Water supply and sanitation in Pakistan
| Pakistan: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Data | ||
| Water coverage (broad definition) | 92% (2010) | |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 48% (2010) | |
| Continuity of supply (%) | Mostly intermittent in urban areas | |
| Average urban water use (l/c/d) | Karachi: 197 (2001) | |
| Average urban water tariff (US$/m³) | Karachi: 0.09 (2012) | |
| Share of household metering | Low | |
| Annual investment in WSS | Scheduled: US$2.66 per capita (2005–2010) | |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | Low | |
| Share of tax-financing | n/a | |
| Share of external financing | n/a | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | Yes, since 2001 | |
| National water and sanitation company | None | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | None | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of Climate Change (formerly called Ministry of Environment) | |
| Sector law | None | |
| Number of urban service providers | n/a | |
| Number of rural service providers | n/a | |
This page has last been substantially updated in November 2012.
Drinking water supply and sanitation in Pakistan is characterized by some achievements and many challenges. Despite high population growth the country has increased the share of the population with access to an improved water source from 85% in 1990 to 92% in 2010, although this does not necessarily mean that the water from these sources is safe to drink. The share with access to improved sanitation increased from 27% to 48% during the same period, according to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation. There has also been considerable innovation at the grass-root level, in particular concerning sanitation. The Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi and community-led total sanitation in rural areas are two examples of such innovation.
However, the sector still faces major challenges. The quality of the services is poor, as evidenced by intermittent water supply in urban areas and limited wastewater treatment. Poor drinking water quality and sanitation lead to major outbreaks of waterborne diseases. major outbreaks of waterborne diseases swept the cities of Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar in 2006. Estimates indicate that each year, more than three million Pakistanis become infected with waterborne diseases. In addition, many service providers do not even cover the costs of operation and maintenance due to low tariffs and poor efficiency. Consequently, the service providers strongly depend on government subsidies and external funding. A National Sanitation Policy and a National Drinking Water Policy have been approved in 2006 and 2009 respectively with the objective to improve water and sanitation coverage and quality. However, the level of annual investment (US$4/capita) still remains much below what would be necessary to achieve a significant increase in access and service quality.
In 2015, 91% of the population had access to an "improved" water supply. This was 94% of the population in urban areas and 90% of the population in rural areas. In 2015, there were still around 16 million people lacking access to "improved" water. As for sanitation, in 2015, 64% of the population had access to "improved" sanitation. This was 83% of the population in urban areas and 51% of the population in rural areas. There were still around 69 million people lacking access to "improved" sanitation.
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