Kathmandu, January 23:

The Regional consultation and planning meeting of Freshwater Action Network (FAN), the worldwide network of Community Service Organisations (CSOs), working in the water and sanitation sector, concluded here recently.

A total of 26 representatives from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya and FAN UK participated at the two-day regional planning and consultation meeting hosted by NGO Forum for Urban Water & Sanitation in January 18 and 19, a press release issued said today. The meeting identified two major regional issues: water and sanitation as a human right and adaptation to the climate change and also worked on the activities for effective advocacy on the issues. The meeting also formed an interim committee of FAN South Asia comprising the national representatives from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh with representatives of FAN UK and WaterAid as its advisers.

Several national consultation meetings have been held in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in preparation of forming a regional network in South Asia, which constitutes more than 40 per cent of 500 FAN members from 25 countries of the world. Nepal is the first one to conclude a national consultation in the region in September 24, 2007, according to the release.