The Provincial Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GOKP) made an effort for the first time by undertaking long-term strategic planning for the WASH sector in the province. This long-term planning is targeted at achieving the provincial targets of SDG-6 together with other provinces and contributing to the overall nationally agreed targets. Two aspects of governance & management as well as expansion in sustainable WASH services to all are addressed in this plan The latest MICS survey conducted in the province indicates that safely managed drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are yet to be planned and delivered. Currently, we are quite on course with provision of basic services of drinking water and sanitation.
This plan therefore presents solutions that set clear direction towards safely managing WASH. These directions are both in improving governance by overcoming sector bottlenecks and by provision services expansion by following a holistic and integrated approach. The governance and management of WASH sector is being resolved by taking all relevant measures. This includes strengthening currently inadequate areas of sector policy & strategy, institutional arrangements, budget & finance, planning, monitoring & review, broader enabling environment, capacity development and services providers. The plan helps in identifying bottlenecks, underlying their challenges, causes and effects. This helps in identifying issues indicated above.
The plan then presents long-term, medium short-term results that will help unlock these sector blockages. This in turn will effectively pave way for smooth WASH sector governance and management. Clear results at short, medium and long-term level have been planned with clear indicators for measuring progress. At the same time and through this plan, an effort has been made to expand WASH services in order to provincially contribute to nationally set SDG-6 targets by 2030. For this purpose, a clear result- based plan separately for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene has been developed. This plan with indicators is also allowing to set focused direction towards provincial targets. This plan also includes assessing current capacity of primary services providers, finding gaps against desired results and placing appropriate human and institutional capacity.
Apart from that a monitoring and evaluation plan that will help us measure accessibility, quality and sustainability of WASH interventions is also part of this plan. Currently, hygiene promotion complimenting the provision of infrastructure in the province has not witnessed a well-balanced approach. The provincial government will be focused on hygiene promotion by preparing a strategy and implementing that strategy. The provincial government is placing the mandate of hygiene within a relevant department. This will help strategies, create the knowledge and skill base within the primary and secondary services providers on hygiene. The provincial government envisages, and province-wide behaviour change on hygiene.
This campaign compliments the efforts of the ongoing clean and green Pakistan campaign of the Federal Government. The provincial government does not see WASH alone but integrated with other relevant sectors for achieving a wider impact of sustainable development in the province. The other sectors are health, nutrition and education. The Provincial Departments of Health and Education have really helped in creating the appropriate linkages between WASH and the other relevant sectors. WASH sector will now be moving forward in a collaborative manner with all relevant sectors for creating a wider impact. WASH sector offers a huge platform in the province for collaboration at large and taking a joint leap forward towards achieving the SDG-6. The Provincial Government stands committed and is eagerly working to achieve the plan objectives. Dr.
– Shahzad Bangash, Additional Chief Secretary