ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change hosted the seventh South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) in Islamabad on Tuesday.

A government-led biennial convention held on a rotational basis in each SACOSAN member state, the conference provides a platform for interaction between regional officials and sanitation experts.

Climate Change Minister Mushahidullah Khan said the aim of the conference is “to address the growing sanitation challenges in the region.”

Participants, from various South Asian nations, include government functionaries, civil society activists, development practitioners and other stakeholders.

South Asia is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, with millions of people lacking access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation facilities.

SACOSAN was institutionalized in 2003 with the aim of serving people who lack such basic facilities.