ISLAMABAD: The government may have ensured access to drinking water, but improving its quality remains a great challenge, Irfan Tariq, the director general of the Ministry of Climate Change, has said.

In response to a new international survey on the state of water and sanitation in various countries, including Pakistan, Mr Tariq told Dawn: “Countries in the region, such as Sri Lanka and India, have dedicated ministries to ensure the availability of drinking water. There is a specialised organisation in the UN working on ensuring safe drinking water. Pakistan lacks a dedicated framework structure to ensure safe drinking water for its people.”

A report from the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (Glaas) noted that Pakistan has adopted a resolution declaring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to be its national development goals. According to the report, the initiative created momentum at national and provincial levels to assess the current situation and develop a baseline.

Glaas is the United Nations’ water initiative, implemented by the World Health Organisation.

It reports on the capacity of countries to progress water and sanitation targets under the Millennium Development Goals.

In the report on its 2016-17 survey, Pakistan is noted as one of the countries making progress towards improving access to water and sanitation, where provincial budgets for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) rose from Rs36 billion to Rs63 billion ($350 to $613 million) between the 2012 and 2016 fiscal years through government and donor funding.

Although Climate Change Minister Zahid Hamid recently claimed 64pc of the population now has improved access to sanitation, ministry officials maintain

that a lot needs to be done to rid people of health concerns arising from unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation.

“Hepatitis is on the rise in the country. Pakistan is one of the few countries where polio has not been eradicated. Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation are the causes of all these health problems,” Mr Tariq said.

According to the ministry, Pakistan is ranked second in South Asia when it comes to high under five mortality rates – 72 per 1,000 children.

There are 25 million cases of diarrhoea annually, and over 300 children die every day because of poor sanitation and hygiene.

The ministry developed the National Sanitation Policy in 2006 and National Drinking Water Policy in 2009. After the 2010 floods, these policies provided guidance to government agencies and development partners in preparing plans in Wash.

Nonetheless, according to the Glaas survey, while countries continue to make progress towards increased access to sustainable Wash services, financial resources remain a critical issue.

The report said more effort is needed to attract new resources and better utilise existing resources.

“Improving the quality of drinking water will likely remain a challenge until an overarching body is set up to work in the area. The ministry is in the process of designing a policy to overcome the challenges,” Mr Tariq said.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017