LUMS 100

Q. What do you think is the biggest challenge associated with

adoption of modern technology and data-driven decision-making for
addressing issues facing Pakistani cities? Identify ways this challenge
could be addressed.

Over time, Pakistan has been facing a huge increase in urbanization. It is expected that by
2030, more than half of the population of Pakistan will be living in Urban areas (1). Due to
this immense increase in urbanization, Pakistani cities have been facing problems like Traffic
Congestions, environmental degradation and lack of facilities.
Digitalization is an answer to the problems faced by Pakistani Cities. Digitalizing data can
lead to better decision making. Cities can then use the data wisely and allocate their
resources accordingly. Sensing technologies like Satellites can be used to capture images of
different areas of the city which can then be used in the decision-making process of
providing public goods. CCTV cameras and sensors can be used to overcome the problem of
traffic congestions. Smart traffic lights, which use Artificial Intelligence, control the traffic
according to priority and adjust the timing according to the traffic flow which leads to less
traffic congestions. (2)
So now the question is that if we have the solution to all our problems, why are we not
implementing them? Digitalization might be the answer to all our problems, but it is not
easy to implement. Majority of people in Pakistan live below the line of poverty. Therefore,
technological advancement is something they will never work towards until they fulfill their
basic needs (3). Another problem towards implementing digitalization is that digitalization
leads to transparency and accountability. Due to this people tend to avoid digitalization so
that they won’t be accountable for their mistakes and errors (4). The biggest challenge
associated with digitalization is the illiteracy rate of Pakistan. According to the news
channel, Pakistan Today, the literacy rate of Pakistan is 62.3% which means that around 60
million people in Pakistan are uneducated (5). Even among the educated population,
majority of the people do not have advance knowledge about AI and IT in general. Due to
this lack of skilled labor, Pakistani cities are unable to implement digitalization (3).
To overcome the challenges faced by digitalization, Pakistani cities need to work on their
labor force. By hiring professional IT staff from abroad, cities can train their labor and
educate them accordingly. Introduction of compulsory IT courses in the secondary and
primary level of education can also help increase the number of IT literate people. A major
reason for illiteracy in Pakistan is poverty. If government can provide free education to poor
people and subsidize firms who provide IT courses, people will start leaning more towards
IT. Creating awareness about the importance of digitalization and educating our population
regarding the benefits attached to it might lead to people accepting digitalization and
working towards it.
Digitalization can indeed be the solution to the problems, such as traffic congestion, faced
by Pakistani cities. Even though the adoption of digitalization might be faced with several
problems, if try to overcome them, for example by increasing our literacy rate, Pakistani
cities might soon be able to adapt to it.
Bibliography
1. https://www.theigc.org/blog/the-six-biggest-challenges-facing-pakistans-urban-
future/
2. Presentation: Saving our Cities
By: Momin Uppal
3. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/digitalization-pakistan-opportunities-challenges-
syed-asadullah
4. https://mittalsouthasiainstitute.harvard.edu/2020/09/8-challenges-pakistans-digital-
transformation-journey/
5. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/04/11/low-literacy-rate-in-pakistan/