Gender Equality Results Case Study

India—Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project

,

• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9789292549732
• eBook ISBN: 9789292549749
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Gender Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

The Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project sought to provide basic services of water supply, sanitation, and garbage collection and disposal in four cities in Madhya Pradesh, India. Over 5.6 million people benefited from improved water supply, while half a million people benefited from an improved wastewater management system and 4.7 million people benefited from an improved solid waste management system. These changes positively impacted the lives of the local community, in particular women and girls, who are primarily responsible for water management.

India: Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project

Summary

DEVELOPMENT AIMS AND IMPACTS. The Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project sought to provide basic services of water supply, sanitation, and garbage collection and disposal in four cities in Madhya Pradesh, India. Impacts include increased access to sustainable water supply and enhanced sanitation infrastructure in these four cities. Over 5.6 million people benefited from improved water supply, while half a million people benefited from an improved wastewater management system and 4.7 million people benefited from an improved solid waste management system. These changes positively impacted the lives of the local community, in particular women and girls, who are primarily responsible for water management. The active participation of women was encouraged and supported, and over 70% of the members of the community group committees (CGCs) were women. The CGCs were responsible for coordinating and overseeing the initiatives concerning water supply and sanitation, and they continue to operate even after the completion of the project, liaising with local government officials. Women built on skills developed during the social mobilization initiatives and other project activities to ensure improved income generation, with many of them continuing to be active leaders at the community level.

ADB PROCESSES AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS. The project design included a gender action plan. A gender manual was developed to guide the integration of gender in the project. Special measures were taken to ensure women’s participation in community-driven planning and decision making. Targets for participation of women in community-based organizations or CGCs were closely monitored, and variations were followed up by both the nongovernment organizations—responsible for organizing, mobilizing, and capacity building of CGCs—and the project staff. The project also partnered with other organizations with capacities related to gender equality that helped in the initial gender analysis of the water and sanitation sector.

Main Aims and Approaches of the Project

The Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project (UWSEIMP or Project UDAY) was designed to rehabilitate and expand the urban water supply systems and improve the wastewater collection and treatment systems in four cities of Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, and Jabalpur.

The primary objectives of the project were to

• promote sustainable growth and ensure poverty reduction in the four project cities;

• provide sustainable basic urban infrastructure and services to all citizens of the four project cities; and

• strengthen the capacity of the project cities to plan and manage their urban water supply and sanitation systems in a more effective, transparent, and sustainable manner.

While the project aimed to benefit the entire urban community, some components focused on upgrading the living conditions of the poorest, in particular the neediest groups in slums. The project aimed to promote the active participation of women in municipal management and project implementation as both beneficiaries and agents. See Box 1 for basic information on the project.

Box 1: Project Basic Facts

Loan approval number:	2046
Supplementary loan approval number:	2456
Loan approval:	December 2003
Supplementary loan approval:	October 2008
Closing date:	December 2013
Executing agency:	Department of Urban Administration and
	Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh
Financing:	ADB loan: $252 million
Government of Madhya Pradesh:	$93.5 million
UN-Habitat (grant):	$0.5 million
Gender classification:	Effective gender mainstreaming

Note: In this report, “$” refers to US dollars.

Source: Project records, Project Man...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• India: Urban Water Supply and Environmental Improvement Project
• Back Cover