AKPBS;Pakistan

Poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, gender equality, and economic

regeneration are corner stones of AKPBS,P activities.The Aga Khan Planning and
Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS,P), established in 1980, is an independent
executive body with the mandate to plan and implement infrastructure and
technology related development initiatives to improve living conditions of the people.
AKPBS,P is mandated to assist local communities within various provinces and
regions, such as the Northern Areas of Pakistan, The Punjab, North West Frontier
Province (NWFP) and Sindh in development program areas such as habitat risk
reduction, energy efficient building and construction improvement, water supply and
sanitation, and natural resources conservation.
AKPBS,P takes an integrated, community-based approach to sustainable
development while its development programmes address not only the immediate
needs of clean water, adequate sanitation and safe housing, but also, the overall
impact that these initiatives have on the economic, social and environmental
sustainability. Poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, gender equality, and
economic regeneration are corner stones of AKPBS,P activities. Capable, proficient,
vibrant and self-reliant community based organisations underpin all AKPBS,P’s
developmental interventions.

AKPBS,P undertakes the delivery of services in collaboration with local and national
development agencies, community-based organisations and donors to have an
extended outreach. Two of the AKPBS,P’s development programmes: Water and
Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP)-providing an integrated approach of water
and sanitation, and Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP)-
providing life cycle approach to household energy efficiency, market development
and entrepreneurship have been universally commended by local communities,
public sector organisations and donors for having a visible impact on the lives of the
community in terms of economic benefits, social improvement, and environmental
rehabilitation. In both cases, technical and engineering solutions have been
supported by social innovations and human resource development solutions.

AKPBS,P, at present, is actively engaged in the relief and reconstruction efforts of

local communities following the catastrophic earthquake in Kashmir and NWFP
province of Pakistan. Within the relief phase, AKPBS,P has provided temporary
shelters, water supply, and sanitation facilities to affected communities and villages.
A comprehensive reconstruction programme encompassing permanent seismic
resistant housing, environmental health, community capacity building, and livelihood
opportunities is planned to commence shortly.

AKPBS,P has been named as the 2005 winner of the US $1.0 million Alcan Prize for
Sustainability by the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), for
promoting sustainable social, economic and environmental development in the
country through its efforts to improve the built environment and water and sanitation
services.

The Water and Sanitation Extension programme (WASEP)

Approximately 80 to -85 percent of the population of Northern Areas of Pakistan and
the Chitral in the NWFP province does not have access to potable water, whereas up
to 60 percent of the population collects water from open channels, often requiring a
walk of up to 3 km a trip several times a day. Women and children are mostly
responsible to collect most of the household water and hence bear the most burden.
WASEP was initiated in 1997 with the aim of providing integrated water supply
infrastructure services to local communities and to help prevent water related
diseases though improved hygiene and sanitation practices. Development of
community capacity in design and maintenance of these services is a key element of
WASEP’s integrated approach. Communities also take the responsibility of the
operation & maintenance of the scheme, as well as contribute to a fund for salaries of
community scheme based operators, health monitors, and spare parts. WASEP
provides engineering and construction services, non-local materials, skilled labor,
training, and health and hygiene education during the scheme implementation.
WASEP’s integrated intervention package includes:

• Community mobilization and participation;

• Potable water supply infrastructure;
• Water quality management;
• Grey water drainage infrastructure;
Household sanitation infrastructure and
• Health and hygiene education, including Community Health Intervention
Programme and School Health Intervention Programme
Until June 2005, WASEP had successfully partnered with 130 rural communities of the
Northern Areas and Chitral region in developing water supply and sanitation
infrastructure services. WASEP has supplied potable water to 116,900 people,
installed 9,200 latrines, and conducted 5,700 hygiene education sessions, generally
with women and children in rural communities, and has trained about 50 public
sector and other NGO staff in the design and operation of integrated water and
sanitation services.

Some of the key achievements of WASEP after eight years of intervention through its
integrated W&SS approach include:

• It is observed that the level of water borne diseases in WASEP’s programme

villages has gone down by an average of 60 percent
• The March 2003 issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation
(WHO) states that WASEP integrated intervention package has reduced the
diarrhea incidences by at least 25 percent
• Successful demonstration of workable and replicable Private-Public
Partnership model
• All of the 130 water supply schemes developed by WASEP are currently
operational and being run and operated by communities who also have
contributed approximately US$ 1.85 Million in kind and in cash towards its
construction and the operation and maintenance fund. More over, in all such
communities:
• Water quality is at an acceptable level (85 percent of schemes to WHO
standard)
• Water treatment plants are fully operational
• Microbiological contamination is minimised
• Water Supply Operators and Water and Sanitation Inspectors are performing
their duties
• Water and Sanitation Committee are administrating the water management
system, and;
• Communities are aware of how to have system maintenance performed
The Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP)
Energy efficient products and Technologies as a means to conserve natural
resources and improve livelihoods
The Northern Areas of Pakistan are located in a seismically unstable zone. The
degradation of natural resources, especially the loss of foliage and vegetation cover,
has been proceeding at an alarming rate, causing land degradation and soil
destabilization which, in turn, has led to diminished economic prospects for residents
and even the loss of life (due to mudslides and floods associated with deforestation).
The main cause of this deforestation is use of wood in house construction and for
fuel. An estimated 15 percent of all household income is spent on heating, cooking
and house maintenance needs.

To find solutions to this problem, the Building and Construction Improvement

programme (BACIP) was set up by the Aga Khan as a research and extension
programme. It has introduced over 70 products and technologies in local
communities. To date, over 15,000 energy efficient and living condition improvement
products have been installed in various households.

When applied, such techniques and products can, on average:

• Reduce biomass consumption of up to 60 percent -- app. 3.3 tons/ per

month or US $ 30-36 / month (Pak RS 1,800-2,200/ month)
• Reduce the incidence of ARI, pneumonia and other health related disease in
women and children by up to 50 percent (especially during winters)
• Save health related household expenditure amounting to approximately US
$ 58/ annum
• Increase household disposal income by 25 percent
• Reduce recurring house maintenance cost by 10 percent
Some of BACIP’s standard products include:

• Roof hatch windows, double glazed windows which allow for more light while
conserving heat;
• Fuel-efficient stoves with water warming facilities attached that use the
same fuel;
• Floor insulation, wall insulation and roof treatment techniques for thermal
efficiency;
• Light-weight and low-cost galvanized iron wire reinforcements for walls to
strengthen housing structures against earthquakes and encourage
• multi-storey construction, thereby reducing the paving of scarce arable land;
• Wooden bow-string composite beam for earthquake-proof light roof
construction reducing timber use in roof construction by 500 percent/ roof:
• Solar cookers and solar water heaters for fuel conservation.
• Bedding racks and shelving to protect items from dampness dust and dirt;
• Fanoos (candle wick lamp) for energy conservation in indoor lighting;
• Household level Bio-gas plants for alternative energy source for cooking and
water heating;
• Locally adaptable Arch foundation construction techniques to address
construction in high water table