Strategic Development Plan Report
Nawabshah

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN REPORT – NAWABSHAH

1. SINDH – AN OVERVIEW
Sindh is the most urbanized province in Pakistan. Due to lack of interest in the planning and development of secondary cities District Headquarters towns, the public funding in development infrastructure had been sporadic resulting in un-informed adhoc decisions. Consequently the secondary cities have not been able
to play their role as “Engines of Economic growth” and hinterland has remained poor facing abject poverty due to less economic opportunities and social facilities. The poverty head count ratio in the urban-cumrural areas is almost double than that in the declared urban areas.

Sindh Government took initiative by establishing Directorate of Urban Policy and Strategic Planning within the P & D Department in September, 2018 to initiate and ensure planned growth of Secondary cities through the Preparation of Master Development Plans of District Headquarter Towns in September 2008.

1.1 Project Background
Sindh, Pakistan’s second most populated province plays a pivotal role in the national economic and development agenda. The country’s largest port city, Karachi, is the financial capital of the country. The Province comprises of 23% of Pakistan’s population and 18% of its land area. It has the highest concentration of urban population at 49% as compared to an overall country average of 32.5%, making it the most urbanized province in the country. With 23% of country’s population, its contribution to the national GDP is around 33%. Sindh collects 70% of Pakistan’s Income Tax and 62% of Sales Tax. Sindh has 54% of country’s textile units, 45% of its sugar mills, 20% of pulp & paper mills and 35% of edible oil processed locally. Sindh accounts for 34% of total industrial capacity in large scale manufacturing and 25% of small scale manufacturing. Moreover the Province produces 70 % of Country’s gas, 30% petroleum
and 95% of Coal.

Despite global economic slowdown towards the end of 2008 and Pakistan’s solidarity with the International cause for peace, playing a key role as the front line state, Sindh’s manufacturing sector has been resilient and investments have continued to pour in the economic cycle. MNCs and local enterprises are committed
to make investments worth around USD 8.0 billion in the province in coming years.

Sindh’s diversified economy also comprises of a well-developed agricultural base supported by an effective irrigation network on the River Indus. Around 14% wheat, 30% rice, 30% sugar cane, 25% cotton and 30% vegetable crops grown in Pakistan are from Sindh. This provides immense opportunity for setting up export based agri-processing industry in the province. (http://www.sbi.gos.pk/sindh-economy.php).

1.2 General Issues
Despite of its significant contribution in National GDP, Sindh has not received the priority in development funding as it deserves. DUP&SP is the medium through which grass root development / strategy is being formulated by professionals for the betterment of people and create de-centralize economical hubs to counter higher migration rate towards developed urban centres resulting better socioeconomic condition of the people. While going through the available literature so far, several issues have been identified in this regards, such as:

 Non-existence of Sustainable planning policy, apparatus, regulatory framework and its implementation;
 Absence of current housing policy based on sustainable and smart growth mechanism;
 Lack of coordination between institutions responsible for development of a town or Absence of Institutional Framework.
 Previous Master / Development / Structure Plans of Town Planning Department have hardly been implemented due to poor implementation mechanism;
 Local cultural preferences and settlement patterns undermine the role of urbanization in supporting economic growth;
 In most of the District Headquarters Towns, in-effective municipal infrastructure and service delivery is a common cause of failures in water, waste water, SWM, etc.
 Non-existence of spatial and non-spatial database systems;

1.3 Objectives
The objective of the assignment, as mentioned in the TORs is to prepare Development Master Plans of Fourteen (14) District Headquarter Towns of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad Divisions; for development of spatial planning and zoning system as well as local economic development strategies
on the basis on ecological sustainability.

The Consultant is tasked to prepare strategies:
 To plan for social infrastructure at affordable standards for education, health, recreation and
cultural needs.
 To upgrade the existing physical infrastructure and enhance the supply of potable water and to
propose the required capacity of network for water supply, sewerage, drainage, flood waters till
year 2037.
 To provide for modern sanitation, solid waste management and disposal.
 To improve existing road networks, extend links, upgrade intersections, bridges and flyovers; and
other means of communication and proposed where needed.
 To provide for safe and efficient public transport.
 To plan for effective traffic management, smooth transit and provide for parking facilities, where
required in multi-storey car parks.
 To plan for enhancement and revitalization of economic base by expansion of industrial and commercial base, and for rapid expansion of IT and Telecom sectors, tourism, agricultural activity,
etc in the means of sustainable and smart concept.
 To propose alternate energy sources as country is facing acute shortage especially in summer
season.

The Strategic Plan output
The proposed Development Master Plans of selected District Headquarter Towns of Sindh would focus on
the following Tasks
 Review of Past Trends, Development Strategies and Prevalent Conditions
 Preparation of Digital Base Maps
 SWOT Analysis
 Carving out a Vision for the Future of these cities
 Preparation of Development Plan comprising of:
o Long Term Development Plan
o Growth Scenarios
o Short Term Action Plans for Priority Infrastructures
o Immediate Action Plan for the Core Urban Areas
o Economic Development Plan
o Disaster Management Plan and
o Climate Change, Resilience & Adaptability Plans