Impact of Urbanization and Industrialization on Cultivated Land: A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

This research looks at the important link between the fast pace of urban development, increasing industries, and the resulting decrease in cultivated land in Lahore, Pakistan. It is worrying that in Pakistan, where agriculture is one of the major activities, contributing 22.9% to the economy and employing about 37.4% of the labor force, there is so much strain on agricultural land due to population growth and infrastructure expansion. This study aims to investigate how far urban development consisting of mass relocation, new housing projects, and industrial expansion has encroached onto farmland, particularly in Punjab which is the most agriculturally productive province in Pakistan. Based on a mixed-methods approach which included secondary data, literature reviews, and a theoretical framework of Rational Choice Theory, this study attempts to identify the dominant patterns of land conversion. It also compares other countries like India, Vietnam, and China to highlight that the same underlying forces exist in many parts of the world where the pursuit of economic development leads to the loss of farmland and ecological balance. The study findings indicate that urban sprawl and industrial expansion drastically changed the land use system around Lahore, which resulted in the reduction of farm sizes, rural to urban migration, and increased land abuse. The uncontrolled purchase of land along with industrial wastes aggravates the already deteriorating soil and water resources. To tackle these problems, the paper offers specific policy suggestions including land-use restrictions, the mobilization of rural communities, fostering healthy sustainable growth in cities, and the enhancement of agricultural resilience. This study provides developing countries with important strategies on how to manage the dual objectives of economic development and food security while safeguarding their agriculture from rampant urban and industrial encroachment.