Provision of Safe Drinking Water after Floods

“When the well is dry,

we learn the worth of
water”

Benjamin Franklin
SDC Pakistan

Facts at a glance Providing the flood-affected population with safe

drinking water and teaching them how to chlorinate
Swiss Contribution (small water in preparation for the next floods
action):
PKR 6.3 million (60,000 Summary
Swiss Francs) In order to provide safe drinking water to the people affected by
the recurring floods across Pakistan, the Swiss Agency for
Time Frame: Development and Corporation Humanitarian Aid (SDC-HA)
1 April – 30 November 2012 provides technical and financial support to ensure the flood-
affected population has access to safe drinking water. One of the
Geographic Focus: main goals of the SDC-HA is to prepare the population and
Flood-prone areas of authorities for the next floods. For this reason, the SDC-HA does
Pakistan not only provide water disinfection kits (WATA), it also provides
training sessions on how to use them. The distribution of and
Partners: training in WATA kits is a pilot project in Pakistan. WATA kits can
• Save the Children produce chlorine on the spot, are easy-to-use and can disinfect
• Handicap International 8,000 litres of water per hour. After the 2011 floods, the SDC-HA
• Muslim Aid invested in a good contingency plan, which showed positive
• Department of Health results when drinking water was immediately available to the
flood-affected population in southern Punjab when one year later
the floods struck again. Immediately after the disaster happened,
the SDC-HA in partnership with Muslim Aid provided 10,000
people with potable water per day. The SDC-HA further equips
existing water supply schemes with Slow Sand Filtration Systems
(SSFS), which decontaminate the water and provide safe drinking
water.

Background and Context

The floods in Pakistan have been recurring and almost every
year, the raging waters affect the lives of millions of people and
damage or destroy thousands of houses across the country. One
of the main problems after such a natural disaster is usually the
provision of safe drinking water, which is directly linked to the
outbreak of water-borne diseases. Floods contaminate water
systems as well as groundwater making the need for an efficient
chlorination system more urgent.
SDC Pakistan
Contact Details
Swiss Cooperation Office Pakistan
House 3, Street 3, F-6/3,
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone: +92 51 22 79 280
Fax: +92 51 28 24 872
islamabad@sdc.net
www.sdcpakistan.org
Objectives
• Provide the flood-affected and vulnerable communities in
Pakistan with safe drinking water and teach them about its
importance and link to water-borne diseases
• Establish a sustainable mechanism involving health staff and
community members for the provision of chlorine solution for
water disinfection
• Reduce water-borne diseases in the flood-affected areas
• Build the capacities of health staff on drinking water
disinfection through chlorine
Results Achieved (during the 2011 and 2012 floods)
• Five health facilities were equipped with a water disinfection
system through WATA kits in Lower Sindh
• Twelve healthcare staff received training on how to operate
and manage WATA kits in Lower Sindh
• More than 2,500 people received safe drinking water from five
health facilities in Lower Sindh
• More than 10,000 people received daily drinking water through
tankers in southern Punjab
• More than 800 people benefitted from safe drinking water
through the Slow Sand Filtration System as well as through
water disinfection by WATA kits in Lower Sindh
Main Activities
• Distribution of safe drinking water using tankers
• Distribution of WATA kits and training on how to use them
• Installation of Slow Sand Filtration Systems
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is
part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.
The SDC office in Pakistan, as part of the Embassy of
Switzerland, has been operating since 1966. SDC’s programme
focuses on income generation, water and rural development.
SDC Humanitarian Aid (SDC-HA) is assisting the Government of
Pakistan in emergencies with relief and reconstruction
programmes.