Islamabad: In a significant event held on wednesday in Islamabad, WaterAid Pakistan unveiled its visionary Country Programme Strategy for the period 2023–2028. This strategy aims to expedite Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) progress in the country, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the resilience of water, sanitation, and hygiene services in the face of climate change. Furthermore, the strategy seeks to prioritize WASH integration within the health sector to significantly bolster public health outcomes. The launch brought together a diverse array of stakeholders, including representatives from academia, community-based organizations, media, and more. Other distinguished guests included Ms. Sitara Ayaz, Secretary-General of the International Parliamentarian Congress; Senator Seemee Azdi, Chairperson of the Climate Change Committee.
A Panel Discussion was also arranged to discuss the role of stakeholders, academia, and civil societies in improving WASH conditions in Pakistan. The panellists included Dr. Hifza Rasheed, Director-General of PCRWR; Mr. Liaqat Ali, Executive Coordinator of the Doaba Foundation; Muhammad Nawaz, Climate Integration Lead at USAID Pakistan; Dr. Muhammad Rafiq, Head of the Center for Water Informatics and Climate Resilience at IM Sciences, Peshawar; and Sehr Afsheen, Country Representative of VSO.
Mr. Muhammad Fazal, Head of Program Strategy and Policy at WaterAid, concluded the discussion with a commitment to collaborative actions by all stakeholders, academia, development agencies, government ministries, and parliamentarians to mainstream access to WASH for all in all policies and plans.
Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director of WaterAid Pakistan, expressed gratitude to all stakeholders who attended the event and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to working hand in hand with local communities, government bodies, and organizations to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
