The "Water for People" conference held in Islamabad on May 21-22 served as a significant call to action for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Pakistan. The event brought together over 100 professionals from five continents, including representatives from federal and provincial governments, civil society, academia, and development partners. The focus was on addressing critical issues within the WASH sector.
This conference aligned with the World Bank's new Pakistan Country Partnership Framework aimed at expanding WASH access nationwide to reduce child stunting. Current projects include the Second Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project benefiting over six million people. Efforts in Punjab aim to reach nearly six million rural residents and an additional four million in secondary cities. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, programs are reaching around 300,000 people with new operations planned for Quetta. These initiatives support the World Bank’s goal of providing water and sanitation access to 60 million people by 2035.
Three main insights emerged from the conference:
1. Oliver Cumming of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine emphasized investing in quality infrastructure with his keynote message: "Cheap is expensive, expensive is cheap." He highlighted that basic water services often fail to ensure water quality and accessibility, which are crucial for public health outcomes.
2. Nasir Javed, former CEO of the Punjab Urban Unit, discussed institutional challenges such as fragmentation and weak capacity that hinder progress in the WASH sector. He called for stronger institutions with clear accountability to ensure effective investments.
3. The launch of the Pakistan WASH Platform was announced at the conference. This initiative aims to coordinate efforts among development partners and NGOs by sharing knowledge and scaling successful solutions across provinces.
The conference underscored that basic solutions are insufficient; strong institutions and collaboration are essential for progress in Pakistan’s WASH sector.
The article was authored by Carlo Alberto Amadei, Water Specialist at the World Bank.