INTEGRATING POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: EXPLORING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

The amalgamation of urban poverty and a degraded environment is a common issue in Pakistan. Rawalpindi is one of the biggest cities of Pakistan and is facing severe poverty and environmental degradation due to the informal settlements where institutional structure is weak and public support is low. The paper examines this phenomenon by using spatial mapping, dedicated household surveys, and statistical data analysis based on One-Way ANOVA. The findings show a great disparity in the perceptions of the residents in regard to actual performance by the institutions, poor coordination of the agencies involved as well as minimal presence of the local authorities. The weaker government efforts were also perceived by respondents who rated environmental coordination as poor. Also, more educated people proved to be more civically aware and less reliant on official organizations. Informal cooperation was also found to be significantly higher in the regions where local government assistance was not present, which underscores the role of grassroots reaction to institutional lacks. These results highlight the importance of spatial inequality, participatory governance, and community driven mechanisms in achieving sustainable results. This study makes a concrete contribution to the subtle comprehension of institutional change in the under-resource urban setting in the Global South.