PCRWR completes Water Quality Capacity Building Programme

Islamabad : The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has successfully completed a capacity-building training programme under the project ‘Enhancing Water Quality System to Achieve SDG 6 in Pakistan.’

The programme, conducted here at the National Capacity Building Institute (NCBI) aimed at strengthening the skills of professionals working in water supply services, such as the Public Health Engineering Department, in monitoring and improving water quality, said a press release issued here Saturday. The one-year training program focused on enhancing participants'' ability to test and treat water effectively, ensuring accurate data collection for reporting progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6), which focuses on clean water and sanitation for all.

The training was designed to be highly practical, with 30% dedicated to lectures and 70% to hands-on practice.

Participants conducted water quality tests in PCRWR’s National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL), using internationally recognised procedures. A total of 116 professionals from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Public Health Engineering Department, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took part in the program, which ran from August 15, 2023, to June 24. The participants were divided into two groups: Group 1: 38 Research Officers and Junior Research Officers, trained in three batches and Group 2: 78 Laboratory Assistants, trained in five batches.

The course included two main sessions: Basic Training and Refresher Courses. With support from KOICA, this comprehensive 29-week program has greatly improved the capacity of provincial water supply agencies.