AKU hosts climate adaptation conference in Karachi – Aga Khan Development Network

Report on the Symposium: Climate Change and the Built Environment

1.0 Event Overview

• Title: Climate Change and the Built Environment: Promoting Resilience & Adaptation in Low-Income Settings
• Date: 28 November 2025
• Location: Karachi, Pakistan
• Conveners: The Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Institute for Global Health and Development, in partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Pakistan.
• Objective: To develop strategies for building climate-resilient cities and communities in Pakistan, directly addressing multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2.0 Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The symposium was fundamentally structured around the urgency of achieving the SDGs in the face of climate change. The discussions and objectives were directly linked to the following goals:

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The core focus was on redesigning homes, neighbourhoods, and public systems to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban environments.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The event’s primary mandate was to devise urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts through resilience and adaptation strategies.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The participation of public health experts and sessions on climate-resilient health systems underscored the link between climate change and public health outcomes.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): A statement from His Highness the Aga Khan emphasized that climate burdens fall disproportionately on women, children, older adults, and marginalised communities, making equity a central theme.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The event exemplified a multi-stakeholder partnership, bringing together academia, government officials, development specialists, and international collaborators to achieve sustainable development.

3.0 High-Level Proceedings and Key Messages

The conference convened national and international experts to address Pakistan’s climate vulnerability. A key message was delivered in a statement from His Highness the Aga Khan, which framed climate change as a “threat multiplier” undermining progress on several SDGs:

1. Impact on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Climate change intensifies disease.
2. Impact on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): It exacerbates malnutrition.
3. Impact on SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 11: It leads to displacement and poverty.
4. Impact on SDG 4 (Quality Education): It causes learning loss.

The statement concluded that addressing these impacts is imperative for achieving equity, stability, and sustainable development.

4.0 Thematic Discussions and Adaptation Strategies

The opening day’s agenda focused on actionable solutions that support the SDGs, particularly in low-income settings. Key themes included:

• Climate-Smart Architecture: Promoting building designs that are resilient to climate shocks, contributing to SDG 11 and SDG 13.
• Indigenous and Community-Led Adaptation: Exploring traditional and low-cost solutions such as local cooling and ventilation methods to empower communities and ensure sustainable practices (SDG 11).
• Resilient Health Systems: Examining methods to ensure healthcare infrastructure can withstand climate events, directly supporting SDG 3.
• Rural Adaptation Models: Discussing strategies for non-urban communities, acknowledging the widespread impact of climate change.

5.0 Institutional Commitments and Future Actions

The Aga Khan University reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the climate action agenda in line with the SDGs.

• Commitment to Research and Partnerships (SDG 17): AKU President Sulaiman Shahabuddin stated the university will continue to generate evidence, solutions, and partnerships to support climate adaptation at scale.
• Focus on National Frameworks: A planned high-level policy panel will discuss national climate action frameworks, aiming to translate conference discussions into official policy and accelerate progress toward SDG 13.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on climate change, urban resilience, public health, and social equity.

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article connects climate change to poverty, stating that its impacts “intensify… poverty” and highlights that the conference theme focuses on “Low-Income Settings.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article explicitly links climate change to health issues, noting that its impacts “intensify disease, malnutrition.” It also mentions the need for “climate-resilient health systems” and the involvement of public health experts.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article points out the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, stating that the burdens “fall disproportionately upon women, children, older adults and marginalised communities.”
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – This is a central theme. The conference’s purpose is to “develop strategies for building climate-resilient cities and communities” and to discuss how Pakistan can “redesign homes, neighbourhoods and public systems to withstand climate shocks.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The entire article is dedicated to climate action. It discusses responding to “record temperatures and extreme flooding,” the urgency of “climate action,” and the development of “community-led adaptation strategies.”
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The event itself is a manifestation of this goal, described as a partnership between “Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Institute for Global Health and Development… with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Pakistan,” involving “Government officials, development specialists and international collaborators.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
   • The article’s focus on promoting “Resilience & Adaptation in Low-Income Settings” and protecting “marginalised communities” from climate shocks directly aligns with this target.
2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.
   • The discussion on how climate change “intensify[s] disease” and the need for “climate-resilient health systems” points directly to this target.
3. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
   • By highlighting that climate burdens “fall disproportionately upon women,” the article implies the need for inclusive solutions and policies where women’s voices are central to developing adaptation strategies, which is a core principle of this target.
4. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The conference’s aim to develop strategies in response to “extreme flooding” and to help communities “withstand climate shocks” is directly aimed at achieving this target.
5. Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk reduction at all levels.
   • The convening of “architects, urban planners and public health experts” to “develop strategies for building climate-resilient cities” and discuss “national climate action frameworks” is a direct effort towards implementing this target.
6. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • This is the primary focus of the article, which details efforts to promote “Resilience & Adaptation,” develop “community-led adaptation strategies,” and design “smarter, safer, more resilient environments.”
7. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The conference itself, a collaboration between a university (AKU), a network (SDSN Pakistan), government officials, and international partners from “Europe, North America and Southeast Asia,” exemplifies this target in action.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention specific quantitative indicators, as it reports on a conference to develop strategies rather than a study with data. However, it implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that could be used to measure progress:

• For Targets 11.5 and 13.1: The article mentions “record temperatures and extreme flooding.” Implied indicators would be the reduction in the number of people affected by these events and the economic losses incurred. Progress could be measured by tracking the frequency and impact of such climate shocks on communities over time after resilience strategies are implemented.
• For Target 11.b: The discussion of creating “strategies for building climate-resilient cities” and a “high-level policy panel to discuss national climate action frameworks” implies an indicator such as the Number of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies. The existence and implementation of these frameworks would be a direct measure of progress.
• For Target 3.d: The call for “climate-resilient health systems” implies an indicator related to the healthcare system’s capacity to respond to climate-related health threats like disease outbreaks following floods. This could be measured by assessing the preparedness and response capabilities of health facilities in vulnerable areas.
• For Target 17.17: The conference itself is an indicator of partnership. Progress could be measured by the number of multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaborative projects that emerge from the conference to implement the discussed climate adaptation solutions.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: the.akdn