AKPBS

The Aga Khan Planning and Building Service (AKPBS) was established in 1980 as an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The agency works to improve the built environment, particularly housing design and construction, village planning, natural hazard mitigation, environmental sanitation, water supplies, and other living conditions. It does this by providing material, technical assistance and applied research, as well as planning and construction management services for communities in both rural and urban areas.

AKPBS acts through a series of national service companies that plan, organise and finance activities and operate facilities and programmes in close collaboration with other AKDN institutions, government, and select partner agencies. The national service companies are officially registered as not-for-profit, non-governmental organisations in each country. Their international sponsor is the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services S.A., a not-for-profit company based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Chairman and some or all of the directors of the AKPBS boards in India and Pakistan are appointed by the sponsoring company. All directors serve as volunteers on an unremunerated basis.

Community-based technical review services are provided by AKPBS to low-income families to help plan and construct multi-hazard resistant and affordable houses using appropriate technology and alternative energy. Special attention is given to the preservation of traditional building technology which is re-engineered to improve safety standards and implemented through the capacity building of local skilled artisans.

Under disaster resilience programmes, communities living in hazard-prone areas are being offered awareness programmes, training, capacity building and demonstration of safe construction technologies.

Making use of the experiences in Pakistan and India, there are advanced plans for the establishment of AKPBS companies in both Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

On 16 June, the world’s most prestigious green energy awards announced that the Aga Khan Planning and Building Service’s (AKPBS) innovative Building and Construction Improvement Program (BACIP) has received the Award for Avoided Deforestation at this year’s Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. Princess Zahra, Head of the Social Welfare department of the Aga Khan Development Network, accepted the award on behalf of AKPBS at a ceremony in London addressed by Rt. Hon. Gregory Barker, UK Government Minister for Climate Change. Winners from India and Africa were also announced.

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