UN and Sanitation

New Survey Reveals Need for Proper Maintenance of Sanitation and Hygiene among Jacobabad city residents

While residents are willing to pay for safe drinking water the same is not the case for sanitation and hygiene

Al-Bab Report

Karachi – 28^th April, 2016: A new survey has revealed that Jacobabad residents are not willing to pay for sanitation and hygiene services despite being aware of associated health risks. On the contrary, residents are willing to pay for safe drinking water. Conducted by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) with funding from USAID through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the ‘Willingness to Pay for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services’ study was launched at a ceremony in Karachi today.

The study is part of a project that seeks to mobilize communities to improve Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services in Jacobabad city.  It is a collaborative effort between UN-Habitat, UNICEF, the Municipal Services Delivery Program (MSDP), Government of Sindh and USAID. The survey sought to determine the factors that influence people’s willingness to pay more for improved WASH services in Jacobabad. It aims to support the Government of Sindh in taking necessary steps to ensure the effective running of the Municipal Service Development Programme (MSDP) by taking public’s opinion into account in devising necessary actions.  

The survey recommends that the base tariff for water charges should not be kept higher than PKR 500, while overall charges should be divided into three specific quartiles reflecting people’s willingness to pay. The research further proposes that along with public sector efforts to provide solid waste management services, a public-private-partnership model should be developed to involve the community in this drive to improve lives in the city of Jacobabad. According to the press statement by Muhammad Waseem, Additional Chief Secretary - Government of Sindh, “Improving municipal service delivery is one of the many challenges confronting local government institutions. In some municipalities, the existing facilities for water supply, sewerage, and solid waste management are dysfunctional and require major remedial interventions. Such complexities are better solved through strategic partnerships and this is where I would like to thank USAID, UNICEF and UN-Habitat for continuing to support our program for improved municipal services across the city.”

He further added, “Armed with the research findings of the survey and its recommendations, we are a step closer to alleviating the concerns of the masses by setting up an effective and modern WASH services structure.”   

As the program is aimed at strengthening and supporting the Government of Sindh through MSDP, Khalid Hyder Shah, Program Director - MSDP commended the project’s efficacy by stating, “The MSDP program aims to improve lives of the people of Sindh by developing and mending the water, sanitation, hygiene, and solid waste management structure. I appreciate the efforts of USAID, UNICEF, UN-Habitat and other partners in strengthening our structure and ensuring that people’s opinion is taken into account. The findings of this survey are critical to designing an effective and sustainable municipal services delivery mechanism.”

Dr. Nargiza Khodjaeva, Chief of the Sindh Field Office, UNICEF – talked about achieving SDG Goals. “The 2030 agenda for sustainable development talks about universal access to WASH services. The target 6.1 talks about universal, equitable, safe and affordable access to drinking water. Our focus initially under MDGs was on provision of improved water. We now need to ensure safety along with accessibility and availability. We therefore should ensure risk management approaches such as Water Safety Planning. Ensuring safety concerns will also enhance the willingness to pay levels”.

 Jannat Durrani, WASH Officer - UN-Habitat said, “Any public service delivery system cannot be successful in isolation, unless the people who are to benefit from such a system are aligned with its objectives, and feel part of the entire process. Sustainable, efficient and equitable management of WASH services goes hand-in-hand with the need to carry out a responsible social mobilization and behavioral change communication with the public.”  This survey establishes appropriate and acceptable user charges for improved water, sanitation and solid waste management services, and takes into considerations the willingness and ability of people who benefit from these services”

For more information and to receive a copy of the survey please contact:

Muhammad Irfan Saeed Alrai – WASH Specialist UNICEF on misalrai@unicef.org

Zara Jamil – Communications focal point, UN-Habitat onzara.jamil@unhabitat.org.pk

Fayaz Muhammad Zai, Monitoring & Evaluation Expert, MSDP-USAID, P&D, Government of Sindh on fayazmzai@yahoo.com

-ENDS-

About UN HABITAT:

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat renewed its presence in Pakistan in late 2005 following the devastating earthquake in the north of the country, facilitating the reconstruction of over 460,000 houses. At present, UN-Habitat is co-convenor of Strategic Priority Area on DRR/DRM of the One-UN Pakistan Programme 2013-2017, Chair of the WASH Working Group and is actively represented in the Shelter, WASH and Community Restoration clusters in KP & FATA.

About UNICEF:

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org.

About USAID:

USAID is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. In order to support these goals, President John. F. Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development by executive order in 1961. USAID carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad.

About MSDP:

MSDP is channelizing the funds provided in the grant by the US Government through USAID/ Pakistan of US $ 66.0 million for the development of municipal infrastructure in six selected towns in 2010 flood affected districts of the Province. Under MSDP emphasis was given to smaller towns, falling outside the purview of SCIP. Accordingly Jacobabad, Qambar, Shahdadkot, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi were selected for the said USAID assisted development work under the program. In the first phase, the construction works on Jacobabad Water Supply System are currently underway while work on Waste Water and Solid Waste Systems in Jacobabad are expected to start very soon.