Addressing water shortage during pandemic stressed
Islamabad
December 18, 2020
Islamabad : Speakers stressed the need to address water shortage during the pandemic when handwashing has become a necessity.
They were speaking at a virtual panel discussion organised by WaterAid Pakistan in collaboration with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) under the 23rd Sustainable Development Conference (SDC).
The discussion was titled ‘Access to Water and Sanitation in post-COVID-19 Pakistan’. The discussion was chaired by Kanwal Shauzab, Parliamentary Secretary Planning, Development and Reform and had panellists from World Bank, WaterAid Pakistan, SDPI and Salman Sufi Foundation.
Speaking as chair of the session, Kanwal Shauzab highlighted the worsening state of water and sanitation in urban and rural areas across Pakistan. “In terms of WASH, one of the main factors that pose a huge threat to our communities is the contaminated water which is the root cause of water-borne diseases. Therefore, a greater engagement of all the stakeholders is required at the grassroots level in order to carry out tree plantation, organic farming and wastewater disposal in a sustainable way,” she said. “There is a dire need for elevation of the financial allocation of resources for Water and Sanitation services, if the country wants to achieve the set targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 i.e. Clean Water and Sanitation for 2030,” Niaz Ahmed from WaterAid Pakistan said at the event.