Transportation:
According to the 1998 census it had a population of just over two million, now estimated to be around 2.8 million (P&D Urban Unit). By 2033, the population is expected to rise to 4.4 million. Rapid population growth has been significantly impacted by Afghan refugee migration and internal displacement, resulting in approximately 280,000 Afghan refugees and a further 100,000 displaced persons currently living in Peshawar. As many of these have limited resources and opportunities, the pressure to maintain infrastructure development and service provision in accordance with the demand for housing, transport and basic urban services is therefore considerable.
Geographical Information System:
Good governance demands real time information and proper decision support systems to help guide the systems. These help guide the planning activities in an informed way and lead to proper management of assets and systems. In Planning for Urban areas and Management of Urban Systems, we need Information Systems that have a spatial and geographical dimension, which makes the data more relevant and easier to comprehend and utilize. Recent developments in the domains of GIS, GPS and remote sensing have come up with powerful tools. These advanced technologies can very effectively be used to handle the present day complex problems, related to optimum utilization of available resources and infrastructure.
Solid Waste Management:
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is considered a serious environmental challenge confronting local authorities in many countries around the world. This is especially true in developing countries. As a result of rapid population growth and the increased rate of unplanned urbanization in many cities of the developing world, the amount of municipal solid waste is increasing tremendously. Solid waste management is one of the major reasons of environmental degradation in Pakistan in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular. Solid waste management is not carried out in a sufficient and proper manner in collection, transportation and disposal or dumping regardless of the size of the city.
Urban Planning:
Urban planning is a highly technical and political process concerned with the use of land and design of the urban environment, including air, water and infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas such as transportation and distribution networks. It guides and ensures the orderly development of settlements and satellite communities which commute into and out of urban areas or share resources with it. A consistent planning is concerned with thorough research and analysis, strategic thinking, architecture, urban design, effective public consultation, policy reforms, implementation process and efficient management.
Water and Sanitation:
Water and section (WATSAN) section of urban policy unit Provide overall guidance and technical input in the development of province wide policy on the water and sanitation sector. The section Provides assistance to the Provincial departments and LGs in improving the service delivery in the water and sanitation sector. The role also includes carrying out data collection, data analysis and other basic research in the sector at provincial level and providing International Best practice models. WATSAN section of UPU have been involved in carrying out various activates.