KARACHI: Researchers at Habib University have recently published an innovative study on household water access in Lyari township based on 465 surveys done in the low-income and multi-ethnic settlement of Lyari situated at the tail-end of the water supply network.

The research article titled, “Beyond water scarcity: Water (in) security and social justice in Karachi,” published in the prestigious Journal of Hydrology, was authored by Dr Hassaan F Khan, Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences and Director of the Karachi Water Project (KWP), and Syed Ali Arshad, a Habib alumnus.

This study quantifies how limited access to the water network contributes to household water insecurity beyond just a “shortage” of water which tends to hijack almost all discourse on water in Karachi. The field work for this study was done by Habib University’s undergraduate researchers.

The study is part of KWP which is an interdisciplinary research project that seeks to develop innovative and indigenous solutions to Karachi’s water problems. This research initiative is currently funded through the largest external research grant received by Habib University from the Higher Education Commission, a sum of Rs 18.2 million. This grant was a part of HEC’s National Research Programme for Universities (NRPU), funding call for 2020.

The research team includes water scientists, electrical engineers, economists, urban planners, sociologists, and computer scientists and is currently engaged in four ongoing studies to address Karachi’s water challenges.

This initiative was a result of emphasis and focus on a holistic approach that combined technological knowledge with human-centred mind set. Several students and academics have expressed their interest and already become a part of this project.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022