Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 12 August 2026

UNOPS

PRESS RELEASE

Pakistan: UNOPS hands over enhanced water quality management Information system to PHED Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR, 12 August 2026.- UNOPS, with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), today handed over an upgraded Water Quality Management Information System (MIS) to the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The handover marks the completion of the project "Enhancing Functionality and Capacity of the Water Quality MIS", which strengthens the province's ability to monitor, analyze and manage drinking water quality data.

The handover ceremony, held in Peshawar, brought together representatives of PHED, UNOPS and KOICA to mark the transfer of the enhanced digital system, which is expected to support more efficient, transparent and data-driven water quality management across the province.

Speaking at the ceremony, Fazal Shakoor Khan, Provincial Minister, Public Health Engineering Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said: "Safe drinking water is a priority for this government, and this upgraded system gives PHED the tools to monitor it more effectively than ever before. I want to thank UNOPS and KOICA for standing with us in this effort".

Reflecting on the partnership, Harim Go, Deputy Country Director, KOICA, said: This upgrade reflects KOICA's continued commitment to strengthening Pakistan's water sector. Through this longstanding partnership with UNOPS and PHED, we're confident the enhanced MIS will contribute toward safer, more reliable water quality management in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."

Highlighting UNOPS commitment to strengthening national systems, Jennifer Ankrom, Country Manager UNOPS Pakistan, said:"As an implementing partner, UNOPS is proud of what this collaboration with KOICA and PHED has achieved, Systems like this don't just solve today's problems, they build capacity that lasts, strengthening water quality management in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for years to come".

As part of the project, UNOPS enhanced the MIS through a phased approach, first conducting a Stakeholder Needs Assessment Workshop to identify key areas for system improvement and finalize the upgrade roadmap. Building on this diagnostic phase, the MIS was upgraded with an improved software architecture, a refreshed user interface, and enhanced analytics capabilities.

UNOPS also delivered capacity-building sessions for PHED users on the upgraded MIS, data management and system maintenance, supporting more than 50 PHED staff to operate and sustain the new system.

This upgrade builds on the wider UNOPS-KOICA partnership, "Enhancing Water Quality Monitoring System in Pakistan" (August 2021 to December 2024), an initiative that upgraded 45 water-quality testing laboratories across Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and introduced the initial MIS to strengthen coordination on water quality data.

Going forward, PHED will operate and maintain the upgraded system, while the enhanced MIS will enable it to more efficiently collect, analyze, and share water quality data, strengthening coordination on drinking water standards and supporting Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on Clean Water and Sanitation.

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For more information, contact Wajid Zahid at [email protected] or +92 346 8557760

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