Finding Effective, Contextual Solutions for Urban Resilience

Our Focus

This initiative piloted the SECURe Framework (Strengthening and Enhancing Contextual Urban Resilience) in Ajmer’s informal settlements with a strong focus on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). Anchored in participatory action research, the project aimed to strengthen community-led water governance, co-produce evidence with residents and local institutions, and develop actionable, context-specific solutions to address water insecurity and climate vulnerabilities in urban informal settlements.

Through a multi-stakeholder approach involving the Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC), Public Health & Engineering Department (PHED), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and MDS University, the project generated granular data on access, usage, quality, infrastructure gaps, and governance challenges in water service delivery. Participatory tools such as transect walks, spatial mapping, and water quality testing were used to ensure the inclusion of lived experiences, especially those of marginalised women.

Importantly, the project aligns with key national and urban policy frameworks, including the AMRUT 2.0 mission, National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U), and the State Water Policy, by:

• Operationalising GESI principles in water governance and urban planning.
• Institutionalising SHG engagement in service delivery through the ‘Amrut Mitra’ initiative.
• Demonstrating community-academic-government partnerships as a scalable model for data-driven, inclusive urban development.

The findings and methods developed under the project have the potential to inform urban resilience planning and municipal service delivery models in other small and medium towns. With the growing emphasis on localised climate adaptation under India’s State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) and commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this initiative offers replicable pathways for embedding community voices into urban policy and planning processes.

 

Key Activities & Outputs - 

- Community Engagement: Conducted 25+ FGDs, transect walks, and participatory tools (social/resource mapping, Venn diagrams) across 7 informal settlements in 5 wards, engaging over 500 residents.

- Capacity Building & Training: A 4-day joint training workshop (19–22 December 2024) was conducted in collaboration with AMC, PHED, and MDS University. The workshop trained 25 women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and 15 students from MDS University in participatory research methods, household surveying, water quality testing, digital data collection using KoBo Toolbox, and GIS-based mapping of water sources & infrastructure in informal settlements.

- Water Infrastructure Mapping & Water Quality Testing:

• Mapped over 100 water sources (piped and non-piped) using participatory GIS.
• Conducted scientific water quality testing for fluoride, turbidity, and bacteriological contamination.

- Household Survey: Surveyed 554 households using stratified and systematic sampling to assess water access, usage patterns, quality, billing practices, and health impacts.

- Collaborative Governance & Partnerships:

• Formalised partnerships between PRIA, AMC, MDS University, and SHGs.
• Initiated SHG involvement in the ‘Amrut Mitra’ initiative for community-led water governance.
• Supported policy dialogues and workshops for the co-production of service delivery solutions.

- Knowledge Products and Capacity Building Tools:

• Developed and field-tested the SECURe Toolkit1 in partnership with IIED, providing a replicable framework for contextual analysis and inclusive urban lab design.
• Designed and implemented a Water Quality Testing Training Manual in collaboration with PHED, which was used during training sessions for SHG women and university students to ensure safe water monitoring practices in informal settlements.

 

Key Outcomes - 

• Community-Driven Evidence for Action: Data from household surveys and water mapping informed AMC & PHED’s planning on piped water expansion, leakage repairs, and addressing seasonal scarcity.
• Women’s Leadership in Urban Water Governance: Trained SHG women are now active in AMC-led decision-making spaces, driving improvements in water services and holding institutions accountable. Through capacity-building sessions and participatory fieldwork, they have gained the confidence to raise their issues, articulate community needs, and identify formal channels to engage with urban local bodies such as ward councillors, AMC officials, and PHED representatives.
• Institutionalised Collaborative Model: Demonstrated a successful model of community–university–municipal collaboration for participatory urban governance and resilience.
• Policy Uptake & Replication Potential: Recommendations and learnings are being incorporated into AMC’s AMRUT and NULM initiatives, with scope for replication in other towns.

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