Environment & Urbanization

World leading environmental and urban studies journal

Impacts of economic crises and reform on the informal textile industry in Karachi

Author(s): 
Arif Hasan, Mansoor Raza

Publisher: 
International Institute for Environment and Development

Year: 
2015

This study examines the local impacts of economic crises and reform on the textile industry in Karachi, with a focus on the informal power loom sub-sector and the low-income settlement (Dibba Colony) where it operates. A number of undocumented issues relating to these impacts include:

·         Pakistan’s evolving political landscape, from socialism to nationalization

·         Liberalization in the 1990s, which negatively affected the silk industry and enabled relocation

·         Regional conflicts, which have disrupted trade

·         Political disagreement, factionalism and conflict, including Islamic militancy

·         Energy outages

·         Migration and demographic change

·         Byelaws and zoning regulations that pose challenges to industry

·         Land constraints

·         The segmented nature of the informal sector

The conclusions consider the challenges of formulating urban policy responses to an economic problem that is shaped simultaneously by local, regional and global pressures.

 

Available at http://pubs.iied.org/10727IIED.html?c=urban

 

Further reading:

Brown, Donald, Gordon McGranahan and David Dodman (2014), “Urban informality and building a more inclusive, resilient and green economy”, Human Settlements working paper, IIED, London, available at http://pubs.iied.org/10722IIED.html.

Hasan, A (2002), “The changing nature of the informal sector in Karachi as a result of global restructuring and liberalization”, Environment and Urbanization Vol 14, No 1, pages 69–78, available at http://eau.sagepub.com/content/14/1/69.abstract.

Khan, A A and M Khan (2010), “Pakistan textile industry facing new challenges”, Research Journal of International Studies Vol 14, pages 21–29, available at http://www.researchgate.net/publication/258351787_Pakistan_textile_industry_facing_new_challenges

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