ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in a partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Thursday launched a four-year water and sanitation initiative that will provide safe drinking water to 70,000 residents of two districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces, said a press release issued on Thursday.

Through an innovative, integrated approach to improve access to water supply and sanitation services in health centers, schools, and underserved communities, the new initiative will help district Tank (Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and district Umerkot (Sindh) reduce water-borne diseases and associated socio-economic challenges.

This new holistic approach to address water management includes constructing needed infrastructure, building the capacity of water service utilities, and engaging the local communities to ensure their support and participation in the project.

“USAID is committed to helping Pakistan provide reliable access to water and sanitation services, and to properly manage its water resources. These investments have a dramatic impact not only on the health and well-being of the population, but on the economic growth of the community, and the prosperity and stability of the country,” said Acting Mission Director David Young, while addressing the participants at the project launch ceremony today in Islamabad.

Speaking at the event, UNOPS Pakistan Country Manager, MarysiaZapasnik, said: “Access to clean water and sanitation is a basic human right. With generous support from USAID, we are delighted to support the Governments of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in providing people in Pakistan with increased access to clean drinking water and sanitation, improving their quality of life.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022