Central bank urges integration of urban agriculture into city planning to counter shrinking farmland and rising climate pressures
State Bank of Pakistan has warned that rapid urbanisation, shrinking farmland and rising heat stress are increasing the risk of food insecurity in Pakistan, urging policymakers to integrate urban agriculture into mainstream city planning.
In a report titled “Greening Cities and Securing Food: Integrating Urban Agriculture into Urban Planning of Pakistan,” the central bank said expanding cities and population growth are steadily reducing arable land, threatening the country’s long-term food sustainability.
The report said rapid urbanisation and climate pressures require innovative planning strategies, adding that urban agriculture could help tackle food shortages, environmental degradation and rising temperatures in major urban centres.
According to the SBP, urban farming can improve resource recycling, reduce waste through localised food systems and diversify food production. The central bank added that urban agriculture also supports environmental sustainability by lowering transportation costs, reducing urban heat island effects and creating green employment opportunities.
The report highlighted international examples where urban agriculture became part of national policy frameworks. The SBP noted that Cuba established urban agriculture departments in 1994 and integrated urban farming into national food security policies, helping reduce food imports and promote organic farming practices.
Similarly, Ghana strengthened urban agriculture through community ownership and improved market linkages, while Kenya expanded self-employment opportunities through regulatory reforms and technical training.
The central bank said these examples demonstrate that urban agriculture succeeds when supported by policy continuity, institutional coordination and strong community participation.
Pakistan has already introduced limited initiatives including Miyawaki forests, rooftop gardens, mushroom cultivation and community farming projects. However, the report said densely populated cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad hold much greater untapped potential for urban agriculture due to rising temperatures caused by expanding concrete infrastructure.
The SBP recommended promoting rooftop farming, backyard cultivation and container gardening as affordable climate adaptation tools to strengthen food security. It also proposed broader adoption of modern farming methods such as vertical gardens, hydroponics and aquaponics to overcome land shortages in urban areas.
In addition, the report suggested renting unused public spaces to individuals and cooperatives for farming activities, installing green walls along roadsides and roundabouts, and planting fruit-bearing and pollution-clearing trees in public spaces.
The central bank stressed the need for stronger collaboration between urban planners, agricultural experts and local communities, along with public awareness campaigns and extension services to support large-scale adoption of urban agriculture.
However, the SBP warned that weak policy implementation remains a major hurdle. It noted that provincial urban forest policies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa exist but have not been fully enforced, underscoring the need for policy coherence and adaptive management instead of isolated pilot projects.
