Water project highlight: Pakistan a year and a half later

In August 2022, catastrophic floods struck Pakistan. One third of the country was underwater and 33 million individuals were left trying to survive; half of these individuals were children. Already insufficient water and sanitation systems were further strained, and 5.4 million people were forced to use water from contaminated sources. 

In an effort to alleviate challenges and provide safe water for drinking and sanitation, Water for Life Charity partnered with Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) to distribute VF100 water filter kits to high-risk areas.

Water for Life Charity provided 296 water filter kits, which provided safe water for 1,776 individuals across six cities in Pakistan. These cities included Tando Muhammad Khan, Chitral, Kot Addu, Kot Momin, Lahore, and Islamabad.

Clean water had been a challenge for communities in Pakistan before flooding exacerbated the issue. A large population in Pakistan has been drinking and using unsafe water for cooking and sanitation for years. Most of the overarching health issues in the population are due to water contamination and poor water quality. Portable water filter kits provided an effective and efficient solution to quickly help the water problem in the area. 

Sustainable Solutions

Water for Life Charity focuses on sharing water solutions that are safe and sustainable. Our filters use the water that is already available and make it safe for drinking, cooking and sanitation. 

Our VF100 water filters are 0.1 micron absolute filters, removing 99.9999% of diseases from
contaminated water, including protozoa, cysts, and bacteria that cause E. Coli, Giardia, Cholera, and Dysentery. The Water for Life Charity pre-filter helps keep dirt and larger debris from clogging the filter itself, helping filters clean more water and last longer.

In addition to distributing water filters, our partner organizations, like HHRD in Pakistan, provide hands-on training on how to assemble, clean, and maintain water filters so that people can utilize their filter for years to come. Trainings also include water and sanitation health education. This empowers individuals and communities to create and maintain their own local water resources. 

Filter Distribution

In Pakistan, Water for Life Charity donated 296 water filter kits and worked through Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) to distribute, assemble, and train local Pakistanis on filter use. By working with organizations that share our value of helping all individuals in need regardless of their situation or background, we sustainably, efficiently, and quickly share life-saving water resources in emergency and disaster situations.

For this specific water project, filters were distributed in the following cities due to their high need for clean water. 

Lahore

Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan. According to a report by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, in 16 samples from Lahore, 31% were found unsafe for consumption due to turbidity, iron, TDS, and bacteria levels. In Lahore all 50 filters distributed were given to orphan families. 

Tando Mahammad Khan

In 2017 water studies in the Tando M. Khan District found high levels of disease-causing bacteria in the drinking water. This is attributed to sewage mixing and contaminating drinking water in the area. This issue was made worse by flooding and resulting infrastructure issues. 

Unsafe drinking water causes severe health issues for this community, including gastrointestinal problems, hepatitis, stomach disorders, hyperpigmentation, and skin irritation. Because of their low immunity, like most waterborne illnesses, children are particularly affected by unclean water. Poverty, illiteracy, and lack of knowledge of sanitation best practices also led individuals to be unaware of the challenges and issues from unclean water. One hundred filters were distributed in the Tando Mahammad Khan area, and these same filters continue to provide clean water today. 

Kot Addu

Kot Addu is the capital city of the newly created Kot Addu District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. While Kot Addu is a comparatively smaller city in Pakistan, it is located on the flood plain of the Indus River and was largely affected by the floods. In this water project’s needs assessment, Kot Addu was found to be a critical area. 

The city has a poor sewage system which pollutes crops and other bodies of water. This results in waterborne diseases such as malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and diarrheal illness. In Kot Addu all water filters were distributed to orphan families. 

Chitral

Chitral is located on the Chitral River in northern Pakistan. Its primary water source is local rivers, so not only was it physically impacted from flooding, but its water source was also contaminated. 

Islamabad

Islamabad is Pakistan’s capital city. While the 1.2 million residents access water from reservoirs, 2021 reports shared that 25% of water thought to be safe in actuality contained microbial contamination and 13% had a presence of E. coli. Distributing water filters in Islamabad allowed families to not only have access water, but to have access to clean drinking water that they can know for sure is safe to consume and use.

Kot Momin

Kot Momin experiences an overarching water shortage, and its water storage facility is not presently functioning. In addition to this, the Kot Momin region has an ineffective sewage system, which causes major water contamination. Individuals in the Kot Momin community experienced these water challenges before 2022 flooding, which only exacerbated local water problems. Forty water filter kits were distributed to local families in this region to help alleviate waterborne health issues and water-caused hardship. 

Clean Water Today

The same water filters and pre filters that were distributed to alleviate water issues from 2022 flooding continue to provide clean, safe water to almost 1,800 individuals in Pakistan today. 

While filters can feel like a small solution to the world water crisis, the opportunities and health individuals experience because of them change lives and communities for years and generations to come. 

Proper maintenance and education taught during initial filter distribution allows for filters to turn available water into safe water until local governments can organize and fund proper water and sewage infrastructure. Having an interim solution with water filters saves time and lives.  
Pakistan is just one water project that continues to change and save lives today. Help us fund more water projects and wells and filters today. Donate to bring clean, safe water to individuals and communities who need it most.