From choking winter smog to flooded monsoon streets, Pakistan's cities are feeling the weight of a changing climate, and the poorest residents are paying the highest price. In this episode of Let's Talk Development, Dr Maryam Ibrahim, human geographer and Assistant Professor at LUMS, sits down with Dawar Hameed Butt, public policy analyst and co-founder of Climate Action Pakistan, to ask a pressing question: who are our cities really built for?Together they explore how rapid urban growth, overconcretisation and short-term fixes have left cities increasingly vulnerable to environmental shocks. They discuss why climate change is often used to deflect responsibility, why data rarely shapes decisions, and why real accountability is still missing. It's a candid conversation about what it will take to build cities that are fair, livable and ready for the climate crisis.
As the era of abundant foreign aid comes to an end, developing countries are being forced to rethink how development is financed and delivered. In this episode of Let's Talk Development, Dr. Umair Javed sits down with development anthropologist Dr. Muhammad Ali to unpack the changing global aid architecture, the politics behind shrinking donor support, and what these shifts mean for Pakistan. Together, they examine the promises and pitfalls of aid, its impact on state capacity and knowledge production, and what needs to be done to contend with this new era of dwindling aid.
Drawing on IGC’s new research, Dr. Sabrin Baig discusses how digitising land records in Punjab increased women's access to inherited land, while also reshaping marriage decisions, education investments, and family dynamics. This conversation in our upcoming episode of Let’s Talk Development explores the complex relationship between legal reform, social norms, and women's economic empowerment.
Drawing on IGC’s new research, Dr. Sabrin Beg (Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Delaware) and Ms. Angbeen Mirza (Assistant Professor of Law at LUMS) discuss how digitising land records in Punjab increased women's access to inherited land while also reshaping marriage decisions, education investments, and family dynamics. This conversation also explores the complex relationship between legal reform, social norms, and women's economic empowerment.
In this episode of Let’s Talk Development, Ayesha Hussain (Educationist and Author) sits down with Dr. Syed Turab Hussain (Economist, Educator and Principal of Aitchison College) to discuss one of the most important questions of our time: is education in Pakistan keeping up with the fast-evolving world?From the overemphasis on grades in classrooms across Pakistan to the quiet erosion of deep thinking, Dr. Hussain draws on his extensive teaching experience at institutions like LUMS, and now heading Aitchison College, to make a compelling case for returning to the basics: critical thinking, strong writing and, above all, building character. The conversation also explores where AI fits in, and where it does not, why good teachers remain irreplaceable and what it will take to prepare Pakistan’s younger generation for a rapidly shifting world.