Resources / Global Sanitation Fund Sanitation Sector Status and Gap Analysis for Pakistan

Summary

As of 2008-09, the population of Pakistan was 163 million with nearly 105 million (64%) living in rural areas and 56.7 million (36%) living in urban areas. The agriculture sector continues to be the mainstay of economy as it employs 45% of the workforce. Despite higher growth rates and an increase in per capital income over the years, the country’s human development indicators, especially those relating to health, have not improved. A vast majority, especially those living in rural areas, lack access to proper sanitation and safe drinking water. The costs associated with malnutrition and diarrheal diseases are estimated to be as high as 9% of gross domestic product (GDP) when accounting for long-term productivity losses in later years. As part of its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Pakistan is working toward halving the proportion of population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation by 2015. The National Sanitation and Water Policies seek to increase access coverage to 100% by 2025. Pakistan is an active member of South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) and is the first country in the region to have organized a national conference on sanitation in May 2009. The government is committed to increasing coverage of population with proper sanitation to 100% by 2015 in this conference.