ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has begun work on its first-ever national database to monitor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, in what officials describe as a major step towards improving public health and climate resilience.The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination of Pakistan has kicked off work on the country’s first-ever ‘National WASH Accounts’ in collaboration with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to establish a unified national database for the climate-resilient and sustainable delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene services.The landmark initiative, which would be hammered out in technical support from WaterAid, World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund, seeks to address longstanding data gaps that have hampered evidence-based planning, financing and coordination in the sector at the national level.“This is the first time Pakistan is moving towards a single national framework for tracking the state of water and sanitation services across the country,” said Mohammad Saleem Shaikh, the ministry’s media spokesperson and WASH policy advocacy specialist, describing the initiative as a major step towards evidence-based governance.Officials say the new system will allow federal and provincial governments to collect standardised, up-to-date data on service delivery, investments and public spending.Saleem Shaikh said the National WASH Accounts would, for the first time, for the first time, a comprehensive national picture of access to clean water and sanitation across the country, helping policymakers identify underserved areas and better allocate resources.The platform will also incorporate modern digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to improve how data is collected, verified and analysed.Federal Secretary for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination Ministry, Aisha Humera Moriani described the initiative as “a turning point in Pakistan’s WASH governance”.“For years, fragmented and outdated data has undermined effective planning,” she said. “A unified system will enable more accurate decision-making and stronger coordination across provinces.”Moriani said the initiative would not only strengthen transparency and accountability, but also help Pakistan build climate-resilient water and sanitation services in the face of mounting environmental pressures.Moriani said it would lay the foundation for more effective policymaking and stronger institutional accountability across the country.She said the initiative would also strengthen Pakistan’s reporting on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for universal access to safe water and sanitation.She added that the initiative was aligned with the government’s broader development agenda, including URAAN Pakistan and the 5E framework of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.