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Enhance community, local and national-level urban climate change resilience to water scarcity, caused by floods and droughts in Rawalpindi and Nowshera, Pakistan (Adaptation Fund Project)

This Operational Guidelines of Rainwater Harvesting Techniques contributes to UN-Habitat sponsored project “Enhance community, local and national level urban climate change resilience to water scarcity, caused by floods and droughts in Rawalpindi and Nowshera, Pakistan (Adaptation Fund Project)

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Download Operational Guidelines of Rainwater Harvesting Techniques

Technical Training Program

“Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding”

Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is implementing a UNHABITAT-sponsored project titled “Enhance Community, Local and National-Level Urban Climate Change Resilience to Water Scarcity, caused by Floods and Droughts in Rawalpindi and Nowshera, Pakistan” in partnership with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Climate Change. Under this project, PCRWR provided technical training to 107 staff members of relevant stakeholder of public sector organizations, tehsil municipal administration Nowshera, WASA Rawalpindi, NDMA, Shehersaz, UN-Habitat, water and sanitation agencies, solid waste management agencies, building control authorities, academia, irrigation, soil conservation and agriculture departments from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa were participated. In this regard, the 4^th batches of technical training programs on “Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding” from December to January 2023 were organized. Each training session comprised of span of 4 days held at PCRWR HQ, Islamabad on following dates:

Major Activities and Salient Features of Interactive Training Program:

1. Provided training kits (bag, file folder, printed guidelines on IRWH/ training course content, USB, note pad and pen etc.)
2. Technical working groups of participants were formed with equal representation from each. stakeholder organization during each training session (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th) along with interactive roundtable discussions.
3. Lectures on IWRM, Rainwater Harvesting System (rooftop, stormwater) collection and recharge/ soaking pits, harvested rainwater collection tanks and allied systems delivered.
4. Lectures on water quality assurance as per WHO guidelines delivered.
5. Field visits, demonstration of prototype models of water purifications carried out.
6. Visit to national water quality labs organized.
7. Visit to state of the art groundwater recharge wells installed in green belts Sector- H-8 Islamabad arranged.
8. Visit to zero waste-water-discharge-unit of waste water treatment system installed in PCWR HQ, building Islamabad on site demonstration organized.
9. Writing board exercises, flip charts handwriting exercises with markers and technical/ numeric calculations / problems were sought by each working group.
10. Action plans on major national issues pertaining to water sector development focusing rainwater harvesting and urban flooding were developed by each group and demonstrated.
11. Practical demonstrations/ presentations by each group on their self-selected problems and their solutions during the final day of the training.

Training Session 1^st Batch held from 5 to 9 December 2022 at PCRWR, Islamabad

The 1^st batch of four technical training programs on “Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding” was successfully organized from 5 – 9 December 2022, total 17 technical staff member including senior level managers from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi, Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Nowshera, NDMA, Shehersaz and UN-Habitat, Pakistan participated. On 9^th December a closing and certificate distribution ceremony was organized. The Managing Director WASA Rawalpindi, Mr. Muhammad Tanveer as Guest of Honor and Chairman PCRWR, Dr Muhammad Ashraf jointly distributed certificates to the trainees and appreciated their group presentations. Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman PCRWR remarked that these trainees will implement learning from the training workshop and will be able to design their own rainwater harvesting systems in their respective regions. Managing Director WASA Rawalpindi, Mr. Muhammad Tanveer admired the efforts of PCRWR for organizing such a knowledge-based and skill-oriented training program.

Training Session 2^nd Batch held from 20 – 23^th December 2022, Islamabad

The 2^nd batch of four technical training programs on “Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding” was successfully organized from 20 – 23^rd December 2022, total 22 technical staff member from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi, Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Nowshera, NDMA, Shersaaz, UN-Habitat-Pakistan, Public Health Engineering Department, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Peshawar Development Authority, TMO, Jahangira & Pubbi,  Water and Sanitation Services, Kohat & Peshawar, actively participated. On 23^th December 2022, a closing and certificate distribution ceremony was organized. The Executive Director Shersaaz, Ms. Almas Shakoor, Deputy Managing Director, WASA Rawalpindi, Muhammad Saleem Ashraf, Secretary, PCRWR Dr. Hifza Rasheed distributed certificates to the trainees and appreciated their group presentations.

Training Session 3^rd Batch held from 3 – 6 January 2023 at PCRWR, Islamabad

The 3^rd batch of four technical training programs on “Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding” was successfully organized from 3 to 6 January 2023, wherein 31 technical staff member from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi, Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Nowshera, Serai Norang, Bittani, Irrigation, Agriculture and Public Health Engineering Departments, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Peshawar Development Authority, Water and Sanitation Services, Kohat & Mardan, NDMA, Shersaaz, UN-Habitat-Pakistan and allied organization actively participated. On 6 January 2023, a closing and certificate distribution ceremony was organized. The Secretary, Local Council Board, Government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Mr. Arif Khan Baloch participated as Guest of Honor. He appreciated the key role of PCRWR in capacity building of technical staff of local government authorities. In his remarks, Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chairman PCRWR appreciated the trainees for their enthusiasm during the training and their group presentations. The NDMA official Mr. Wasim Ahmed while closing ceremony highlighted the significance of rainwater harvesting training program as need of hour to build climate resilient water management to overcome looming water scarcity particularly in urban areas. He applauded that PCRWR published research work on Integrated Water Resources Management provided a national yardstick for adoption of water conservation strategies. In this regard, he suggested that top management of both organisations NDMA and PCRWR may established a joint working model for overall improvement of water sector governance and preparedness to mitigate imminent threat of flash floods, heavy rain falls and urban flooding by promoting rainwater harvesting technologies being a most viable social solution for the entire community. He added that PCRWR research work will be further disseminated and used by NDMA research, publication and training wings being significant national contribution for water sector development.

Training Session 4^th Batch held from 17 to 20 January 2023 at PCRWR

The 4^th batch of four technical training programs  “Integrated Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Mitigate Urban Flooding” was successfully organized from 17 – 20 January 2023, wherein senior level technical staff from Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Rawalpindi, Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA), Nowshera, Karak, Tank, Saria  Norang, Buner, Irrigation, Agriculture and Public Health Engineering Departments, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Peshawar Development Authority, Water and Sanitation Services, Kohat & Mardan, NDMA, Shersaaz, UN-Habitat-Pakistan and allied organizations actively participated. On 20^th January 2023, a closing and certificate distribution ceremony was organized. The Country Head UNHABITAT, Mr. Jawed Ali Khan appreciated the key role of PCRWR on successful conduct of 4^th batch of the training of 36 participants including senior level staff member of TMA, WASA and Building Control Authorities. He concluded that it would create a real change in our society for adoption of rainwater harvesting techniques to overcome shortage of water.Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman, PCRWR appreciated UNHBITAT for sponsoring the training program for capacity building of public sector organizations, interactive participation of trainees and their group presentations on major social issues associated to urban flooding. Mr. Kamran Naeem, WASH Specialist, UNICEF applauded the harmonized efforts of PCRWR and UNHABITAT for sensitizing our community for adoption of climate-resilient rainwater harvesting.