Globally, 2.1 billion people lack access to clean water to drink. PCRWR

Islamabad : Chairman Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, emphasized the significance of water in the light of Quran and Sunnah during an event organized in connection with World Water Day. The event was organized by PCRWR in collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF, WaterAid, IWMI, Muslim Aid, Capital Development Authority (CDA), and ICIMOD. Dr. Ashraf highlighted that globally, 2.1 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, and 4.5 billion people have no adequate facility for safely managed sanitation services. The lack of access to safe drinking water makes people more vulnerable to waterborne diseases, and a collective effort is required to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

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Dr. Mohsin Hafeez, Country Representative of IWMI, in his keynote speech, further emphasized that water security was a significant issue, which had been further accelerated due to extreme events of climate change. He remarked that sustainable and equitable access to water to the deprived community was still a big challenge. Dr. Inoussa Kabore, UNICEF Deputy Representative, said that access to safe WASH facilities is the basic right of all human beings, and the water demand has increased due to the rapid increase in population. He further added that climate change has threatened the situation, and the recent devastating floods have posed a negative impact on the communities, lagging behind the country in achieving the targets of WASH. He stressed that we need additional accelerated efforts to achieve the target.

Dr. Youssef Filali-Meknassi, Country Director of UNESCO, said that the purpose of World Water Day was to create awareness of water-related issues. This year’s theme was very crucial, and globally we are lagging behind in providing safe and clean drinking water to deprived communities. Strong collaborative and holistic efforts were inevitable, and partnerships and coordination among the stakeholders should be encouraged to counter the issues.

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During the panel discussion, water experts from the country shed light on this year’s theme “Accelerating Change to Solve the Water and Sanitation Crisis.” The panelists emphasized the need to raise awareness among the communities about water scarcity, conservation, and WASH facilities. Moreover, collective efforts were stressed to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

In conclusion, the event aimed to highlight the importance of collaborative efforts to tackle the water crisis, and the United Nation’s World Water Development Report 2023 on “Partnerships and cooperation for Water” was launched in Pakistan.