SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 6: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION IN PAKISTAN -

WHERE DOES PAKISTAN STAND?

By NAUSHEEN SARWAR
A civil servant of Pakistan

Pakistan has demonstrated commendable commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals as it was one of the first countries to ratify it internationally in 2015. On 16 February 2016, the Parliament of Pakistan unanimously approved the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the national development agenda. It also established the SDGs Secretariat located at the National Assembly. This process of legislation was the first and crucial step in mainstreaming and localizing the SDGs.

At the national level, the Federal SDGs Support Unit was established to ensure early localization of SDGs to provide coordination and advisory to respective ministries and line departments. Technical experts in relevant fields are also part of the unit including Social Advisor, Economic Advisor, I.T/ Data Analyst, Research Analyst, admin and finance Officer, and Communications Specialist.

Pakistan has divided these goals into three priority areas. Provision of clean water and sanitation falls in 1 st priority area;

Source: http://www.sdgpakistan.pk/

Priority-1: Zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, clean water, and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, peace, justice, and strong institutions.

Priority-2: No poverty, gender equality, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, partnerships for the goals.

Priority-3: responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land.

INTRODUCTION:+

The provision of clean water and sanitation facilities is important for overall health and well-being.
Therefore, access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is one of the basic amenities for mankind.
The Government of Pakistan gives utmost priority to the provision of these two basic requirements.
This study is planned to compile and analyze the status of Pakistan concerning the achievement of
SDG’s Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, interventions made by the Government of Pakistan, and where Pakistan stands as compared to other countries. It is pertinent to mention here that the Government of Pakistan has established a dedicated SDGs Section at the Federal level in the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives to monitor and coordinate as a national coordinating entity.

STATUS OF PAKISTAN:

In Pakistan, the rural population, in particular, is more dependent on groundwater sources for their household and agricultural purposes. Pakistan is self-sufficient in terms of its freshwater resources, but due to rapid industrialization, high population growth rate, and various anthropogenic activities, the water resources are getting highly polluted with several harmful contaminants (da Silva et. al. 2008; Szewzyk, U. et. al. 2000). According to the report of the World Health Organization, about 80 % of all diseases in the world are directly or indirectly related to the contamination of water (Edition, F. 2011 and WHO, 2011). Lack of education and awareness, carelessness, and negligence on the part of the people are other causes of the deterioration of water quality across the country. The need for user involvement in maintaining water quality and assessing other aspects, such as hygiene, environmental sanitation, storage, and disposal are critical elements to maintaining the quality of water (Khare, A. et al. 2013).

Increase in population and rapid industrialization, drinking water quality is deteriorating day by day in Pakistan. About 20% of the whole population of Pakistan has access to safe drinking water. The remaining 80% of the population is forced to use unsafe drinking water due to the scarcity of safe and healthy drinking water sources. The primary source of contamination is sewerage (fecal) which is extensively discharged into drinking water system supplies. A secondary source of pollution is the disposal of toxic chemicals from industrial effluents, pesticides, and fertilizers from agricultural sources into the water bodies. Anthropogenic activities cause waterborne diseases that constitute about 80% of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths. In most of the cities of Pakistan, the primary source of provision is groundwater supply, which contains various pathogens including many viral, bacterial, and protozoan agents causing 2.5 million deaths from endemic diarrheal disease each year (Daud et al. 2017).

When water comes from surface water resources, it is necessary to make it safe for drinking purposes. Chlorination is the popular method for disinfection of drinking water at treatment plants and in sanitation systems (Lienyao et al. 2004). It is the universal method to make drinking water safe and to reduce epidemic diseases. Drinking water should be free from color, turbidity, odor, and microbes. It should be esthetically pleasant (Bashir et al. 1999). Human health is adversely affected by various agents like pathogens, bacteria, various minerals, and organic substances that are present in unsafe drinking water. A significant proportion of the population in developing countries is suffering from health-related issues due to unsafe drinking water and microbial contamination (Van Leeuwen, F. X. R., 2000). In developing countries, about five million children’s deaths occurred due to the contaminated drinking water supply (Holgate, 2000). This situation is intensifying day by day due to the fast population growth which ultimately results in poor management of water quality (Huang and Xia, 2001). It is estimated that, in Pakistan, 30% of all diseases and 40% of all deaths are due to poor water quality (“C. R. P., Country Report, Pakistan, Global Water Partnership, Draft South Asia -Water Vision,”vol. 2025, 2000).

In Pakistan, water quality in most of the cities is decreasing quickly. The major cause of decreasing water quality is the groundwater supply. According to (Daud et al. 2017), the number of diarrheal cases that are registered in Pakistan each year is about one hundred million. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and guinea worm infections represent about 80% (including diseases due to sanitation problems) of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths.

WATER AVAILABILITY:

Nature has gifted Pakistan with enough ground and surface water resources. Unfortunately, anthropogenic activities such as industrialization, increase in population, and improper utilization decrease the quantity and damage the quality. The per capita availability of fresh water in Pakistan has fallen below the water scarcity threshold (1,000 cubic meters), which was 3,950 cubic meters in 1961 and 1600 in 1991. Amid the rising population and climate change, the availability of fresh water is becoming worrisome in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, which may face absolute water scarcity by 2040. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortages. In May 2018, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced that by 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the country. It must be noted that while per capita availability in the 1950s was approximately 5000 m 3 per annum, it has now declined to below 1000 m 3, which is an internationally recognized threshold of water scarcity (Aziz et al. 2018). Currently, only 20% of the country’s population has access to clean drinking water. The remaining 80% population depends on polluted water primarily contaminated by sewerage (fecal, total coliforms, E. coli colonies), and secondarily by fertilizer, pesticides, and industrial affluent (Daud et al. 2017). In Punjab, 7% of the rural population depends on dug wells and rivers for water supply. It seems that Punjab has the best water supply system among all the provinces. This ratio is 24% in Sindh and people are utilizing water from unprotected sources. The rural communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Baluchistan using water from the surface and dug wells are about 46% and
72%, respectively, (“Water quality testing protocol, “Water Aid in Pakistan, 2012).

The situation improved in 2015 when 91% of the population had access to an “improved “water supply. This was 94% of the population in urban areas and 90% of the population in rural areas. In 2015, there were still around 16 million people lacking access to “improved “water.

WATER QUALITY AND SAFETY:

In addition to the daily maintenance of our body systems, filtered water also plays a key role in the prevention of many diseases (Ware, P. S. and Basuri, T. S., 2011). On this note, Hossein, N. et al. (2013) and Warburton, D. W. (2000) reported that drinking eight glasses of wholesome water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45 %, bladder cancer by 50 % and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer. It is estimated that 1.8 billion people (28% of the world’s population) used unsafe water in 2010 and that an additional 1.2 billion (18% of the world’s population) used water from water sources with significant sanitary risks (Agriculture Organization
(FAO), 1997; WHO, 2011). Bottled water is seen as a good choice for hydration and refreshment because of the favorable public perceptions of bottled water quality and convenience (Storey, M., 2010 Rowles III et al., 2018). In Lesotho, there is a perception that bottled water has a high quality and is free of chemical and microbial agents. This is perhaps driven by the poor quality of the municipal water piped through the urban areas (Molefe, K. E., et al. 2020). Or it could well be driven by advertisements and the labels of such products, as well as the general belief that whatever is sold in the mainstream trade must have gone through some testing for safety and quality (Chan,
C. L., et al. 2007). The groundwater quality in Pakistan is found saline far away from the main rivers and freshwater near to the main rivers. The quality of drinking water is determined by the quality of the water source, the level and treatment efficiency, and the condition of the water supply lines. In Pakistan, in most areas where the freshwater source is not available and groundwater is saline, people have no choice but to use this type of water for drinking. The contamination of water due to microbes is the most blistering issue (Tahir et al. 1998). The drinking water distribution in urban areas does not meet the WHO standards (WHO, Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, 1996). The main reason for microbial contamination is due to the intermixing of sewer lines with drinking water supply lines. In most of the rural areas of Pakistan, surface water is used for drinking after slow sand filtration and chlorination is not done at filtration stations. In most rural areas, no pretreatment facilities are available for filtration of water. All this inadequacy is due to microbial contamination and poor water quality. Hand pumps and wells are not safe from surface runoff and flooding (Shuja and Jaffar, 1998).

IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH:

Due to the poor sanitation system, treatment, and monitoring, drinking water quality deteriorates.
The presence of toxic chemicals and bacteria in drinking water causes adverse effects on human health. Due to the fecal contamination, people have been suffering from waterborne diseases. In rural and urban areas of Pakistan, cases of waterborne diseases, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, and hepatitis are systematically reported (“Health Management Information System, “Department of Health, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, 1997).

Water of good drinking quality is of basic importance to human physiology, as of man’s continued existence depends very much on its availability (Ashbolt, N. J., et al. 2004).

According to the World Health Organization, and UNICEF, 2013, diarrhea disease alone amounts to an estimated 4.1% of the total Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) of the global burden of disease and is responsible for the deaths of 2 million people every year. WHO also estimated that 88% of that burden is attributed to unsafe water supply, sanitation, and hygiene and is mostly concentrated on children in developing countries? According to the Human Development Report, (2006), the human body by weight consists of about 70 % water, and several body functions depend on it. It has been estimated that by 2025, about 50 % of the world’s population will live in countries facing severe water shortages, by that time the poorest countries will be using all their available water resources (WHO, 2013, Watkins, K., 2006). So, it is necessary to enlighten the public on the dangers involved in using or consuming unsafe water. Hence, the availability and utilization of wholesome water is a necessity for the health promotion and longevity of people since health promotion indexes are the rightful tool to be used in improving the health standard of society (Allaire, M., and et al. 2019).

SANITATION FACILITIES:

Sanitation conditions in Pakistan vary depending on urban and rural areas.in urban areas, sanitation conditions are better and improved while in rural areas most of the population is deprived of a decent toilet and sanitation facilities. As per the report of the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, 59% population has access to good sanitation facilities including; flush toilets and ventilated washrooms. On the other hand, approximately 21 million people in Pakistan practice open defecation as per the report of UNICEF.

As a comparison, according to the World Bank report 68% Pakistanis, 72% Indians, and 54% Bangladeshi have access to the basic sanitation facilities in 2010. This situation got worse in 2015 when only 64% of the population had access to “improved” sanitation facilities. This was 83% of the population in urban areas and 51% of the population in rural areas, still around 69 million people lacking access to “improved” sanitation.

COMPARISON OF RURAL AND URBAN AREAS:
Source: World Health Organization

INTERVENTIONS MADE BY FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 6:

The government of Pakistan has taken several initiatives and introduced many interventions at the Federal and
Provincial levels. Access to clean water and sanitation, being the top priority of the Government has always gained a significant chunk of development schemes and foreign-funded projects. Pakistan has implemented several interventions to improve access to clean water and sanitation since its inception.

Some of the key interventions include:

1. Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) Project:

The government of Pakistan has launched this project to provide safe drinking water to rural communities. It involves the installation of water filtration plants and hand pumps in various areas. It was launched in 2004 to install one water purification plant in each Union council of Pakistan with a total cost of $168 million.

2. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS):

The National Sanitation Policy 2006, promoted the grassroots-level idea of CLTS, which is a behavior change approach that focuses on ending open defecation and promoting the use of toilets through educating school-going children. The program focused on giving awareness, mobilizing communities, and facilitating the construction of household toilets. Pakistan has made efforts to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools. This includes constructing separate toilets for boys and girls, providing handwashing stations, and endorsing hygiene education.

3. Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation (PATS):

PATS is another program intended to improve sanitation facilities. It includes the construction of community toilets, solid waste management systems, and the promotion of proper hygiene practices by involving all the stakeholders.

4. Establishment of Regulatory Authorities:

All provincial governments of Pakistan have established Regulatory bodies to provide, maintain, and upgrade water and sanitation facilities working under the administrative control of a provincial department. For instance: Water and Sanitation Authorities in Urban Punjab and Local Governments in Rural Punjab. Moreover, to check and maintain the water safety standards provincial Food Authorities have been established and working at full pace under the supervision of respective Provincial Governments.

5. Public-Private Partnerships:

The government has encouraged partnerships with private organizations and NGOs to improve water and sanitation services. Various local NGOs and philanthropists are also playing crucial roles in the collaborative actions along with district Governments to provide clean drinking water to rural communities.

The WAY FORWARD:

Above mentioned interventions, along with other ongoing projects, are aimed at improving access to clean water and sanitation facilities across Pakistan. The country is committed to being on the right track for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals but political inconsistency, economic crunch, and increasing foreign debts have slowed down the progress and effectiveness of development policies. At present, the Asian Development Bank is launching a program, DREAMS (Developing Resilient Environment and Advancing Municipal Services). This project would be based on three phases with a total cost of US $ 950 million.

1. Interventions under DREAMS-I with the gestational period 2024-2028, are as under:

a. In Rawalpindi, 25.6 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) of additional Surface water will be supplied to the city.

b. 20 MW of Solarization is also included for Rawalpindi at an investment cost of USD 15 Million to reduce operational costs and increase supply hours by 2-3 hours.

c. Integrated Solid Waste Management System with an end-to-end solution for Bahawalpur is proposed at an investment cost of US$ 40 Million to cater to city needs till 2050
2. DREAMS-II project includes the cities of Bahawalpur, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Sargodha with an investment of US$ 300 Million in Urban Municipal Infrastructure.

3. DREAMS-III project includes the cities of Multan and Faisalabad with an investment of USD 450 Million in Urban Municipal Infrastructure.

DREAMS II and III are planned for execution in 2026 with a gestation period of 2026-2032.

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