact, even routine beautification tasks were tendered out, which led to departmental resistance to innovation and a decline in the Environment Wing’s capacity to devise innovative and homegrown solutions. To thwart this trend, the Environment Wing, CDA is now actively working to upscale in-house capabilities.
Recognizing the importance of the Environment Wing’s own nurseries, which spread over 62 Acre, the initiative has realigned efforts on producing native plants, shrubs, and flowers from these nurseries for the drive of beautifying city. By relying on its own resources, CDA not only optimizes and maximizes the use of indigenous materials it also restores a sense of pride, stakes and ownership among the hierarchy. The initiative aligns with SDG 12, envisaging and ensuring the preservation of Islamabad’s inherent serene beauty without inculcating with careful consideration for responsible public procurement practices as indicated in target 12.7 of SDG 12 by promoting public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.
Target 17.17 of SDG 17 encourages and promotes effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. SDG 17, “Partnerships for the Goals,” has also been a pivotal principle of CDA’s strategy. Recognizing that a collective effort is needed to meet the ambitious targets of beautifying Islamabad, the civic agency has actively engaged corporate entities and civil society to muster up and synergize resources through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. By partnering with stakeholders, the efforts not only enhanced public awareness but also nurtured a shared responsibility toward the cause of environmental sustainability.
Prominent corporate entities have been designated key avenues and public spaces, where they have contributed in beautification drive with sculptures and landscaping, thus embedding their corporate identity into the city’s environmental cause. These collaborations have helped in limiting financial strain on agency’s public resources while also promoting private sector ownership of Islamabad’s green sustainable future thus building strong precedent of sustainable governance.
Eventually, the SCO 2024 beautification project is not merely about immersing the city with impressive elements; it’s more about leaving a lasting legacy. The upcycling and reuse of old structures, the utilization of plants from local nurseries, and the partnerships with the stakeholders including corporate sector all point to a progressive future where Islamabad’s natural appeal of serenity remains intact, even when it embraces modern development.
In fact, Islamabad is posturing itself as a capital ready to host the world and simultaneously prepared to lead by example in the fight against climate change by incorporating sustainability into the very heart of its initiatives.
The writer is
Nazia Abrar Khan
DG Environment CDA
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