Climate Change, Unequal Cities and the People Left Behind

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.