ISLAMABAD: Shehersaaz marked the achievements of the Project for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (PUCCAR) with a celebratory event at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Islamabad, bringing together partners, team members and stakeholders to recognise collective efforts toward building climate-resilient communities.

The event reflected on PUCCAR’s achievements in Rawalpindi and Nowshera and highlighted the importance of partnerships, community participation and sustained action in addressing the impacts of climate change.

A total number of 450 participants were present at the event, including 298 men and 152 women. Community members and staff from Rawalpindi, Nowshera and Islamabad along with notable dignitaries were present at the event to celebrate PUCCAR achievements.

The ceremony featured messages from Ms. Almas Shakoor, Executive Director of Shehersaaz, Mr. Jawed Ali Khan, Senior Advisor, UN-Habitat Pakistan, Ms. Odicea Angelo Barrios, Human Settlements Officer at UN-Habitat, and Mr. Waqar Syed, Country Program Manager at UN-Habitat Pakistan. Speakers highlighted the role of collaborative approaches and community-led initiatives in advancing urban climate adaptation.

Implemented by Shehersaaz in partnership with UN-Habitat, with financial support from the Adaptation Fund, PUCCAR reached communities across 15 Union Councils and Neighbourhood Councils. The project resulted in the installation of 5,060 rainwater harvesting units, creating a combined storage capacity of 7,570,450 litres of rainwater and benefiting 97,867 people.

The initiative also provided climate-related training to 16,662 individuals, supported interventions in 60 educational institutions, and facilitated 80 youth-led climate adaptation projects.

The celebration brought these efforts to the stage through Theatre Wallay’s “Pani Sab Ka Aik,” a powerful Urdu social theatre performance directed by Ahad Ali Siddiqui, highlighting water conservation, responsible resource use, community participation and behavioural change.

The 5 years extensive and impactful work of PUCCAR was shown as a documentary evidence  of the project, filmed by Keychain Films.

The audience greatly appreciated the efforts. From social mobilizing to building technical drawings and execution, from segregating waste to making compost and becoming women entrepreneur and from disaster worried to being disaster ready, Shehersaaz Team made this possible and stood proud.

The evening also featured the exclusive musical piece “Boond Boond Pani – Ik Nai Kahani,” written, composed and performed by Mr. Furqan Ahmad, a visually impaired artist from FA Virtual Studio, with Ms. Anahita Sajjad also lending her voice to the production.

Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Shehersaaz team members from Nowshera, Rawalpindi and Islamabad in recognition of their dedication and contribution to the successful implementation of PUCCAR.

Through “Voices from Communities,” participants from Rawalpindi, Nowshera and Rescue 1122 shared their experiences, bringing the people-centered impact of PUCCAR to the forefront.

From rainwater harvesting and climate adaptation to theatre, music, project documentary and community voices, the evening reflected a shared message: climate action and resilience become meaningful when people come together.

The ceremony served as an occasion to acknowledge the people, communities and partners whose collective efforts contributed to the project’s achievements and to reaffirm the importance of continued climate action.

Together, Shehersaaz and its partners are working toward more resilient communities in the face of a changing climate.

 

Fourth Urban Thinkers Campus dialogue brings experts together to explore resilient housing solutions rooted in Pakistan’s climate and local context

ISLAMABAD, 20 August 2026: Shehersaaz, in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), convened the fourth dialogue under its Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) series, “Housing Matters: Climate-Responsive Housing,” bringing together leading voices from urban planning, architecture, academia, policy, research and local governance to discuss the future of housing in Pakistan.

Held at PIDE in Islamabad, the dialogue examined how Pakistan can move towards housing solutions that are not only affordable and inclusive, but also resilient to a rapidly changing climate.

With rising temperatures, extreme weather events, flooding, water stress and increasing construction and land costs placing growing pressure on urban communities, participants emphasized the urgent need to rethink conventional approaches to housing and urban development.

From Climate-Responsive Buildings to Resilient Neighbourhoods

Discussions highlighted that climate resilience must extend beyond individual buildings. Participants stressed the need for a neighbourhood-scale approach that integrates housing with effective drainage, climate-resilient infrastructure, public spaces, local development planning and stronger municipal systems.

The dialogue also explored the potential of passive design strategies and indigenous architectural practices to address contemporary climate challenges. Features such as courtyards, shaded verandas, natural ventilation, orientation and the use of locally available materials were highlighted as practical approaches that can improve thermal comfort and reduce dependence on energy-intensive cooling.

At the same time, participants examined the growing affordability crisis in housing, particularly in the context of escalating land and construction costs. The discussion called for approaches that balance climate resilience, affordability, accessibility and quality, ensuring that sustainable housing does not remain limited to those who can afford it.

Bridging Research, Policy and Practice

A recurring theme throughout the dialogue was the need to bridge the gap between research, policy and implementation. Participants highlighted the importance of strengthening local government capacities and creating meaningful opportunities for communities to participate in decisions that shape their neighbourhoods.

The dialogue also explored how successful pilot interventions can be translated into scalable policies and programmes, enabling climate-responsive solutions to move beyond individual projects and contribute to broader urban transformation.

The fourth Housing Matters dialogue reinforces Shehersaaz’s commitment to creating platforms that bring diverse urban stakeholders together to exchange knowledge, challenge conventional approaches and identify actionable pathways towards more resilient cities.

Through the dialogue series, Shehersaaz continues to promote conversations that connect evidence, policy and practice, with the aim of supporting inclusive and sustainable urban development in Pakistan.

As the country faces an increasingly climate-uncertain future, the dialogue underscored a fundamental principle: housing must do more than provide shelter. It must protect people from climate risks, remain within their means, strengthen communities and respond to the environmental and cultural realities of the places they call home.

Shehersaaz has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with SOS Children's Villages Pakistan to implement climate adaptation interventions at SOS Children's Home, Rawalpindi, under the PROGRESSIVE Programme supported by the Project for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (PUCCAR).

The collaboration will introduce practical climate resilience measures, including the installation of a rainwater harvesting unit, developing kitchen garden, awareness and capacity-building activities, and technical support to create safer, more sustainable educational environments. The partnership also reinforces commitments to child safeguarding, environmental sustainability, and community resilience while contributing to long-term climate adaptation efforts in Pakistan. Stay tuned while we begin another intervention of hope, growth and resilience.

LAHORE — Continuing it’s national Dialogue Series 2026, Shehersaaz hosted its second session, "Women and Water," at the University of Home Economics (UHE), Lahore. Building on the findings of the inaugural Rawalpindi event, the dialogue gathered public officials, academics, civil society organizations, and local community members to analyze the gendered impacts of Pakistan's accelerating water crisis and evaluate municipal governance failures.

The conference was organized under the Project for Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience (PUCCAR), focusing on gender-disaggregated environmental data, urban water contamination, and community-led conservation solutions.

Key Findings & Socio-Economic Impacts

Key Takeaway: Groundwater levels in major urban centers are falling by 3 feet per year, demanding immediate integration of rainwater capture infrastructure and enforceable municipal rationing.

Sector	Identified Challenge	Proposed Solution
Municipal Storage (WASA)	Rapid groundwater depletion and storm runoff waste.	Installation of underground water storage tanks and localized rainwater harvesting units.
Academic & Technological Research	Drinking water contamination and non-biodegradable waste.	Adoption of low-cost water purification technologies and eco-friendly alternatives.
Regulatory Frameworks	Fragmented allocation post-18th Amendment and legislative voids.	Enforcing strict volumetric water metering, city-level rationing, and legal inclusion of source regions (GB and AJK)

Community Action & Policy Next Steps

To promote ground-level conservation, Shehersaaz introduced "Droppy"—an educational mascot designed to teach children and communities practical water-saving habits. Leaders from WaterAid, WISE, Aurat Foundation, and WASA emphasized that long-term water security requires inclusive decision-making that integrates women, domestic workers, and marginalized groups.

The Shehersaaz Dialogue Series 2026 continues to hold its next session in Islamabad on July 23, focusing on “Housing Matters in the light of Youth” at LEADS University, Islamabad.