National Wash Accounts termed vital for Pakistan to save lives

Islamabad : The establishment of a National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (Wash) Account in Pakistan is essential for building robust Wash infrastructure, tracking financial flows, and monitoring spending to ensure accountability and resilience in Wash services, asserted experts at a policy dialogue.

The event, organised by WaterAid Pakistan in partnership with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), also marked the launch of the policy brief, "Establishing National Wash Accounts for Pakistan: A Call for Evidence-Based Planning and Financing for Wash,” said a press release issued here. The dialogue brought together policymakers, stakeholders, and Wash experts to discuss a path forward for implementing National Wash Accounts through concerted efforts at both the federal and provincial levels.

WaterAid Pakistan’s Country Director, Mian Muhammad Junaid, underscored that over 20 countries have already established Wash Accounts, leading to structured planning, improved resource allocation, and enhanced accountability. “For Pakistan, the Wash Account would facilitate data-driven planning, meeting both humanitarian and development needs through a rights-based, integrated approach,” he stated, adding that improved WASH services have the potential to reduce the global disease burden by as much as 10 per cent.

He emphasised, “Now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and act decisively to ensure that every community in Pakistan has access to safe water and sanitation.”

The Deputy Executive Director SDPI and lead author of the Policy Brief, Dr Shafqat Munir Ahmad, highlighted key features of the study proposing to set up National WASH Account in Pakistan. He said the study suggests connecting federal, provincial, and other administrative units governments through the process of WASH Accounts to streamline data collection and planning in the WASH sector to improve the country’s ranking on the SDG-6. The policy brief provides a framework for developing a National WASH Account in Pakistan to tackle local challenges relating to water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Asghar Ali Halepoto, Chief of the Water Resource Section at the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives raised concerns about accountability and resource management.