Inadequate Governance of Urban Ecosystems in Lahore, Pakistan: Insights from Changes in Land Use

It is known that bio-physical alterations in ecosystems change the relationships between people and their environments. The urban ecosystems cannot be managed without considering the role of green spaces. In Pakistan, many such eco-systems exist, regulated and monitored by well-established authorities. However, they do not have practical frameworks to manage them. In this context, this research examines the decline of the natural ecosystems of Lahore and the roles and responsibilities of the authorities towards this decline. This research employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data: questionnaires, interviews and satellite observations. Questionnaires administered by the researchers gathered information from the people taking care of these places and interviews with the people responsible for planning and managing the city ascertained the issues related to monitoring and maintenance of the green spaces. Satellite data provided information related to the changes in land use from 2010–2018, which indicated diminishing green spaces. The findings reveal extensive transformations in land use and a significant increase in built-up land, resulting from irregular and unmonitored expansion of the city. These indicate that the decline of the natural ecosystems of Lahore is a result of two failures of the authorities: ineffective implementation of policies and poor coordination among stakeholders. Weaknesses in the maintenance of the eco-systems and negligence in the monitoring systems have also contributed. This research therefore concludes that the poor monitoring system has led to the decline of the natural ecosystems and an increase in random and synthetic growth of the city of Lahore despite it having a well-established network and laws.