Communities in Murree and Kotli Sattiyan have seen improved awareness and practical adoption of water conservation practices following the completion of Phase I of a year-long Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and rooftop rainwater harvesting education initiative.
The project Community Mobilisation and WASH Education under Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Murree District was formally concluded at a ceremony hosted by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED) in collaboration with NED University of Engineering & Technology at AKU’s Karimabad campus.
Despite receiving substantial rainfall annually, the hill regions of Murree and Kotli Sattiyan continue to face chronic water shortages due to steep terrain, rapid runoff, tourism pressure and limited storage infrastructure.
The initiative was implemented under a rooftop rainwater harvesting programme launched by the Urban Unit, which installed safe storage and filtration systems in more than 1,100 households during Phase I. The education component, led by AKU-IED and NED University, focused on strengthening community awareness through school-based learning, hands-on activities and local engagement.
According to project officials, 4,726 students and 220 community members were directly engaged, promoting improved hygiene practices, water conservation and environmental stewardship.
“This project has offered a unique opportunity to work directly with the government,” said Dr Fozia Parveen of AKU. “In Phase I, we collaborated extensively with schools and partners such as Suthra Punjab. In the next phase, we aim to establish a water quality laboratory in Kotli Sattiyan with a focus on citizen science and to translate findings into actionable policy recommendations.”
The closing ceremony was attended by representatives from the Aga Khan Development Network, along with education stakeholders from Karachi and officials from NED University and AKU. Among them were Dr Salim Virani, Vice Provost Research at AKU, Dr Farid Panjwani, Dean of IED, and noted urban planner Arif Hasan.
Project leads Dr Fozia Parveen (AKU) and Dr Abdul Ghaffar (NED) reaffirmed their commitment to Phase II, which includes the establishment of a dedicated Water Quality Laboratory in Kotli Sattiyan.
Organisers described the initiative as a model of collaborative, climate-responsive WASH programming, expressing appreciation to the Urban Unit, Government of Punjab, for supporting the effort to address water security challenges in Murree and Kotli Sattiyan.
