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KARACHI: A new artificial intelligence (AI) system jointly developed by researchers at New York University (NYU) and The Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi has exposed a stark disparity in urban green spaces across Pakistan’s largest city, highlighting critical vulnerabilities to climate change.
The study was led by Dr. Rumi Chunara, who serves as director of the NYU Center for Health Data Science and is a member of NYU Tandon’s Visualization Imaging and Data Analysis Center (VIDA), and included NYU’s Miao Zhang, Hajjra Arshad, Manzar Abbas, Hamzah Jahanzeb, Izza Tahir, Javerya Hassan and Dr. Zainab Samad from AKU. The researchers used advanced AI techniques to analyze satellite imagery and assess urban greenery in Karachi.
The research, published in the ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies, found that Karachi averages just 4.17 square meters of per capita green space, which is even less than one half of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended nine square meters per person.
“It is the fifth most populous city in the world and in recent years has faced both deadly heat waves and urban flooding,” said Dr. Zainab Samad of The Aga Khan University.
“The greenspace availability varies significantly across union councils. Three union councils — Darsanno Channo, Murad Memon, and Gulshan-e-Hadeed — have the highest greenspace values of over 80 m² per capita, while five union councils — Darya Abad, Behar Colony, Chishti Nagar, Banaras Colony, and Gulshan Said — have the lowest values of less than 0.1 m² per capita.”
Dr. Samad said areas exceeding WHO’s green space recommendations were situated on Karachi’s periphery, particularly in the east.
The AI system, which achieved 89.4 percent accuracy and 90.6 percent reliability in identifying vegetation, represents a significant improvement over traditional satellite analysis, which typically achieves around 63 percent accuracy.
“To train the AI model, we create new images by shifting the hue of original satellite images,” Dr. Chunara told Arab News. “This technique helps the model better recognize diverse vegetation types.”
This “green augmentation” process enhances the model’s ability to distinguish trees from grass, even in complex urban environments, according to the expert.
The study also revealed a correlation between paved roads and increased green spaces, reflecting broader urban development patterns.
“The correlation reflects broader urban development patterns, where more developed areas with paved roads often have higher socioeconomic status, leading to better access to green spaces and urban infrastructure,” Dr. Chunara said.
The disparity in green space distribution has significant implications for public health and environmental sustainability, according to Dr. Samad. These benefits may be unequally distributed, with low-income areas often lacking vegetation that makes them hotter and more polluted.
“A combination of AI techniques could be used to not only identify deficiencies in green space but also be prescriptive about where greening could be most helpful and how this could be achieved,” she said.
The researchers emphasized the importance of making the AI system and its findings accessible to local authorities.
“Ensuring that the AI system and its findings are accessible and usable for local authorities in Pakistan is a crucial aspect of this research,” Dr. Chunara said. “We will also facilitate direct communication with local authorities to provide ongoing support and ensure that the data is effectively integrated into their planning processes.”
Policy recommendations derived from the research include prioritizing green spaces in urban planning, assessing areas where green space is most needed, and exploring potential locations for repurposing underutilized spaces for greenery.
“City planning can prioritize green spaces through master plans and zoning,” Dr. Samad said, adding that addressing the disparity in green space distribution requires interventions at various levels.
“Infrastructure initiatives like public parks and tree planting programs can enhance greenery, while community-based actions such as volunteer maintenance and tree adoption foster local involvement.”
Interestingly, the researchers compared Karachi to Singapore which, despite similar population density, provides 9.9 square meters of green space per person, exceeding the WHO target.
“In addition to Singapore, cities like Katmandu and Perth have implemented greening initiatives, such as the Green Katmandu Project and the Perth Urban Greening Strategy,” Dr. Chunara noted.
“Other cities, like Dubai, have integrated green space initiatives into their master plans to promote sustainable urban development.”
In Pakistan, however, a major challenge remains ensuring that local authorities can effectively use AI-driven research despite limited technical resources.
Dr. Chunara’s said her team was addressing this by creating accessible visualizations, data summaries and tailored reports.
“We are committed to making the findings actionable by creating clear visualizations, data summaries, and tailored reports that are easy to understand,” she said. “By engaging with authorities in a collaborative and user-friendly way, we aim to bridge the technical gap and empower them to make informed decisions for the city’s future.”

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that empowering women was no longer an option, it was an “imperative” for the prosperity of Pakistan, promising to advance women’s rights through concerted government efforts.
Sharif said this on the International Women’s Day, celebrated annually as a focal point in the women’s rights movement by focusing on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
In Pakistan, women march in major cities on this day to highlight the issues facing them, including harassment, bonded labor, domestic violence, and lack of representation, work and education opportunities.
In his message, Sharif said they were celebrating the strength and luminosity of women who were redefining possibilities from classrooms to boardrooms, and from fields to frontlines, to shape a bright future of the nation.
“This year’s theme, ‘For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,’ is a call to action, reminding us of our shared responsibility to create a society where women thrive and contribute meaningfully,” the prime minister said.
“Empowering women is no longer an option; it is now an imperative for the prosperity and progress of Pakistan. When we invest in women’s education, health, and economic independence, we uplift not just individuals but generations.”
In Pakistan, just 21 percent of women are in the workforce and less than 20 percent of girls in rural areas are enrolled in secondary school, according to the United Nations. Only 12 women were directly elected to parliament out of 266 seats in last year’s election.
Much of Pakistani society operates under a strict code of “honor,” with women beholden to their male relatives over choices around education, employment and who they can marry. Hundreds of women are killed by men in Pakistan every year for allegedly breaching this code.
Sharif said Pakistan’s journey toward true gender equality was far from over.
“On this day, let us reaffirm our collective resolve to intensify our efforts to further advance respect for women’s rights and build a Pakistan where every woman’s potential is realized and every daughter’s dream is within her reach,” he said.
Women’s rights activists are also scheduled to gather in major cities across Pakistan on Saturday to demonstrate their support for women as part of the ‘Aurat March.’ The march is seen by critics as supporting elitist and Western values in the Muslim country, with organizers accused of disrespecting religious and cultural sensitivities.
In previous years, Aurat March organizers have had to battle in the courts for permission to hold demonstrations, while doctored images of banners held up by women have circulated online leading to harassment and death threats.
In 2020, groups of hard-line men turned up in vans and hurled stones at women participating in the Aurat March in Islamabad.