Building Resilient WASH Services for Vulnerable Communities
Access to safe, reliable water and sanitation services is a fundamental human right, yet millions of urban dwellers in India continue to lack these basic necessities. This crisis is most acutely felt in the expansive informal settlements, or slums, that populate India’s rapidly growing cities. Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state, is home to over 1.3 million slum residents who face immense challenges in securing consistent, quality WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) services.
The slums of Hyderabad are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. Extreme weather events like floods and droughts disrupt water supply, damage sanitation infrastructure, and heighten the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks. Compounding these climate-related stresses, the city’s overburdened WASH systems struggle to keep pace with the sprawling informal settlements. Inadequate service coverage, aging infrastructure, and poor maintenance leave slum communities with limited access to clean water and functional toilets.
To build the resilience of Hyderabad’s most vulnerable populations, policymakers and WASH practitioners must adopt a holistic, community-driven approach that integrates disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies. By empowering slum dwellers as active participants in WASH service delivery and amplifying their voices in urban governance, we can create more responsive, sustainable systems that withstand future shocks and stresses.
Strengthening WASH Systems through Community Engagement and Accountability
Meaningful community engagement is essential for developing resilient WASH services in Hyderabad’s slums. Slum residents possess invaluable local knowledge about their communities’ needs, challenges, and coping strategies in the face of disasters and climate change. Tapping into this grassroots expertise can help WASH practitioners design more context-appropriate, effective interventions.
The Joint Action for Water (JAW) initiative in Hyderabad exemplifies how a community-driven approach can strengthen WASH resilience. Working closely with slum communities, JAW has established Community WASH Committees to lead the planning, implementation, and monitoring of local water and sanitation projects. These community-based organizations provide a platform for residents to voice their concerns, participate in decision-making, and take ownership over WASH service delivery.
“The Community WASH Committees have been instrumental in ensuring our slum’s water supply remains functional during floods and droughts,” shares Priya, a local leader in Bholakpur slum. “We coordinate with the municipality to quickly address infrastructure damage, and we educate our neighbors on water conservation and hygiene practices to build our collective resilience.”
Beyond strengthening community capacity, JAW has also worked to enhance the accountability and responsiveness of local government institutions. The initiative has facilitated dialogues between slum dwellers and WASH officials, allowing residents to directly engage with service providers and hold them accountable. This two-way exchange of information and feedback has led to tangible improvements, such as the expansion of water distribution networks and the installation of community toilets in underserved areas.
“Our partnership with the Community WASH Committees has been invaluable in identifying priority needs and implementing durable WASH solutions,” says Rajesh, the city’s WASH department director. “By amplifying the voices of slum residents, we’ve been able to develop more resilient systems that can withstand climate-related shocks.”
Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in WASH Programming
As climate change intensifies, the need to integrate DRR and CCA strategies into WASH programming has become increasingly urgent. In Hyderabad, JAW has spearheaded innovative approaches that enhance the ability of slum communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from water-related disasters.
One such initiative involves mapping flood-prone areas and establishing early warning systems. By leveraging community knowledge and satellite data, JAW has identified high-risk zones and installed water level sensors to provide real-time alerts. When flood warnings are issued, the Community WASH Committees mobilize residents to secure their homes, relocate to safer shelters, and protect critical WASH infrastructure.
“The early warning system has been a game-changer for our community,” says Fatima, a resident of Gulistan-e-Mohammadiya slum. “We now have time to safeguard our water sources and sanitation facilities before the floodwaters arrive, which prevents long-term disruptions to our services.”
To address the growing threat of water scarcity, JAW has also supported the implementation of climate-resilient water harvesting and conservation technologies. In partnership with local authorities, the initiative has installed rooftop rainwater harvesting systems and groundwater recharge structures in slum households and community facilities. These decentralized, nature-based solutions not only boost water security but also reduce the burden on overburdened municipal supplies.
“The rainwater harvesting systems have transformed our ability to withstand droughts,” explains Ravi, a resident of Jyothi Nagar slum. “We’re able to store water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene, ensuring our families’ well-being even during the driest months.”
Complementing these infrastructure-based interventions, JAW has spearheaded community-led disaster preparedness planning. Through interactive workshops and simulations, the initiative has empowered slum residents to develop comprehensive contingency plans for water-related emergencies. These plans outline clear roles and responsibilities, identify evacuation routes and shelters, and establish communication protocols – equipping communities with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively when disasters strike.
“The disaster preparedness training has been invaluable,” says Amina, a resident of Old Bowenpally slum. “We now know exactly how to safeguard our water sources, protect our sanitation facilities, and support our neighbors in times of crisis. This has given us a profound sense of security and confidence in our ability to bounce back from disasters.”
Scaling up Resilient WASH Solutions through Collaborative Governance
While the community-driven initiatives spearheaded by JAW have yielded impressive results in Hyderabad’s slums, scaling up these resilient WASH solutions will require strategic partnerships and institutional support. Fostering collaborative governance frameworks that bridge the divide between slum communities, local authorities, and other key stakeholders is crucial for institutionalizing DRR and CCA practices within the broader urban WASH system.
In Hyderabad, JAW has facilitated the establishment of a multi-stakeholder WASH Resilience Task Force, comprising representatives from the municipal government, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and civil society groups. This platform serves as a collaborative hub for sharing knowledge, aligning priorities, and coordinating resilience-building efforts across the city.
“The WASH Resilience Task Force has been instrumental in scaling up our community-led initiatives,” says Anjali, the coordinator of JAW’s Hyderabad program. “By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we’ve been able to secure greater political will and resources for expanding early warning systems, water conservation technologies, and disaster preparedness planning in slums across the city.”
Through the Task Force, JAW has also advocated for the integration of DRR and CCA strategies into Hyderabad’s urban WASH policies and planning processes. This engagement has led to the inclusion of resilience considerations in the city’s water security roadmap and the development of targeted funding mechanisms to support slum-level resilience initiatives.
“Collaborating with slum communities and civil society partners has opened our eyes to the critical need for building resilience within our WASH systems,” says Rajesh, the WASH department director. “We’re now making concerted efforts to mainstream DRR and CCA across all our programs and invest in sustainable, climate-smart infrastructure that can withstand future shocks.”
Conclusion: Toward Resilient and Inclusive WASH Services in Indian Cities
The experiences of Hyderabad’s slum communities underscore the pressing need to prioritize DRR and CCA within urban WASH programming. By empowering marginalized groups as active participants in service delivery and strengthening the responsiveness of local institutions, we can create more resilient and equitable systems that safeguard the well-being of the most vulnerable populations.
The collaborative, community-driven model pioneered by the JAW initiative offers a promising blueprint for building resilient WASH services in other Indian cities. As the country grapples with the intensifying impacts of climate change, scaling up these integrated DRR and CCA approaches will be crucial for ensuring no one is left behind in accessing safe, reliable water and sanitation.
Through continued multi-stakeholder partnerships and sustained investment in resilience-building, we can transform India’s urban WASH landscape – transitioning from fragile, crisis-prone systems to inclusive, future-ready services that empower marginalized communities and safeguard public health for generations to come.
