KARACHI, Jan 03 (APP): WaterAid Pakistan organised an interactive media session focused on building climate-resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) systems, stressing the urgent need to address the growing challenges posed by climate change.
The event underscored the critical relationship between climate change and WASH services, with experts highlighting the vulnerability of marginalised communities to the impacts of a changing climate, said a press release on Friday.
Speakers at the session emphasised that building climate-resilient WASH systems goes beyond infrastructure development.
“It’s about empowering communities to adapt to the realities of a changing climate,” they stated.
The session highlighted the pressing need for solutions that not only provide access to clean water and sanitation but also equip communities to cope with the increasing unpredictability of climate patterns.
In the context of Pakistan, where a larger population face water scarcity, floods, and sanitation challenges, the importance of adapting WASH systems to withstand these climate impacts is more critical than ever.
The session aimed to foster greater awareness and collaboration between government bodies, non-governmental organisations, and media to develop adaptive strategies for vulnerable communities, particularly those in flood-prone and drought-affected areas.
Addressing the occasion, WaterAid Pakistan’s climate change and wash expert Dr Shakeel Hayat and provincial manager for Sindh and Balochistan Muhammad Khaliq highlighted that the organisation, with its two-decade-long experience, continues to work on providing sustainable and safe WASH services, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities.
They called for a concerted effort from all sectors to ensure that these communities can access climate-resilient WASH services and improve their overall health and wellbeing.