Water and the Private sector: Accelerating Sustainable Corporate Water Stewardship and Collective Action in Pakistan

Abstract

Water problems of today require a multidimensional and multifaceted response, bringing together an array of stakeholders, including the government, private sector, civil society and international funding agencies. In fact, as the world moves towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such an approach will become a necessity. The SDGs have an important focus on water whereby the goal no. 6 calls for clean and accessible ‘water for all.’ Meanwhile, the National Water Policy (2018) has recently been promulgated as well. The policy came about after a consensus was developed amongst all provinces in line with an integrated water management strategy for Pakistan. In this context, this study aims to: 1. Introduce and highlight the importance of water stewardship for the corporate sector in Pakistan. 2. Use a case study approach in assessing how private sector can contribute towards sustainable water stewardship and collective action. 3. Present key recommendations that can contribute to the development of an effective and sustainable corporate response to water management problems. This analysis will be useful for policy makers and private sector alike. It will be a critical knowledge product that highlights some of the current water stewardship initiatives and promotes the idea of collective action to address key water scarcity challenges in the country. Moreover, proposed policy actions will help incentivize the private sector to become aware of their social responsibility and think on the lines of social impact investment.