Locations
The Big Ideas for Transforming Pakistan’s Development Pathways
By Shahbano Khan | SDGs Specialist Development Policy Unit UNDP, Pakistan
“What does success look like? Success looks like a Pakistan where innovation and local ownership drives inclusive growth and sustainability, poverty is reduced through community hubs, food and water systems are smart and equitable, healthcare and education reach every corner and women lead economically.”
A National Turning Point
Pakistan faces a generational opportunity - it can take a leap from incremental progress to transformational change. The SDGs offer more than just a roadmap, they represent a social contract. However, Pakistan’s current uneven development trajectory is insufficient. With innovation, equity, and local ownership at the core, the country must reimagine development not just as a policy priority but as a pathway to empowerment for its people. It is time to reimagine the actions required for each of the 17 SDGs. These goals can serve as a launchpad for bold ideas and innovative actions in Pakistan, supporting the pressing rationale that the country has to act now.
SDG 1: Activate Local Prosperity Hubs
Over 19.4 percent of Pakistan’s population still lives below the poverty line. Despite decades of welfare programs, poverty remains embedded in geography and identity.
A promising innovation is community-run prosperity hubs that integrate digital financial services, skills training, and social entrepreneurship in remote and urban-poor communities. When supported by public–private partnerships and scaled through district administrations, these hubs could become engines of sustained and locally driven poverty reduction. The Orangi Pilot Project exemplifies self-reliant urban development transforming an informal settlement into a functioning neighbourhood that enabled residents to avoid poverty traps linked to urban neglect.1
SDG 2: Build Smart Agro-Economies
With 18.5 percent of Pakistanis undernourished, hunger is not a problem of scarcity but of fragmented supply chains, low agricultural productivity, and increasing climate shocks.
Pakistan can invest in smart agro-economies that embody a combination of precision agriculture, cold-chain logistics, and digital marketplaces. Linking smallholder farmers, particularly women, across provinces and regional markets through Agri-tech can ensure that food is not only produced but also accessed equitably.
In Pakistan, platforms like Tractors.pk deploy IoT-based soil sensors, drone surveillance, and AI-driven pest control, which can help farmers cut input costs by 20 percent and boost yields by as much as 30 percent. Innovations in cold chain logistics, led by companies like Cool Crop, have also reduced post-harvest losses by 40 percent through solar-powered storage systems, preserving perishable goods and improving farmer incomes.2
SDG 3: Rewire Community Healthcare
A child born in Pakistan still faces a 61-in-1,000 chance of dying before the age of five. This unacceptable reality demands decentralized health systems.
Imagine a network of tele-health-enabled community clinics embedded in underserved districts, staffed by AI-supported health workers and linked to regional hospitals. Technology, when paired with trust, can bring quality care to those who need it the most.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNDP Pakistan partnered with Sehat Kahani to pioneer a telemedicine initiative that established 27 e-clinics nationwide. These clinics connected patients in underserved communities with qualified doctors through mobile and web platforms.3
SDG 4: Launch a Learning Equity Mission
With just 47.5 percent of lower-secondary students completing school, Pakistan’s education system is in crisis—but there this is also opportunity for innovation.
A Learning Equity Mission powered by data analytics, ed-tech tools, and local content in mother tongues that could help to close foundational learning gaps in marginalized districts. Every child not only deserves schooling but also the opportunity to learn.
UNICEF Pakistan in partnership with Microsoft launched the Learning Passport, a digital learning platform offering curriculum-aligned digital content to middle school students in underserved areas. In 28 public schools across Sindh, the platform reached over 4,000 students and distributed 970 tablets. Teachers report improved engagement and self-paced learning, especially among students who previously struggled in traditional classrooms. 4
SDG 5: Back Women's Economic Movements
Despite comprising nearly half the population, Pakistani women hold only 20.5 percent of parliamentary seats and face severe economic exclusion.
The next leap forward is to have women-led economic clusters in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, supported through digital platforms, mentorship, microfinance, and policy reform. Gender equality must move beyond targets and into power shifts where women control assets, narratives, and policy levers.
Kashf Foundation, supported by GuarantCo, issued Pakistan’s first gender bond worth PKR 2.5 billion in 2021. The bond aimed to expand financing for women-led businesses. It supported over 25,000 women entrepreneurs across Pakistan by combining microfinance, gender-lens investing, and regulatory support to strengthen women-led economic clusters.5
SDG 6: Innovate Water Governance
While 70.5 percent of Pakistanis have access to basic sanitation, water resources are dangerously overdrawn and withdrawal exceeds 162 percent of available renewable resources.
The solution? Decentralized water governance councils that use satellite data and citizen-led water audits to inform allocation and conservation. Pairing technology with community accountability could reverse Pakistan’s looming water crisis.
To manage water resources, UNDP Pakistan has rehabilitated 317 irrigation channels totalling over 132 kilometres in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and engaging local communities, especially women and girls, in managing water resources. This decentralized approach has reduced water waste, improved crop yields and freed up time for girls to attend schools, demonstrating how community-led water governance boosts both livelihoods and education.6
SDG 7: Democratize the Energy Grid
While 94.9 percent have electricity, only 50.7 percent have access to clean cooking. A just energy transition must be both sustainable and inclusive.
Idea icon: Scaling solar-powered microgrids and introducing clean-cooking cooperatives for rural women can simultaneously reduce health risks, lower emissions and empower communities to take charge of their own energy futures.
In Pakistan, the Aga Khan Planning and Building Service's BACIP program has distributed more than 36,000 energy-efficient products, such as smokeless stoves and solar cookers, throughout GB and Sindh. The initiative has reached over 150,000 people, reduced biomass consumption by 15–60 percent and cut smoke-related illnesses by up to 60 percent. By involving women artisans and promoting clean cooking, it advances community-driven energy solutions in underserved regions.7
SDG 8: Build a Digital Labor Force
With only 21 percent of adults accessing formal financial services, large swaths of Pakistan’s workforce remain informal and excluded.
A national effort to digitally skill the country’s youth, linked to local and global digital labor markets, could shift this dynamic. If paired with gig-worker protections and portable benefits, this shift could redefine the informal economy.
UNDP Pakistan in 2025 was supported by the Government of Japan to train 600 youth (52 percent were women) from Kurram and Orakzai in digital skills. The digital skills training included development, web services, and content creation, through a two-month training and internship program. UNDP has equipped over 5,800 young people with market-relevant digital skills, with nearly 50 percent of participants being women. This has helped bridge the skills gap in the formal digital labor market and promoted inclusive economic participation.8
“What does success look like? Success looks like a Pakistan where innovation and local ownership drives inclusive growth and sustainability, poverty is reduced through community hubs, food and water systems are smart and equitable, healthcare and education reach every corner and women lead economically.”
SDG 9: Fuel Frontier Innovation Zones
Only 0.2 percent of GDP is spent on Research and Development in Pakistan, one of the lowest accounts globally.
To unlock growth, Pakistan must establish frontier innovation zones. These are clusters where academia, tech startups, and government co-create around key sectors such as climate-tech, biotech, and digital governance. Incentives, regulation reform, and talent mobility are key to making innovation work for development.
The National Incubation Center (NIC), a public–private initiative under Ignite at the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, runs eight innovation hubs across Pakistan. Over the past five years, NICs have incubated over 1,30 startups, created more than 126,000 jobs, attracted PKR 22 billion in investments, and generated PKR 13.85 billion in revenue. The program has also empowered over 2,300 women entrepreneurs, positioning NICs as a vital engine for inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship.9
SDG 10: Target Inclusion through Data
With a Gini coefficient of 29.6, inequality in Pakistan often goes unnoticed.
The next step is to develop a National Inclusion Index that maps access gaps in education, finance, and health across gender, region, and class. Making disparities visible can sharpen targeting, funding, and accountability in ways that conventional budgeting cannot.
SDG 11: Rethink Urban Resilience
Over 56 percent of urban residents live in slums and PM 2.5 air pollution that is prevalent in these areas are hazardous.
Pakistan’s cities need a bold shift. Globally, Urban Resilience Labs, which are multi-stakeholder platforms, can be a potential solution. These labs are established in major cities to coordinate green housing, air quality innovation and inclusive mobility.
In Greater Copenhagen, the Climate Adaptation Living Lab (CALL), employing the Urban Living Labs approach, functions as a structured platform that unites various urban stakeholders to co-develop and test climate adaptation solutions, particularly focusing on water resilience against sea-level rise and changing rainfall patterns.
SDG 12: Launch Circular Economy Districts
Pakistan's nitrogen emissions per capita stand at 21.7 kg, harming both people and the environment.
Pakistan can Pilot Circular Economy Districts. These are zones where textile, plastic, or agricultural waste is repurposed into value chains. Business models can be redesigned to eliminate waste, regenerate resources and create green jobs.
Kalundborg Eco-industrial Park in Denmark is an example and a global model for Circular Economy Districts, where industries exchange waste, heat, and materials, turning by-products into valuable inputs across sectors. Through this symbiosis, the district saves €24 million annually, avoids 635,000 tons of Co₂, and diverts 87,000 tons of solid waste, proving how rethinking consumption and production creates both resource efficiency and green jobs. Pakistan can draw on this model to pilot similar zones—particularly in textile, plastic, or Agri-waste clusters where harmful nitrogen emissions (21.7 kg per capita) can be curbed by designing waste into value chains. 10
SDG 13: Activate Community Climate Stewarship
Although emissions per capita are low at 0.9 metric tons, Pakistan is among the top 10 countries vulnerable to climate change.
Youth Climate Stewards: This is a youth-led green service program that can support reforestation, mangrove restoration, and climate education on a large scale. The climate crisis must be addressed with climate leadership from within. Started by a 9-year-old in Germany, this global youth movement has mobilized over 100 million trees to be planted worldwide. It empowers children and youth through climate education and encourages them to take leadership roles in reforestation and advocacy efforts. Their “Trillion Tree Campaign” exemplifies how youth can lead impactful climate action.
“What does success look like? Cities become green and resilient, waste is transformed into opportunity through circular economies while the youth actively restore the environment.”
SDG 14: Enforce Marine Co-Governance
Only 14.6 percent of marine areas are protected while illegal fishing is depleting resources. Pakistan’s blue economy requires a revival.
Enable co-governance of marine areas by coastal communities, fishery associations, and local governments to promote sustainability while protecting livelihoods. Local milestones such as the designation of Astola and Churna Islands as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) demonstrate early progress, supported by organizations such as WWF and IUCN Pakistan. Drawing from the global models like Madagascar’s Velondriake or Zanzibar’s Menai Bay, Pakistan can expand participatory marine management to curb overfishing, regenerate biodiversity and create sustainable income through eco-tourism and fisheries reform.
SDG 15: Accelerate Ecological Regeneration
With a Red List Index of 0.82, species extinction is increasing in Pakistan.
Pakistan can launch a national ecological regeneration program that combines indigenous knowledge, AI-driven biodiversity mapping and incentive schemes for landowners to protect natural habitats.
Pakistan’s Living Indus is a holistic ecological restoration program covering the entire Indus River Basin. Declared a UN World Restoration Flagship, it integrates nature-based solutions, green infrastructure, and community co-governance to rehabilitate wetlands, recharge groundwater and revive biodiversity. Flagship efforts such as Recharge Pakistan focus on climate resilience and restoring critical habitats, combining traditional practices with modern planning for long-term sustainability.11
SDG 16: Scale Civic Tech Platforms
Pakistan scores only 29/100 on the Corruption Perception Index. A more open, accountable country can be achieved through civic tech platforms—digital tools for budget tracking, grievance redressal, and e-participation. People must become co-creators in governance, not just passive recipients of services.
Launched in 2018 by the Government of Pakistan, the Pakistan Citizens’ Portal is a mobile application that allows citizens to lodge complaints regarding government services. It includes a grievance redressal system and a performance monitoring system to track and monitor the performance of government officials in addressing complaints. The platform was recognized internationally. It also came second at the World Government Summit in Dubai in 2019.12
SDG 17: Build a Data-Driven Development Pact
Pakistan’s Statistical Performance Index stands at 71.1—a solid foundation.
To supercharge implementation, the idea is a Develop-ment Data Pact. This is a platform uniting government, academia, the private sector, and civil society to co-create policy with real-time data. Without data, we are flying blind; with it, we can co-pilot progress.
“What does success look like? Success means a Pakistan where the state is supportive, communities lead, and systems are built to last.”
1. Orangi Pilot Project, ‘Orangi Pilot Project’, Website, [n.d.]. Available at: http://www.opp.org.pk/
2. Namra G, ‘Transforming Agriculture Startups in Pakistan’, The Agricultural Economist, 14 April 2025. Available at: https://agrieconomist.com/transforming-agriculture-startups-in-pakistan
3. UNDP Pakistan, ‘How telemedicine is helping in the fight against COVID‑19 (and why it should be here to stay)’, Blog, 21 January 2021. Available at: https://www.undp.org/pakistan/blog/how-telemedicine-helping-fight-against-covid-19-and-why-it-should-be-here-stay
4. UNICEF Pakistan, ‘The Digital Transformation of Public Education in Pakistan’, Blog, 18 January 2024. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/stories/digital-transformation-public-education-pakistan
5. Kashf Foundation, ‘Kashf Foundation and InfraZamin Pakistan Launch Pakistan’s First Gender Bond’, News & Events, 19 May 2023. Available at: https://kashf.org/news&events/kashf-foundation-and-infrazamin-pakistan-launch-pakistans-first-gender-bond/
6. UNDP, ‘Water access: Transforming lives of women and girls in Pakistan’, Climate Promise, 2023. Available at: https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/water-access-transforming-lives-women-and-girls-pakistan
7. Aga Khan Development Network, “AKPBS Pakistan,” Archived June 30, 2009, Wayback Machine. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20090530055552/http://www.akdn.org/akpbs_pakistan.asp
8. UNDP, ‘600 young people from Kurram and Orakzai trained in digital skills under Government of Japan-UNDP initiative’, Press Release, 2025. Available at: https://www.undp.org/pakistan/press-releases/600-young-people-kurram-and-orakzai-trained-digital-skills-under-government-japan-undp-initiative
9. Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (Government of Pakistan), ‘Project Detail’, MOITT website, [n.d.]. Available at: https://moitt.gov.pk/ProjectDetail/ZDZjYzY3ZDAtZTQ2OS00NGRhLTliNmItMzJmMzdiYTY3ZDE0
10. ENGIE Impact, ‘Eco-Industrial Park Case Study: Kalundborg’, Case Study, 1 June 2021. Available at: https://www.engieimpact.com/insights/eco-industrial-park-case-study-kalundborg
11. United Nations (UN), ‘Living Indus’, Publication, 06 September 2022. Available at: https://pakistan.un.org/en/197982-living-indus
12. Government of Pakistan, ‘Pakistan Citizen Portal’, Government Portal, [n.d.]. Available at: https://web.citizenportal.gov.pk/