Introduction

Safe drinking water and improved sanitation are the basics for human health growth and development. Availability and functionality of an improved water supply system among the population is one of the basic human rights and imperative to prevent numerous viral/infectious diseases (Soliman et al., 2023). The provision of safe drinking water, improved sanitation, and hygiene plays a central role in individual and communal health, but unfortunately, the situation is strikingly poor among nations, especially in developing countries like Pakistan (Naika, 2022). Keeping in consideration the importance and sensitivity of the issue, the world's leading platforms, such as the United Nations, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), take major initiatives to improve the existing situations (Hannibal et al., 2019).

Inadequate access to safe drinking water and unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices have become the prime reasons for morbidity and mortality (Darmi et al., 2021). About 780 million people lack access to clean drinking water facilities, and about 2.5 billion people have insufficient sanitation facilities in their areas. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 6.3% of deaths occur only due to poor water and sanitation practices worldwide (Branjang, 2022). Similarly reported by the United Nations that around 14,000 individuals die every day from water-borne ailments, and this greater part of the death rate has been identified with various contaminants, which incorporate 2 billion instances of intestinal worm, 5 million instances of Lymphatic Filariasis, and trachoma, and 1.4 million infarcts diarrheal deaths, and 500,000 deaths because of jungle fever malady (City Population, 2023).

Demise and incapacity rates are twice as high among youngsters younger than 14 years. Around 5,000 kids die every day from tainted water-borne and sanitation-related illnesses, and 90% of kids die before the age of 5 years (Aikowe, 2021). The situation in developing nations like Pakistan is more alarming, as around 70% of individuals are living in rural areas with meager access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. In this regard, various national and international organizations, stakeholders, and governments are working to provide clean drinking water facilities to rural areas of the country. In this regard, different approaches are applied according to the needs, nature, and situation of communities (Theodory, 2022).

To execute such water supply programs by involving and ensuring local communities' participation to make water supply programs adequate and sustainable (Young, 2021). Participation is a procedure through which partners effect and offer control over development activities and the choice and assets unless the poor are given an equivalent chance to take part in the development of intercessions intended to enhance their lives (Li et al., 2022). In this way, community participation turns into a coordinated part to finish intercessions intended for all. In this way, community participation is a social procedure in which particular gatherings with shared needs, frequently yet not continually living in a characterized geological zone, effectively seek recognizable proof of their needs, settle on a choice, and build up a system to address these issues (Ali et al., 2018).

Community Participation in the water supply segment is a kind of administration of rural water supply programs that is currently entering its second decade as a key worldview for water supply improvement and administration (Bryson et al., 2020). Community participation approaches did not show up suddenly. It arose out of a long history of experimentation in the rural water supply area, which is connected to development as well as influenced by improvements in numerous different divisions, especially identified with provincial improvement, normal asset administration, and particularly water asset administration (Calzada et al., 2017).

The significance of water for life is forever and certain. Along these lines, a few worldwide gatherings and a number of associations have developed in the most recent two decades, which give basically worry to the administration of water assets so that its shortage can be avoided in the future (Kumar et al., 2022). In such a manner, the final declaration of the International Conference was held on water administration and sustainable development, which perceived that about a quarter of the total populace did not approach safe drinking water offices (Mlaba et al., 2022). Similarly, the Dublin Conference was held on water and conditions, which became an assertion usually known as the Dublin Statement, which has been a point of interest in the late history of water resource management. The Dublin Statement built up four standards identified with water administration and community participants:

• Water development and administration ought to be founded on a participatory approach that includes the community, policy planners, and organizers of water supply programs at all levels.

• Women's participation plays a key part in the arrangement, administration, and defense of water supply facilities.

• Water has a monetary and social incentive in all its contending utilizes and ought to be perceived as a financial decent.

• Fresh water is a vulnerable asset. It is a basic human need that plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the environment.

Pakistan is a developing nation, and the status of water supply and sanitation is very high. Water utilization per capita fluctuates in urban and rural territories. In urban ranges, the amount of water is utilized everywhere because of simple access to infrastructural systems and better financial conditions (Pot et al., 2022). In rural areas, water utilization is less for locals to utilize on account of the absence of access to water, yet more water is required for raising domesticated animals. The wastage of water is much less when contrasted with urban territories. Currently, water in the nation is over 65% of the aggregate populace, and the nation is approaching safe drinking water (Yator et al., 2020). Around 85% man living in more than 500 urban spots, including urban areas and towns, while in rural areas, around 55% man is living in 30,000 huge towns that have arranged water supply offices, while 20,000 rural settlements are without water supply programs which are required to be developed (Maduku, 2021).

Pakistan is a signatory to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has devotion and commitment to the SDGs targets identifying with sanitation and water supply (Abdul-Rahim et al., 2018). Pakistan has defined distinctive approaches identified with water supply, such as 1) the National Environment Policy (2005), 2) the National Sanitation Policy (2006), 3) the National Drinking Water Policy (2009), and 4) the National Climate Change Policy (2012). These strategies give fundamental legitimate help to the execution of various government activities and intercessions in the watered Sanitation area (Iftikhar et al., 2021). There is additionally a national sense of duty regarding actualizing the Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation, which includes a hundred percent scope of sanitation and making towns free from open defecation, which will additionally lead to creating diverse mediation, for example, water filtration plants, water supply to the towns to guarantee to get to the group to safe drinking water and sanitation (Saha et al., 2023).

Late study information likewise shows that the significant extent of utilizing enhanced sanitation expanded from 37% in 2000 to 48% in 2009-10, and flush restrooms expanded from 45% in 2001 to 66% in 2010-11 (Iftikhar et al., 2021). Agencies that are working to provide clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in Pakistan at the federal and provincial levels are not only operating but also maintaining projects such as the Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA’s), Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Town Municipal Administration (TMA’s), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Union Councils and Community Based Organizations (CBO’s). According to an economic survey of Pakistan, more than 60% of the population of Pakistan is suffering from poverty. The majority live in rural areas and are deprived of financial resources, basic health facilities, education, and access to safe drinking water facilities and sanitation (Abdul-Rahim et al., 2018).

The Planning and Development Department established a provincial department, Public Health Engineering Department, to meet water supply and sanitation facilities in rural and urban areas. The goal of PHED is to enhance the quality of life of the people of Punjab by providing safe drinking water, especially in rural areas (Kumar et al., 2022). Provision of a pollution-free environment through sewerage drainage schemes and construction of disposal and oxidation ponds. PHED is also responsible for planning, designing, executing, and evaluating water facilities, while piped network coverage is about 48% in villages. PHED is following and implementing community participation approaches in planning, implementing, and handing over the program to the community for further operation and maintenance (Ali et al., 2018). The PHED has provided water supply facilities and handed over 4000 programs to local community-based organizations (CBOs). Although PHED setup does not exist in other provinces, their only department is responsible for O&M and does not ensure community participation in the water supply sector (Shunglu et al., 2022).

Community Participation and Sustainability

The idea of community participation has been multiplying in underdeveloped nations since the 1980s, and they have presently acknowledged segments of project design among standard donor agencies (Nikolopoulou, 2022). Advocates and professionals of the idea declare that strengthening individuals, having local experiences, and having, For example, 'individual participation,' people cooperation, community participation, social mobilization, grassroots advancement, projects have been started on smallholder, domesticated animals development, water system and water correspondingly are used in participation concepts (Andualem et al., 2021).

Moreover, community participation is also interpreted as meaning that the community plays a dynamic part in its own issues by contributing to practicing political and monetary power (Warner et al., 2021). Community participation is also characterized as a procedure through which people, families, and communities accept accountability and responsibility for local issues and build up their own particular community development. In participation, it is contended that the selection of participation and introduction in contemporary standard development is, to some degree, an unconventional event. Democratization being developed has had a long effect on both the developed and developing world (Kimaro, 2019).

Despite the complex nature of community participation in the administration of water resources, it is possible to portray the preconditions that influence the conditions in which community administration can happen (Pertamsari et al., 2020). WASH recognized the essential preconditions for community participation, which is most likely going to be contained.

• Demand for an improved framework, the information regarding the planning of programs must be transferred to the community.

• Machinery and levels of administration must be equivalent to the communities.

• It also identifies the needs and ability to fund, oversee, and look after them.

• The community must comprehend its alternatives and assume liability for the framework.

• The community must put resources into capital and repetitive expenses.

• The people group must be enabled to settle on choices to control the framework.

Powerful external support must be accessible from governments, benefactors, and the private sector (training, specialized guidance, credit, development, contractual workers, and so forth (Lameck et al., 2021). There are a few signs that associations and organizations guarantee group community participation in various stages of executing the program. So, it can be concluded that different scholars strongly support the idea that community participation is one of the key components that is required and taken into account for program planning and implementation. On the other hand, community and different stakeholders' participation in project decision-making make it more reliable and sustainable (Peng et al., 2020).

Community participation, organization, and sustainability rely upon the conviction that water is a monetary and, furthermore, a social good (Lyatuu et al., 2023). While evaluating water programs at the community level, in addition to using different tools that are helpful for evaluating the performance of a program are community participation, management, sustainability indicators, and financial resources. Beneficial effectiveness looks at if a cost is ideal and the program is functional. Effectiveness likewise shows if communities are viably utilizing the developed services by submitting adequate budgetary assets (Mojid et al., 2021). In particular, profitable effectiveness analysis evaluates if the assets utilized as a part of creation are used proficiently and, in this manner, shows the capacity of administration in allotting rare assets.