Community Led Total Sanitation in Pakistan

Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) was first introduced in Pakistan at a national level workshop held in Bhurban in 2004 when the approach was discussed and experience from other countries in Asia was shared. Dr. Kamal Kar presented the approach in the workshop and literature on CLTS was distributed to the interested people. WSP-South Asia, Islamabad had organized the workshop that was attended by more than 100 participants representing different national and international NGOs, government departments, district Nazims and donor agencies.

A Mardan based local NGO called IRSP, supported by UNICEF Peshawar, took the approach with interest and enthusiasm. IRSP field staff started implementing the CLTS approach in a number of villages and at the end of the year they had eleven villages totally free from Open Defecation.

As a follow up to that Dr. Kamal Kar was invited to Pakistan in June 2006 in connection with the introduction and scaling up of CLTS. This workshop on “Rural Sanitation, Issues & Options” was organized by LGE&RDD with technical support of WSP-SA and financial support of SDC was organized in Peshawar for the Provincial, Federal and Thesil level functionaries and NGOs of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).