2 August 2018: The Pakistan Water Partnership (PWP) has established a multi-stakeholder partnership with local community-based organizations representing women and youth to promote water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in one of the world’s highest and steepest mountain districts.

Chitral district, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, contains more than 40 peaks of over 6,000 meters in height, and is cut off from the rest of the country during the winter months. The partnership, supported by local government and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, seeks to improve access to drinking water and sanitation in Chitral.

The PWP is part of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in South Asia, and works in collaboration with stakeholders through its Area Partnership Programmes. PWP’s cooperation with local communities in Chitral is its 17th such partnership.

PWP’s cooperation with local communities in Chitral is its 17th such partnership.

The PWP team conducted several community education workshops in Chitral in July, focusing on water management, conservation, purification, sanitation and hygiene. They learned from local groups that the area is experiencing increased temperatures and reduced water availability and quality, while the incidence of water-borne diseases has increased. Communities requested facilities for water testing, including field test kits. The team also noted the need for awareness raising on hygiene and water conservation, and for education on the best approaches for procuring clean drinking water.

SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) calls for safe and affordable drinking water for all (SDG target 6.1), adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all (SDG target 6.2), and support and strengthening of local community participation in improving water and sanitation management (SDG 6.b).

The PWP was established in 1999 and uses Area Water Partnerships as platforms to enable collective action by all stakeholders. [GWP Press Release] [PWP Website]