In a major move to overhaul Pakistan’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has kicked off work on the country’s first-ever National WASH Accounts in collaboration with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to establish a unified national database for the climate-resilient and sustainable delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The landmark initiative, which would be hammered out in technical support from WaterAid, World Health Organisation and United Nations Children's Fund, seeks to address longstanding data gaps that have hampered evidence-based planning, financing and coordination in the sector at the national level.
“This is the first time Pakistan is moving towards a single national framework for tracking the state of water and sanitation services across the country,” said Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, the ministry’s media spokesperson and WASH policy advocacy specialist, describing the initiative as a major step towards evidence-based governance.
Under the proposed system, federal and provincial authorities will be able to generate standardised and timely data to track investments, monitor service delivery and oversee the use of public funds, the ministry official highlighted.
Mr. Saleem Shaikh said the National WASH Accounts would, for the first time, provide a comprehensive picture of water and sanitation services across the country, enabling policymakers to identify underserved areas and direct resources where they are needed most.
Describing the overarching aim of the initiative, he said that the system would strengthen coordination among provinces and improve oversight of projects and spending. Modern technologies, including artificial intelligence-based tools, will be incorporated into the system to improve data collection, verification, analysis and reporting.
Federal Secretary for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination Ministry, Ms. Aisha Humera Moriani described the initiative as “a turning point in Pakistan’s WASH governance”.
“For years, fragmented and outdated data has undermined effective planning and resource allocation. Through a unified national system, we will now be able to identify gaps, direct investments where they are needed most and ensure that every province is working from the same evidence base,” she said.
Ms Moriani said the initiative would not only strengthen transparency and accountability, but also help Pakistan build climate-resilient water and sanitation services in the face of mounting environmental pressures.
Describing the initiative as the first coordinated effort to create a national, data-driven system for water and sanitation governance, Ms. Moriani said it would lay the foundation for more effective policymaking and stronger institutional accountability across the country.
She said advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence would modernise the country’s WASH data architecture and enable faster and more accurate reporting.
“Pakistan cannot achieve climate resilience without reliable information on who has access to clean water and sanitation, where the gaps are and how public resources are being used,” she said.
“The National WASH Accounts will provide that clarity and help transform water and sanitation policy from reactive decision-making to proactive, evidence-based planning.”
Ms Moriani said the initiative would also strengthen Pakistan’s reporting on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for universal access to safe water and sanitation.
She added that the initiative was aligned with the government’s broader development agenda, including URAAN Pakistan and the 5E framework of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
