Dear Heegstra 

Firstly, thank you very much for sharing the RFI in this dynamic forum and surely several interested parties will apply to make a difference in this neglected sector in Pakistan. I am sure potential academic circle in the country will definitely apply for their possible contributions in the overall FSM initiatives, like us. 

Secondly, for your information the concept of "drop" and "store" model of sanitation has been in practiced in many areas including rural, peri-urban and urban areas in Pakistan since long. Even in some rural areas its pre-mature model is in practice. However, after the development of sewer system in majority of the peri-urban and urban areas, this concept has not been practiced or shifted to the present sewer system. Due to the gravity flow issues in the sewer system in many urban areas of Pakistan, the de-sludging from the chucked sewer lines is a common practices and the sludge remains there in the open areas for several days without the collection, transport and further disposal processes. Also, some of our research studies findings highlighted the issues of such practices on public health and the ecosystem. 

Third, being in academia we highly appreciated UNICEF Pakistan efforts for considering to work in FSM sector for the first time. I am sure that they will follow FSM overall framework/procedural approaches in true letter and spirit to prepare ToRs/EOIs/projects for FSM in Pakistan, unlike of the existing model of some supported sanitation interventions, where they considered street pavements as sanitation provision in their models of interventions. 

Last but not the least, we definitely play our due rules as an academic and research institutions in supporting FSM interventions with our cutting edge researches on the environmental, social and economic components of FSM in a more contextualized manner. 

Regards

Shams Ali Baig, PhD
Environmental Sciences
AWKUM, KP Province, Pakistan
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Dear SuSanA Community,

UNICEF Pakistan has published an open Request for Information (RFI) to identify partners interested in advancing Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) in Pakistan. Currently, the FSM sector is virtually non-existent in Pakistan, and we are seeking local and international organizations with innovative solutions that can help establish and scale FSM services tailored to the country’s urban and peri-urban areas.

Through this RFI, UNICEF aims to connect with partners who have experience in FSM, particularly those interested in piloting or scaling sustainable, context-appropriate FSM models in Pakistan. We are keen to gather information on cutting-edge technologies, service delivery models, and collaborative approaches that can address Pakistan’s unique sanitation challenges.
We are looking for solutions across several focus areas, including:

• Technology Innovation for sludge collection, treatment, and disposal.
• Service Delivery Models that prioritize affordability and scalability.
• Environmental Sustainability, especially approaches that support sludge reuse.
• Partnership Opportunities with private sector entities, academia, NGOs, and local governments.
• Addressing Market Bottlenecks such as regulatory challenges, financing limitations, and infrastructure gaps.

If you or your organization is active in FSM, sanitation innovation, or is looking to expand into the Pakistan market, we invite you to review the RFI and consider submitting your interest. Your expertise could be instrumental in building a robust FSM sector in Pakistan, contributing to improved health and environmental outcomes for communities across the country.

The RFI document with full details is available at  www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/252434 . Submissions are due by the 7th of December.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, or forward this post to others in your network who may be interested.
Thank you for helping us spread the word, and we look forward to exploring potential collaborations with members of this dynamic community.
Warm regards,
Sjoerd Heegstra
WASH Officer, UNICEF Pakistan
Young Experts Program (YEP)