The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Public Health Engineering Fazal Shakoor Khan, on Wednesday held an important meeting with a high-level delegation of UNICEF at his office in Peshawar.
In the meeting, detailed discussions were held on the growing impacts of climate change, provision of safe and clean drinking water to the public, improvement of sanitation facilities, and promotion of effective drainage systems.
Member of KP assembly from Charsadda, Arshad Umarzai, also attended the meeting. The UNICEF delegation comprised Rahmanullah, Wash Officer, and Farooq Abbasi, Wash Specialist. Chief Engineer Central Region of the PHE department Amjad Shamsher, Director of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Investment and Institutional Support Project (KP-RIISP), Adnan, along with other relevant officials, were also present.
The UNICEF delegation provided a comprehensive briefing to the PHE minister regarding various ongoing initiatives and projects in district Charsadda aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change and addressing environmental challenges.
The delegation highlighted progress made under these interventions and discussed future plans to strengthen climate resilience in the region.
During the meeting, various proposals were reviewed to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change, improve the provision of essential services to urban and rural populations, strengthen water supply systems, enhance drainage infrastructure, and introduce further reforms in the sanitation sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Fazal Shakoor Khan said that the provision of clean drinking water and improvement of sanitation services are among the top priorities of the KP government. He emphasized that practical measures are being undertaken to modernize water supply and sanitation systems across both urban and rural areas to ensure better access to basic services for the public.
He added that clean drinking water and effective sanitation systems are essential for a healthy and prosperous society. He stressed that all relevant stakeholders must work collectively to address the challenges posed by climate change and ensure sustainable development.
The Provincial Minister appreciated UNICEF’s valuable contributions in the fields of public welfare, clean water supply, sanitation, and climate change adaptation. He assured the delegation that the KP government would continue extending full cooperation to UNICEF in future initiatives aimed at providing sustainable and improved basic services to the people of the province.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to further strengthening collaboration between UNICEF and the PHE department and accelerating joint efforts in the areas of climate change mitigation, water supply, sanitation, and public welfare.