WOMEN’S ACTION TOWARDSCLIMATE RESILIENCE OFURBAN POOR IN SOUTH ASIA:PROJECT EVALUATION REPORTMay 31, 2018

Vol 2 : Process Case Analysis Report

AbstractIn seven cities of South Asia, women from slum communities have undertaken climate vulnerability

assessments as well as developed and implemented resilience action plans as part of the Global

Resilience Partnership (GRP) project. This case documents the journey of the women and the project

facilitators, highlighting the processes, achievements and key learnings for enabling similar resilience

actions elsewhere.

SUPPORTED BY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ThisreportwaspreparedbythestaffofMahilaHousingTrustanditspartnersasfollows:

PrincipalResearchInvestigator:MichaelElliott,AssociateProfessorSchoolofCityandRegionalPlanning,GeorgiaInstituteofTechnology

GRPProjectDirector:DharmisthaChauhan,GlobalResiliencyProjectMahilaHousingSEWATrust(MHT)

ProjectResearchAssociate:VanishreeHerlekar,ConsultantMahilaHousingSEWATrust

ProjectCoordinator:SrishtiSinghMahilaHousingSEWATrust

 

 

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EXECUTIVESUMMARY

TheSouthAsiaregionhaswitnessednumerousclimaterelatedeventsintherecentpast:the2003heatwaveinAndhra Pradesh (India) killed 3000 people (MOEF, GoI, 2012), the 2014 floods in India, Pakistan, Nepal andBangladeshleftmorethan700peopledeadanddisplacedmillions(newsreports)andtheincreasedincidenceofDenguewith75,808casesreportedacrossIndiain2013against12,561in2008(NVBDCP,2014).Theregionisalreadywaterstressedwithpercapitawateravailabilityoflessthan2500m3(ESCAP,2013).

ThedenseurbanpopulationsinSouthAsiaareparticularlysusceptibletothesenegativeclimaticchanges,especiallyheatextremes, flooding, and the spreadofdisease (WorldBank2013).Themostvulnerableare those living ininformalsettlements(IPCC,2013).ForSouthAsia,thistranslatestoaround190.7millionpeoplelivinginslumsandinformalsettlements(www.un.org),constituting35%oftheurbanpopulationofSouthAsia.Itisvitalthaturbanclimateresilienceprogramsaretargetedtothesevulnerablepopulations.

Withaviewtocreatingamodelforbuildingresilienceofthesecommunities,theMahilaHousingSEWATrust(MHT)anditspartnersappliedforandwontheGlobalResiliencePartnership(GRP)challenge.TheGRPwhichisajointinitiative of Rockefeller Foundation, US AID and SIDA, provided an award of one million USD to the team toimplementtheproject.

Theprojectaimedtocreateandimplementresilienceplanstoaddressfourmajorclimaterisks‐‐heatstress,flashfloods,acutewatershortagesandvectorbornediseases‐‐in100slumcommunitiesin7citiesofSouthAsia.TheseincludeAhmedabad,Jaipur,Bhopal,Ranchi,Bhubaneshwar(India),Kathmandu(Nepal)andDhaka(Bangladesh).Thekeystrategywastotackletheinstitutional,informationandknowledgebarriersinbuildingcapacitiesofslumcommunitiesandcitygovernmentsforassessingvulnerabilitiesandrisksofClimateChangeonpoorpopulations.TheprojectaddressedthisbybuildingthesocialcapitalofslumcommunitiesbyorganisingthemintoCommunity‐BasedOrganisations (CBOs);promotingcriticalpartnershipsbetween technicalexperts, localgovernmentsandlow‐incomecommunities;developingtoolsandprocessfortransferofscientificknowledgeandparticipatoryriskassessments;andworkingwithcommunitiesandpartnersjointlytowardsdesigningandimplementingresiliencetechnicalsolutions.Theprojecthasdirectlyimpactedthelivesofmorethan25,000poorfamilieslivinginurbanslumsinthe7citiesbycreatingtheircapacitiestodealwithclimaterisksandvulnerability.

OurTheory of Changehasbeen that “If theurbanpoorareprovidedwith the requisiteknowledge toundertakevulnerabilityandriskassessmentsandequippedwithavailableresilient‐technologies,theywillbeabletodeviseandimplementlocallyrelevantandpro‐poorclimateresilientsolutions.Ifthepoorareempoweredtoimplementtheirownresilienceplans,theywillbeabletobetter influenceclimateresilientcityplanningandensurethateffectiveurbanadaptationpracticesareinplace.”

Theevaluationofthisinterventionconsistsofaquantitativeimpactanalysis(reportedinaseparatereport)andthisembeddedcaseanalysis,whichcapturetheunderlyingstakeholderdynamicsandkeylearningsforreplicationofthismodelinthefuture.Theembeddedcasenotdetailstheprocessesrealitiesandoutcomesatthelevelofcityand at settlement interventions. This report employs project records and reports as well as key informantinterviewsincludingthosefromcommunityleadersandgrassrootimplementationstaff.Thereportfocusesontheprocessandimplementationintwoprojectcities(includingsixslumcommunities);threepartnercities(includingfiveNGOpartners)andonegrassrootorganisation(theprojectleadMHT).

Thekeylearningsemergingfromtheprojecthavealsothusbeensummarizedbasedontheabove.

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENTFORRESILIENCE

Entryintonewcommunitiesrequiresperceptionsoflegitimacy,trust,andincentivesonthepartofcommunitywomentopartner,whichcanonlybebuiltovertimewithmultipleengagements.

Continuedparticipationbyhighlydisenfranchisedwomeninmarginalizedcommunitiesrequiresstrategiestopromoteindividualandcommunityempowerment,solvetangibleproblems,andbuildrecognition/identitywithincommunity

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Leadershipworksbestwhen it isdevelopedand interactsatandpromotescoordinatedactionat theslum,community&citylevel

Empoweringwomentoadvocateinanon‐confrontational/collaborativemannerincreasesmunicipalsupporttoaddresstheseneeds

Resilience in informal settlements requires coordinated action amongstmany local actors over time,withleadership that is not too concentrated amongst a few members of the slum community and which ismaintainedovertime.

Systematic, repeated, and innovative communication tools are necessary to enable scientific and futuristicthinkingincommunitieswhosemembersareusedtothinkingshort‐term

Community’scontinuedinterestinresilienceplanningrequiresdeliveryofmoreimmediatetangibleactionsorbenefits

Community‐led data collection leads to an increased understandingwithin the communities on their ownvulnerabilitiesandissuesaffectingthem,therebyleadingtomoreresilientactions

Successfulpro‐poortechnologiesshouldbecost‐effective:commerciallyavailable,culturallyappealing,withproperservicesprovidedalongwiththepurchase

Facilitating interactions between communities and technical experts enhances the capacity of both tocommunicateclearlyanddevelopmutuallyagreeablesolutionstoresilienceproblems

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTSUCCESSFULREPLICATION

Processescanbereplicatedbyorganizationswhichhaveagrassrootsorientationeventhoughtheymightnothaveaclimatechangeorresilienceexpertise

Transferabilitycanoccuramongthestaffandincommunityactionsimultaneouslyalthoughthecommunityaspectneedsmoretime

Thereisademandforsuchtoolsandprocessesalthoughtheyneedtobecustomizedtosuitlocalsocialandclimatecontextas wellasbetranslatedinlocallanguage

Thetransferabilityrequirestime,handholdingsupportandfinancialresourcecommitment

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTORGANIZATIONALDEVELOPMENT

Focusoncommunication(betweeninternalstaffandtechnicalpartners,withthecommunity,andwithexternalstakeholders)isessential

Theoryofchangeaboutthecommunityalsoappliestostaffandinternaloperations:‘Knowledgehastobeco‐created’

Complex projects requiremore effective process of partneringwith other stakeholders and co‐creation ofknowledgeproductsandtools

Integrating learning and processes fromGRPs inMHT’smainstreamwork and build and expand on thoseprocesses

Efficienciesofoperationsbecomemoreimportantforlargeprojects Knowledgecreationandpracticeworkbestwhentheyinteract,informeachother

Wehopethatthisreportwouldserveasanimportantlearningdocumentfororganisationswhichsharesimilarconcernsandprinciplesandareworkingforbuildingresilienceofpoorcommunitiesandwomen.

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TABLEOFCONTENTS 

I.  INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 

1.1.  PROJECTOVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 

1.2  RESEARCHOVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................................. 1 

2.  RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 2 

2.1  CASEANALYSISAPPROACH ........................................................................................................................................... 2 

2.2  RESEARCHQUESTIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 3 

2.3  CASESAMPLES ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 

2.2  DATACOLLECTION&CASEWRITING ............................................................................................................................ 6 

3.  PROJECTCONTEXT ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 

3.1.  CLIMATECHANGEINSOUTHASIA ................................................................................................................................. 6 

3.2  URBANIZATIONINSOUTHASIA ..................................................................................................................................... 7 

3.3  URBANLOCALGOVERNANCEANDCLIMATECHANGE .................................................................................................... 8 

3.4  SLUMSININDIA ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 

3.4  SLUMCOMMUNITIESANDCLIMATECHANGE .............................................................................................................. 12 

4.  KEYACTORSANDSTAKEHOLDERSINVOLVEDINPROJECT............................................................................ 15 

4.1  MAHILAHOUSINGSEWATRUST ................................................................................................................................ 16 

4.2.  SLUMCOMMUNITIES .................................................................................................................................................. 20 

4.3.  TECHNICALEXPERTS ................................................................................................................................................. 24 

4.4.  GOVERNMENTACTORS ............................................................................................................................................... 27 

5.  THEURBANRESILIENCE(GRP)PROJECT ............................................................................................................ 30 

5.1  BARRIERSTORESILIENCEBUILDINGOFSLUMDWELLERS .......................................................................................... 30 

5.2  PROJECTRESILIENCEBUILDINGMODEL ..................................................................................................................... 31 

5.3  THEORYOFCHANGEANDLOGICMODEL ...................................................................................................................... 32 

5.4PROJECTDEVELOPMENTPHASE .......................................................................................................................................... 34 

5.5  PROJECTSTRATEGIES,ACTIVITIESANDOUTPUTS ....................................................................................................... 36 

5.6  KEYLEARNINGSABOUTCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENTFORRESILIENCE........................................................................... 40 

6.  IMPLEMENTATIONINESTABLISHEDCITIES:AHMEDABAD ........................................................................... 41 

6.1  CITYPROFILE ............................................................................................................................................................ 41 

6.2  EVOLUTION OF GRP PROGRAMME IN AHMEDABAD .......................................................................................................... 44 

6.3  CASE SLUMS OF AHMEDABAD ........................................................................................................................................ 51 

7.  IMPLEMENTATIONINEMERGENTCITIES:BHOPAL ......................................................................................... 57 

7.1 CITY PROFILE........................................................................................................................................................................ 57 

7.2  EVOLUTION OF GRP PROGRAM IN CITY OF BHOPAL .......................................................................................................... 61 

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7.4  CASE SLUMS OF BHOPAL ............................................................................................................................................... 70 

8. IMPLEMENTATION IN PARTNER CITIES: BHUBANESWAR, KATHMANDU, DHAKA ............................................................... 76 

8.1 CONTEXT FOR GRP ............................................................................................................................................................... 76 

8.2 CONTEXT FOR THE PARTNER CITIES .......................................................................................................................................... 77 

8.3 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 79 

8.2  EVOLUTION OF GRP PROGRAM IN PARTNER CITIES ........................................................................................................... 81 

9.  REFLECTIONS AND KEY LEARNINGS ............................................................................................................................... 86 

9.1  LESSONS FROM THE  COMMUNITY RESILIENCE PROGRAM .................................................................................. 86 

9.2  KEY LEARNINGS ABOUT SUCCESSFUL REPLICATION OF THE MODEL ACROSS CITIES/GEOGRAPHIES IN SOUTH 

ASIA  98 

9.3  KEY LEARNINGS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................... 103 

10.  CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................................................... 109 

LISTOFTABLESANDFIGURES

Table 1: Specifics of climate‐related impacts and increased vulnerability of slum communities especially women ........... 20 Table 2: Project Input, Output and Outcome Matrix ................................................................................................................ 39 Table 3: Replication of Activities and Outputs by Partners .................................................................................................... 104 

 

Figure 1: Building Knowledge Partnerships .................................................................................................................................. 2 Figure 2: Location of Project Cities ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3: Project Stakeholder Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 4: Evolution of MHT's Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 5: Barriers to building resilience of slum communities ................................................................................................. 36 Figure 6: Project Theory of Change ........................................................................................................................................... 39 Figure 7: Population growth in Ahmedabad, Source: Census 2011 ........................................................................................ 39 Figure 8: Population growth in Bhopal city, Source: Census 2011 .......................................................................................... 58 Figure 9: City population versus slum population in Bhopal city ............................................................................................. 65 Figure 10:Operations diagram of the local team at Bhopal and list of slums ......................................................................... 62 

 

 

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Women’sAction towardsClimateResilience ofUrbanPoor inSouthAsia

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PROJECTOVERVIEW

The “Women‐led Resilience Building of Urban Poor in South Asia”projectwasdevelopedbyMahilaHousingSEWATrust(MHT)anditspartnersasapartoftheGlobalResiliencePartnership(GRP)challenge.The project aimed to build the resilience capacities of 25000 lowincomefamilieslivinginslums/informalsettlementsinsevencitiesofSouthAsia,totaketheleadinactionagainstfourclimaterisks.Thesefourclimatestressors(a)heatwaves;(b)floodingandinundation;(c) water scarcity; and (d) increased climate change‐relatedincidenceofwaterandvectorbornediseases;areslower‐onsetandlessapparent,oftenimpactingthepoormostbutattractlessattentioncomparedtodisastersandextremeevents.

The project worked to create an integratedmodel wherein womentakealeadthroughcollectiveactionandtechnologyincubation,todeviselocallyrelevantpro‐poorandgender sensitive climate resilient solutions and promote a culture of sustainable development andresilienceamongtheurbanpoorinSouthAsia.

Successforthisprojectmeantademonstrationofhowwomen‐ledinitiativesbuildthenecessarysocialcapital,policyinfluence,technicalexpertise,forpoorurbancommunitiestorespondeffectivelytoclimatechange,therebysustainingtheirhealthandlivelihoodoptions.Theprojectworkedtodoachievethisbysignificantlychanging;

1. Theknowledgeandbehaviourofslumcommunities,particularlywomen,tobetterunderstandtheinherent climate risks so that theyplan andmake investmentswith strong consideration for thefuture,toimprovetheirstandardsoflivingandresilience.

2. Thesphereofinfluenceofwomenleadersandslumcommunitieswithinthecitygovernancesystemstoenablepoliciesandprogramswhichincludetheconcernsofthepoor.

1.2 RESEARCHOVERVIEW

Acriticalprocessoutcomeoftheprojectwastoincreaseevidence‐basedadvocacyanddecision‐makingon resilience issues at the city level. To achieve this outcome, the project incorporated a strongmonitoring and evaluation component. This was designed primarily to answer the following threequestionsinmind:

(1) Does themodel of change and corresponding interventions improve resiliency in slumswithexistinginternalandcitywidesocialnetworks?

(2) Canthemodelbeusedtosimultaneouslybuildsuchnetworksandtoimproveresiliencewithintheslumcommunitiesthatcurrentlylackinternalandcitywidesocialnetworks?

(3) CanthemodelbetransferredtootherNGOsforimplementationincitieswhereMHTdoesnotwork?

Resilience  Capacities  is  defined as  ability  of  communities  to survive,  adapt  and  progress  in the  face  of  stress,  without distress or loss of assets. We aim to build capacities which will be evolutionary  in  nature with  an increase  in  risk  retention capacities;  improved  access  to basic  services  (like  water, sanitation, adequate shelter and health) and a continued effort to transform  to  a  higher  level  of livelihood security.  

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Thesequestionsrequiredustomovebeyondquantitativeevaluationprocesses,togatherevidencewhichcapturesthe“process”and“learning”aspectsoftheproject.ThequalitativeCaseAnalysisapproachwasthusadoptedtoenabledocumentationofthekeyprocessesundertakenatmultiplelevels;capturethedesirableaswellasunexpectedresultsoftheaction;andestablishthelinkbetweentheprocessesandtheresultstotestourtheoryofchange.Thiswasconsideredespeciallyusefulwhilecapturingactionsandresultsatthecommunityandcitylevelasagainsthouseholdlevelwhereintheresultswerebettercapturedthroughthequantitativebaselineandendlinesurveys.

Thiscasereportlooksatthreeembeddedcasestolookseparatelyateachoftheabovequestions.Thereareinallthreeembeddedcaseswhichfeedintotheoverallcase.Thecaseshavebeenmainlydevelopedatthelevelofthecity,withoneeachforestablishedandemergentcities,AhmedabadandBhopalfromIndia,respectivelyandthethirdforpartnercitiesincludingBhubhneshwar(India),Kathmandu(Nepal)andDhaka(Bangladesh).

Thereportgathersevidencetowardsdemonstratingtheeffectivenessofacommunity‐based,women‐ledmodelforbuildingresiliencetoclimatechange.Itcapturestheunderlyingqualitativeinformationandtests the theory of change of the project. However, the key purpose is not only to establish theeffectivenessofthemodel,buttobringoutthekeylearningsemergingfromtheprocesswhichcanbeuseful for other resilience building initiatives. In addition, the case also looks at MHT as a learningorganizationandtheprocessesandkeylearningsemergingatthatlevel.

2. RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY

2.1 CASEANALYSISAPPROACH

CasestudiesareanimportantpartoftheM&Eresearchbecausethemodelofchangebeingtestedinthisproject is fundamentallyaprocess‐basedmodel.Thecaseanalysis thus focusesonprocess tracing toexamine interaction amongst the threemajorspheres of action – the slum dwellers, thetechnical support systems, and citywidenetworks – and intervention strategies thatbestexplaintheinterveningprocessdynamicsand outcomes, as well as eventual impacts athousehold,slumandcitylevelsofintervention.

Themodelenvisionsclimatechangeresilienceasnotaproblemof“knowledge”butasoneofbarriers for translation of theknowledge into“action”, the most critical being the lack ofplatformsandcommunicationchannelswhichcan enable knowledge generators andcommunitiestolearnfromeachotherand“co‐createsolutions”.(Figure1).Theevaluationcaseexamineswhether this critical partnership gap can be closed by creating systems for mutual learning, whileensuring that the interestsof theprimaryaudience “thecommunitieswhose resilience isat stake” isparamount.

Figure 1: Building Knowledge Partnerships

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Themostinfluencingfactorstowardsthiswouldbe:

a) The creation of strong institutional partnerships for joint action between all knowledgestakeholders: communitymembers, governmentofficials, serviceproviders, technical experts,andotherlocalinstitutions.

b) Targetedandlocalizedcommunicationstrategiesandeducationalworkshopsthatprovidethemostrelevant informationandcreate incentivesforcommunitiestoseektechnicalknowledgeandadoptfuturisticthinking.

c) Pilotingandcommunityvalidationoftechnicalsolutionstomeettheneedsofthepoor,especiallywomen.

d) Designing and incubating financial products to support the poor to make investments inresiliencesolutions.

Qualitative case studies have been constructed to delineate the above in the context of cities andcommunities.Thecaseexaminesthesedynamicswithinthecontextofthehouseholds,slumsandcityactorsandtheirinteractions,inresponsetotheinterventionsassociatedwiththeproject.

2.2 RESEARCHQUESTIONS

The monitoring and evaluation component of this project is designed to answer three questions asmentionedabove.Respectively,thesethreeconditionsareconceptualizedasestablished,emergentandpartnercommunities,asfollows:

ESTABLISHED  (NETWORKED)  COMMUNITIES:  IN  SLUMS  WITH  EXISTING  INTERNAL  AND  CITYWIDE  SOCIAL 

NETWORKS, DOES THE MODEL OF CHANGE AND CORRESPONDING INTERVENTIONS IMPROVE RESILIENCY? 

Successforthisprojectmeansademonstrationofhowwomen‐ledinitiativesbuildthenecessarysocialcapital,policyinfluence,technicalexpertise,forpoorurbancommunitiestorespondeffectivelytoclimatechange, thereby sustaining their health and livelihood options. The project aims to achieve this bysignificantlychangingtheknowledgeandbehaviorofslumcommunities,particularlywomen,tobetterunderstandtheinherentclimateriskssothattheyplanandmakeinvestmentswithstrongconsiderationforthefuture,toimprovetheirstandardsoflivingandresilience,andtoexpandthesphereofinfluenceofwomenleadersandslumcommunitieswithinthecitygovernancesystemstoenablingpoliciesandprogramswhichincludetheconcernsofthepoor.

Thiscondition,inwhichsocialnetworksexistbothwithinslumsandbetweenslumsacrossthecity,ispresent inAhmedabad,whereMHThasworked for thepast20years tobuild suchnetworksaroundissuesofhousingandsocialservices.Akeyteammember‐IIPH‐alsoworkswithAhmedabadMunicipalCorporation on Heat Action Plans and the project findings would be well incorporated in these.AhmedabadMunicipalCorporationhasalreadysubmittedajointproposalwithMHTandIIPHforClimateResiliencePlanningaspartoftheRockefeller100ResilientCitiesChallenge.Sincesocialnetworksandthecorresponding institutionsneededtosupport themarealreadyestablished, thiscityprovides themost immediate test for themodelofchange.Weexpected thatduring the18monthdurationof the

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project, the most significant improvements in climate resilience will occur in slums in Ahmedabadbecauseresidentsoftheseslumshavethecapacityneededtoaddresstheseissues.

EMERGENT  (NON‐NETWORKED) COMMUNITIES:  IN  SLUMS  THAT CURRENTLY  LACK  INTERNAL AND  CITYWIDE 

SOCIAL NETWORKS, CAN THE MODEL BE USED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY BUILD SUCH NETWORKS AND TO IMPROVE 

RESILIENCE WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES? 

Demonstrating the capacity of Ahmedabad to effectively enhance the capacity of slum dwellers toenhanceclimatechangeresiliencywilltestthemodelofchangebutraisesquestionsofreplicability.IsAhmedabaduniqueinsomeimportantfactorsthatincreasesitscapacitytobothbuildsocialnetworksandtopromoteresiliency?

This project posits that the model of intervention will work not only in Ahmedabad where socialnetworks have already been built, but also in other large cities wherein slum communities arewidespreadbutasofyetnotorganizedintointernal(within‐slum)andcitywidesocialnetworks.ThispropositioncanbetestedthroughthreecitieswhereMHThasmorerecentlystartedworkingandwheresocialnetworksareonlybeginningtoemerge.Theseconditionsarefoundinthreeprojectcities(Jaipur,BhopalandRanchi).Ineachofthesecities,duringthe18monthdurationoftheproject,weexpecttofindmoderate improvements in both social capacity (both internal and citywide) and in climate changeresilience,astheslumresidentslocatedinthesecitieswillbebuildingcapacityfromthegroundup.

PARTNER (NON‐MHT) COMMUNITIES: CAN THE MODEL BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER NGOS FOR IMPLEMENTA‐

TION IN CITIES WHERE MHT DOES NOT WORK? 

If, as proposed, theproject demonstrates both that themodel canwork in citieswith existing socialnetworks and that themodel canbe replicated in citieswithout suchnetworks,we are leftwith thequestionofwhetherthemodelcanbetransferredtoorganizationsworkingincitieswhereMHTdoesnotwork. Is the model adaptable enough to be used by other NGOs and in cities in other south Asiancountries?

This project posits that the model can be transferred, and that this can be demonstrated throughpartnershipswithotherNGOs.Assuch,NGOsinothercommunitiescanbeenabledtousethemodelsofchange developed byMHT to both build social networks as the basis for change and to focus thesenetworkson issuesof climate change resiliency.Thispropositionwas tested inDhaka (Bangladesh),Kathmandu (Nepal)andBhubhaneshwar (India), citieswhereMHTdoesnotworkbutwherepartnerorganizationsareinterestedinadaptingMHT’smodelsofsocialchangetoconditionsfoundinthesecities.

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Theprojectthusintervenedintosevencities(Figure2)inthefollowingconditions:

• Established:Ahmedabad(India)

• Emergent:Jaipur,BhopalandRanchi(India)

• Partner: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu(Nepal)andBhubaneswar(India)

AlsoseeAnnex1forabriefoverviewofeachofthesecities.

2.3 CASESAMPLES

The case looks into the context of three different types of sample communities and cities whereinterventionsweremadeinordertocapturethequalitativeaspectsoftheprojectandtestthetheoryofchange.

Thethreecasecitiesinclude:

a) EstablishedCityCaseisofAhmedabad(India),whereinMHThasbeenworkingformorethantwodecadesandhasanestablishednetworkofslumcommunitiesatmultiplelevel.

b) EmergingCityCaseisofBhopal(India),whichdidnothaveestablishedcommunitynetworksbeforetheprojectinterventionwasundertakenbyMHT.

c) Partner City Case is for three cities‐Bhubhaneshwar (India),Kathmandu (Nepal) andDhaka (Bangladesh), whereinMHT did not work but partneredwith local organisations toimplementthemodelwithintheirgivenstructureandexpertise.

InAhmedabadandBhopal,therehavealsobeenslumlevelcasestudiesdevelopedtogetanin‐depthunderstandingoftheprocessesandresultsatthecommunitylevel.FourslumscaseswerelookedintoinAhmedabadcity,whichagainincludedtwotypesofslums‐thosewithexistingcommunitybasedorganisations(ornetworks)andthosewithoutexistingslumlevelorganization.Boththesetypesofslums,however,hadthebenefitoftheexistingcitylevelnetworkofslums‐theVikasini(see

4.2.3 Vikasini federation for details). In Bhopal, two slums without any existing communityorganisationswereselected.

Thesixslumlevelcasesinclude:

a) EstablishedSlumsinAhmedabad:SilverParkandBalapirnoTekro

b) EmergentSlumsinAhmedabad:RajivNagarandBabalavlavvinagar

c) EmergentSlumsinBhopal:BagSewaniaandRahulnagar

Figure 2: Location of Project Cities

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Thethirdcasehaslookedmoreatthelevelofpartnerorganisationsandnotatcommunitylevel.Thiscase is particularly important in our assessment of the transferability of the model to enablingcommunitieswhereMHTdoesnotworkandlocalNGOswillconducttheinterventions,underguidancefromMHT,sincethesecitiesarenotincludedinthebaselineandendlinesurveys.

2.2 DATACOLLECTION&CASEWRITING

Thecaseanalysisapproachenabledustouseacombinationofprimaryandsecondarydataforthestudy.Primary data collection processes mainly included interviews with project implementation staff,community leaders and other stakeholders (government officials, elected representatives, technicalexperts).Focusgroupdiscussions(FGDs)werealsoconductedwithwomenineachofthecaseslums.Project relateddocumentsespecially field reportsof staff,periodic staff interviewreports,workshopreports,donor reports, baselineandendline surveydata, etc.havealsobeen referred to for the caseanalysis.

In addition to the collection of primary data and review of secondary data, the research team alsodeliberatedmultipletimesforanalysingthefindingsandidentificationofthekeylearningprepositionsfromthecase.TheinitialprepositionswereidentifiedinJanuary2017,whichwerelaterrefinedmultipletimesbeforefinalisation.

3. PROJECTCONTEXT

3.1. CLIMATECHANGEINSOUTHASIA

TheSouthAsiaregionhaswitnessednumerousclimaterelatedevents intherecentpast‐resulting inbothshocksandstresses.However,whiletheclimaterelatedshockslikeheatwavesandfloodsoftengetmostoftheattention,itisthestressesofhighheatindex,inundationandwaterlogging,waterscarcityanddeterioratingwaterqualitythathavemajorimpactsonhumanhealthandlivelihoods.

Extremeheateventsaggravatedbyurbanizationandtheconcomitanturbanheat islandeffect (Stone2012,2015), is resulting incitiesbeing5o‐7oCwarmer than thesurrounding ruralareasonsummernights(VidalandPathak,2013‐OngoingstudyinMumbaiandDelhi).In2010,Ahmedabad’stemperaturereachedahighof46.8°Ccausing1344excessdeathslikelycausedbytheheatwave.(Azharetal.2014).

Theregionisalsoseeingincreasedfrequencyofextremeprecipitation(IMD).The2014floodsinSouthAsialeftmorethan700peopledeadanddisplacedmillions(newsreports).Frequentinundationcausedbyheavyrainfalldays,resultincitiescomingtoastandstillandmosturbanpoorfacinglossoflivelihoodandassetsduetoinlandflooding(Chatterjee2010).Withoutpropersanitationsystems,thesituationgetsworsewithmixingofsewagewaterwiththefloodwater,whichnotonlyisabreedinggroundfordiseasesintheshortterm,butalsohaslongtermhealthimpactsifitinfiltratesthewatersupplysystemsoruppershallowaquifers(ifexistent)(Groenwalletal.,2010).

AnotherimpactofClimateChangeinSouthAsiaisthatofwaterscarcity(IPCC,2015,WorldBank,2013).Theregionisalreadywaterstressedwithpercapitawateravailabilityoflessthan2500m3(ESCAP,2013).

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InCentralIndiabelt(whereinmostprojectcitieslie)eventhepresentwaterthreatisveryhigh(0.8–1)(Vorosmartyetal.2010)andtheoccurrenceofdroughtswouldfurtherexacerbatethewaterstress.

The immediatemanifestationofwaterscarcityand inland floodingrelatedwatercontamination isanincreasedincidenceofwaterbornediseaseslikediarrheaandtyphoid.Thesewillbeexacerbatedduetoclimatechange.Diarrhea,themajorcauseforchildmortality, isprojectedtoincreaseby6percentby2030(Pandey2010).Typhoid,alreadyendemicinIndia,withanannualincidenceof214.2per100,000persons(Ochiaietal)isalsoexpectedtorise.

Riseintemperatureandhumiditycoupledwithopensurfacewaterbodiesandunhygienicwaterstoragepractices will increase mosquito breeding and vector borne diseases like malaria, dengue andchikangunya.Indiaalreadyreports2millioncasesofmalariaeveryyear(Pandey2010)andithasbeenprojectedthattherelativeriskofmalariainSouthAsiawouldincreaseby5percentin2030(174,000additionalincidents).Thereisalsoanincreaseinthenumberofdenguecasesbeingregisteredannuallyoverthelastfiveyearsfrom12,561casesin2008to75,808casesin2013(NVBDCP,2014).

3.2 URBANIZATIONINSOUTHASIA

Thedefinitionofthetermurbanvariesfromcountrytocountry.InIndia,thecensus2011,definesurbansettlementas:

I. Alltheplaceswhichhavemunicipality,corporation,cantonmentboardornotifiedtownareacommittee;

II. All the other places which satisfy following criteria: a) A minimum population of 5000persons ; b) At least 75%ofmalemainworking population engaged in non‐agriculturalpursuits;andc)Adensityofpopulationofatleast400personspersquarekilometre.

ThefirstcategoryofurbanunitsareknownasStatutorytowns.ThesecondcategoryoftownsisknownasCensusTown.Thesewereidentifiedonthebasisofcensus2001data.Citiesareurbanareaswithmorethan100,000population.

Going by this definition, the country (aswell as Nepal and Bangladesh) is still predominantly rural.However,thewholeofSouthAsiaandparticularlyIndiaisrapidlyurbanizing.Thelastcensusof2011inIndia,reportedahigherdecadalgrowthrateofurbanpopulationthanruralpopulationresultingin31.6%urbanpopulation.Thetwomaindriversforthisgrowthistheincreasingnumberofnewtowns(2774)duetogrowingpopulationandtherural‐to‐urbanmigrationwhichhas increased from42%in1991‐2001to56%in2001‐2011.(R.B.Bhagat,EPW,2011)

UntilthelastdecademostNationalandStatepoliciesandprogrammesfocusedondevelopmentofruralareaswith theunderstanding the ruraleconomicgrowthwill curtailmigration, thereby reducing thepressureoncities.However,thisdidnothappen,rural‐urbanmigrationcontinuestohappenparticularlyto the metros and capital cities like Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ranchi and Bhubhaneshwar. Thesituation is similar in Kathmandu and Dhaka. Climate Change is expected to further exuberate thesituationwithincreasingmigrationtothesecitiesespeciallyfromcoastalzonesanddroughtproneruralareas.Indiaisprojectedtoadd300millionnewurbanresidentsby2050anditwillneedtobuildclimate‐friendlycitiestoaddressthechallengeofaccommodatingtheneedsofthegrowingpopulation. (WorldCitiesReport,UNHabitat,2016)

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Unfortunately,much of this growth is unplanned. Cities are rapidly expanding spatiallywithout anyproper infrastructure and service support systems. The increasing population especially in the coreeconomiczonesofthecities,isputtingmorepressureonthealreadyavailablehousingandinfrastructureservices.Addedto thisurban landtenuresystemsandtownplanning laws furtherhaveresulted inahighlycomplexrealestatemarket.Inadequateaffordablehousingleadstodevelopmentofslums.

Italsoneedstobementionedherethattheterm“City”hasbeenusedtoconnotethetotalareawhichiscoveredaspartofthecitymunicipalcorporationaswellasperi‐urbanareaswhicharetypicallyaspartof Indian administrative systems are covered under a parastatal body called the (city) urbandevelopmentauthority.Forexample,Ahmedabadcitywould includeareacoveredunderAhmedabadMunicipalCorporation(AMC)aswellastheperipheryareasaroundAMCwhicharebeingdevelopedandmanagedbyAhmedabadUrbanDevelopmentAuthority(AUDA).

3.3 URBANLOCALGOVERNANCEANDCLIMATECHANGE

TheIndianConstitutionhasmandatedafederalstructurewithmultiplelevelsofgovernance.AtthetimeofIndependence,thismandatewaslimitedtotwo‐tiersatthesub‐national(ReferredtoasStates)andthe National levels. In 1993‐94, the Constitution was further amended to provide recognition andautonomytothethird‐tierofgovernmentsintheformofPanchayatiRajInstitutions(forruralareas)andUrbanLocalBodies(ULBs).Thisamendment(the74thConstitutionalAmendmentActof1994)wasanimportantmilestonetowardslocalself‐governanceinthecountry.The74thamendmenthasprovidedfor an elected council foreachULB (with reservation forwomen); constitutionofWardCommittees;creationofaDistrict/MetropolitanPlanningCommitteeandestablishmentoffundsattheULBleveltohandlereceiptsanddisbursements.

TheMunicipalCorporation,MunicipalityorMunicipalCouncil is thebasicunitof anULBconstitutedthrough universal adult franchise in each notified urban area of the country depending on thepopulation.1MembersoftheMunicipalCorporationareelectedonthebasisofuniversaladultsuffrageforaperiodoffiveyearsandtheyarecalledCouncillors.TheCAAmandatedregularelectionseveryfiveyears thereby ensuring that each constituency has a local municipal councillor who is more easilyaccessibletothecitizens.

TheseCouncillors,collectivelycalledtheMunicipalCouncil,exercisedeliberativefunctions.TheMayorand Deputy Mayor are political executives elected for a period of one year by the members of theCorporation.TheMayoristheheadofthecorporationandpresidesoverthemeetingsofthecorporation.EachMunicipalCorporationalsohasaStandingCommitteewithselectelectedrepresentatives,whichhasexecutivepowertoactonbehalfofthegeneralbody.

TheMunicipalCorporationsareinchargeofWards(subdivisionordistrictofatown/city)demarcatedaccordingtoitspopulationandrepresentativesareelectedfromeachWard.SometimestheMunicipalCorporationsoflargercitiesaredividedintozones,eachconsistingof3‐5wardseach.IndividualwardsorcollectionsofwardswithinacorporationsometimeshavetheirownadministrativebodyknownasWardCommittees.TheexecutivefunctionsareperformedbytheMunicipalCommissioner,generallyan

                                                                 

1 The classification of any settlement into these three categories is based on criteria which are decided at the state level. Generally, a Municipal corporation is for a population above 3 lakhs and Municipality/Municipal Council for populations above 1 lakh. 

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officeroftheIndianAdministrativeService.S/heisassistedbyAssistantMunicipalCommissioners(whoare also often Zonal Heads), and further supported by officers such as Department Heads, WardEngineers,SanitaryInspector,HealthofficerandEducationOfficer,etc.whocomefromtheStatePublicServiceandareappointedbytheStateGovernment.

The74thCAAalso transferredeighteen functions to theULBs includingessentialservices likepublichealth, sanitation, solid waste management and conservancy. However, the States were given thediscretion over the devolution of powers to the ULBs as they deem fit. Depending of the level ofdevolutioninthestate,themunicipalcorporationsenjoydifferentdegreesofautonomy.

Anotheraspectwhichalso influences this is theageof themunicipal corporationand itsownsourcerevenues.OlderandrichermunicipalcorporationslikeAhmedabadwhichwerefunctionalmuchbeforethe74thCAA,enjoyagreaterdegreeofautonomyandcontrol.AhmedabadMunicipalCorporation(AMC)doesit’sownplanning(incloseconsultationwithAhmedabadUrbanDevelopmentAuthority)aswellasis responsible for delivery of all basic services (including Piped water supply, sewage, storm watermanagement,wastemanagementetc.).WithanannualbudgetofmorethanRs.6000Crores(Rs10,000percapita)andabout55%of thiscoming fromAMC’sownsources;AMC independentlydesignsandmanagesslumimprovementandhousingprograms.Italsohasitsownhealthdepartmentthatprovidespreventiveandcurativehealthservices.

ThelocalgovernmentsinBhopal(Annualbudgetof~Rs.2000Crore,Rs.11,110percapitafor2014‐15)2andRanchi(Annualbudgetof~Rs.300Crore,Rs.3,000percapitafor2016‐17)3donotenjoythesameleveloffinancialauthorityandautonomyasAMC;withmorethan60‐70%oftheirrevenuecomingthroughStategrants.However, there is still a fairdegreedecentralizationof responsibilities. Inbothcities,thelocalgovernmentsareactivelyengagedintheprovisionofbasisservices.Watersupplyandsanitationarekeyresponsibilitiesofthelocalgovernment.

FurtherinmanyStates,therearealsomultipleagencieswhichendupwiththesameresponsibilities,andwithlackofcoordinationbetweenthetwoserviceproviders,thereisnointegratedplanning,sometimeduplicationofactions,andmoreoftenthannot lackofaccountability.InJaipurforexample, theULB‐JaipurNagarNigam,hasverylimitedpowers.ThepipedwatersupplysystemismanagedbythePublicHealth and Engineering Department (PHED), which is a Rajasthan State Department. Similarly, cityplanningaswellasinvestmentsininfrastructureandhousingarecarriedoutbytheJaipurDevelopmentAuthority, a para‐state agencypromoted by the StateGovernment. Similarly, in Bhubhaneshwar, theconstructionofwatersupplysystemsistheresponsibilityoftheWaterSupplyandSewerageBoard(apara‐state body), while its operation and maintenance is the responsibility of the PHED (a Stategovernment body).TheBhubaneshwarMunicipalCorporationhas the responsibility ofwater supplymainlyinfringeareas.

Oneof themostdirect influencesof the functionalityof theULBisover thepoorandtheirresiliencebuildingastheseaffectstheprovisionofwater,sanitation,drainage,solidwastecollection,publichealthand housing construction and improvement services. Already increasing demands of growingpopulations continually stretch the limits of urban infrastructure and systems, and thereby the

                                                                 

2http://www.bmconline.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/documents/BMC%20Static%20Content/Municipal%20Corporation/budget14‐15.pdf 3 http://janaagraha.org/asics/city‐budgets/Ranchi‐2016‐17.pdf 

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provisioningofthesebasicserviceshasdecreasedcausingdetrimentalimpactsonthewell‐beingoflocalcommunities,andmostimmediatelyontheurbanpoor.

Addedtothis,climatechangeisexpectedtoexuberatetheproblemsincities.Forexample,floodingoftencausesdamagetoexistingwaterandsewageinfrastructuretherebyoftenresultingindiversionoflimitedresourcestorepairandmaintenanceratherthanextensionofservices.ULBsthusneedtotakeamorepro‐activeapproachtounderstandingthe impactsofClimateChangeintheircities.However,ClimateChange policies are stillmajorly governed byNational and StateGovernments,more so the nationalgovernment.Furthermore,theyaremoreunderthepurviewoftheEnvironmentandForestMinistries/Departments4leadingtoamoreruralandrenewableenergy‐basedfocus.NeithertheNational,northeStateActionPlansonClimateChangethushaveastrongurbancomponentleavealongacomponenttotargettheurbanpoor.TheULBsthemselveshavealsonotgeareduptohavetheirownlocalactionplans,exceptinsomecaseslikeAhmedabadhasitsownHeatActionPlan,BhubhaneshwarhasaDisasterActionPlan, etc. As of now Surat Municipal Corporation is the only one to have been directly involved inintegrated planning and action on Climate Change in collaboration with the ACCCRN project. Onlyrecently,otherULBsfromJaipur,Pune,Bangalore,Chennai,Mysore,ShimlaandGawahatihavegeareduptothisaspartof the100resiliencecitieschallengeand/or throughsupport fromtheDFIDUrbanResilienceproject.

3.4 SLUMSININDIA

Theterm“Slum”hasmultipledefinitionsininternationalandnationalparlance.UNHabitatdefinesslumsasanurbanareatypicallybeingdeprivedofoneormoreshelterrelatedconditions;whileCensusofIndiadefinesslumsareresidentialareasunfitforhumanhabitations.LocaldevelopmentplansandpoliciesliketheUrbanHealthPlansgofurthertodefineslumsasneighbourhoodscharacterisedbylowerincomes,lackingqualityhousingandbasicservicesandunhygieniclivingconditions.(Box1)MHT’sdefinitionofslumisthebroaderconnotationthanonlyrecognisedslumsandincludesareasbeyondrecognisedslumslikechawlsandlow‐incomehousingsocieties.

Box 1: Definition of Slums 

UN‐HABITATdefinesaslumhouseholdasagroupofindividualslivingunderthesameroofinanurbanareawholackoneormoreofthefollowing:1.Durablehousingofapermanentnaturethatprotectsagainstextremeclimateconditions.2.Sufficientlivingspacewhichmeansnotmorethanthreepeoplesharingthesameroom.3.Easyaccesstosafewater insufficientamountsatanaffordableprice.4.Accesstoadequatesanitationintheformofaprivateorpublictoiletsharedbyareasonablenumberofpeople.5.Securityoftenurethatpreventsforcedevictions.Notallslumsarehomogeneousandnotallslumdwellerssufferfromthesamedegreeofdeprivation.Thedegreeofdeprivationdependsonhowmanyofthefiveconditionsthatdefineslumsareprevalentwithinaslumhousehold.(UNHabitat,2006‐07)

ASlum,forthepurposeofCensusofIndia,hasbeendefinedasresidentialareaswheredwellingsareunfitforhumanhabitationbyreasonsofdilapidation,overcrowding,faultyarrangementsanddesignofsuchbuildings,narrownessorfaultyarrangementofstreet,lackofventilation,light,orsanitationfacilitiesoranycombinationofthesefactorswhicharedetrimentaltothesafetyandhealth.(Census,2011).

                                                                 

4 The National Ministry is in fact the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Except Gujarat none of the other States have a separate Climate Change Department. 

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TheCensusofIndiafurthercategoriesslumsas:

A)NotifiedSlums:Allnotifiedareasinatownorcitynotifiedas‘Slum’byState,UTAdministrationorLocalGovernmentunderanyActincludinga‘SlumAct’.

B)RecognisedSlums:Allareasrecognisedas‘Slum’byState,UTAdministrationorLocalGovernment,HousingandSlumBoards,whichmayhavenotbeenformallynotifiedasslumunderanyact.

C)IdentifiedSlums:Acompactareaofatleast300populationorabout60‐70householdsofpoorlybuilt congested tenements, in unhygienic environment usuallywith inadequate infrastructure andlackinginpropersanitaryanddrinkingwaterfacilities

AhmedabadHealthActionPlandefinesslumsasareasbeyondrecognizedslumsto includechawls,gamtals,newlymergedvillages,walled city areas, andotherneighborhoodcharacterizedby lowerincomes,lackofqualityhousingandbasicservices,andunhygieniclivingconditions.

A typical image of a slum in India would often constitute of a group of people living in unhygienicconditionsandconstantlystrugglingandfightingforaccesstobasicservicesespeciallywater.(Animagesocommonitisalsoreflectedingovernmentadvertisementsforhousingschemes).Theresidentsaremostlylow‐incomecommunitiesworkingintheinformalsectorasdailywagelabourers,constructionworkers, iron smiths, tailors, embroiders, domestic help, bamboo basket makers, necklace makers,sweepersandragpickers,vegetableand foodvendors,orsellers inclothesmarketsandhome‐basedworkers(papad,agarbattimakers).Somealsoworkinfactories,orasauto‐drivers,plumbers,masons,electricians,etc.Mostof themlackaccesstosecureincomesandthere isabsolutelynoformofsocialsecurityaccess.Theoverallliteracylevelwithinthesefamiliesisgenerallylowandthereismoreoftenthannotlackofsocialcapital.

Mostoftheseareaslackaccesstosecurelandtenuresystemswithaconstantthreatofeviction,althoughactualevictionisveryless.Thetenuresystemsinslumsarecomplicated,rangingfromcompletelyillegalresidencestoincrementaltenuresecuritysystems(suchaspropertiesrecognizedinmunicipalpropertytaxsystemsorwithlandleaseorno‐evictioncertificatesfromthegovernment).Mostoftheresidencesarepoorlyconstructedandlackbasicamenitieslikewatersupplyandsanitation.Evenwhenavailable,provision ofwater and sanitation are often inadequate and of poor quality. For example, evenwithindividualwaterconnectionsavailable,atypicalhouseholdwouldnotreceivewatersupplyformorethan2to3hourseverydayandwouldtypicallyfacesignificantreductionsinwatersupplyduringsummers.Thequalityofwateravailableintheareasisalsoanissue,asmostareaseitherlacksewagesystemsorhavefrequentbreakageleadingtomixingofsewagewaterwithwatersupplylines.Stormwaterdrainagesystemsarealsooftennon‐existentorclogged(duetolackofsolidwastemanagement)leadingtowater

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logginginmonsoons.Inefficientlivingspaces(with5to 6people sharing ahome) and lackof ventilationdue to the high population density in theneighbourhoodsarealsocommonphenomena.

Even when access is available, there are issues ofadequacy and quality‐ for example even withindividuals water connections available, a typicalhouseholdwouldnotreceivewatersupplyformorethan 2‐3 hours every day and would typically facehigh water cuts in summers. The quality of wateravailable intheareas isalsoan issue,asmostareaseitherlacksewagesystemsorhavefrequentbreakageleadingtomixingofsewagewaterwithwatersupplylines. Stromwater drainage systems are also oftennon‐existent or clogged (due to lack of solid wastemanagement)leadingtowaterlogginginmonsoons.Inefficientlivingspaces(with5to6peoplesharingahome)andlackofventilationduetothehighpopulationdensity intheneighbourhoodsisacommonphenomenon.

SlumsinIndiancitiesareoftenaresultofpoorlymanagedurbanization.Foralongtime,planningpolicyinIndiahasbeenfixatedon“controllingthesizeofcities”fearingthatpopulationgrowthwillmakethecities more congested and crumble the already deficient infrastructure. Instead of upgradinginfrastructuretomeetincreasingdemandsandallowingconcentrationsofpopulationstoliveindenseurbanareas, thepolicy focuswasonrestrictingsupplyofbuiltspacebycontrollingpermissiblebuiltdensities.Thelandsupplyandbuildingapprovalmechanismisalsobureaucraticandtediousandittakesuptoseveralyearstoconcertlandtoservicedbuiltspace.Theseregulatoryconstraintscreatesupplybottlenecksinthehousingmarketandpreventformalmarketsfromofferinghousingproductsthatareaffordabletolow‐incomegroups.Asaresult,theshareofpeoplelivinginslumsand‘informalhousinghasconsistentlyincreased.Inalltheprojectcities,aconsiderablesizeofthepopulationlivesinslums.

Further, government policies linking access to services to legal land titles prevent access to basicinfrastructure in slums. As a result, large percentage of slum population resides in unsanitary andhazardous conditions, lacking access to water and sanitation facilities and services. Their status as‘informal residents’ excludes them from benefitting from any public infrastructure investments,inclusions,andentitlements.Trappedinunderemployment,theyarepartoftheinformaleconomywithmeagerincomes,nojobsecurity,nosocialsecurity,andlimitedaccesstocredit.Withoutastrongpolicyfocusonpro‐poordevelopmentincities,slumsarelikelytoproliferate.Improvinglivingconditionsofthepooronalargescaleandbuildingtheirresilienceisacriticalconcern.

3.4 SLUMCOMMUNITIESANDCLIMATECHANGE

The dense urban population in South Asia is particularly susceptible to negative climatic changes,especiallyheatextremes,flooding,anddiseases(WorldBank2013)andthemostvulnerablearethoselivingininformalsettlements(IPCC,2013)duetoanumberoffactors:

Most  communities  are  located  in  low‐lying, 

downstream  areas,  near  drainage  lines.  There  is 

little  to  no  regular  collection  of  garbage,  and no 

door‐to‐door  collection  available.    Therefore,  the 

drains are consistently clogged.   Even one or two 

hours of rainfall can result in inundation of homes. 

High rainfall results in water logging for more than 

a few days (communities having experience of even 

two weeks of inundation) resulting in huge loss of 

property. Further  the water  logging often affects 

their  limited  access  to  water  and  sanitation 

services.  Regular  home  repair  and  maintenance 

expenses post monsoons is common. 

(Focused  Group  Discussions  with  communities  in 

Dhaka ) 

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A) Geographical Exposure: being locatedmostly in environmentally vulnerable areas‐ low lyinglandsmoreproneto floods/inundationorhighelevationswith lowgroundwater levels.Landtenureinsecurityfurtherhamperscapitalinvestmentinthesehabitations.

B) Occupational Exposure: dependentonoccupationswhichrequireheavyphysicallabour;outdoorworkinglikeconstruction,streetvendingand/orinformallivelihoodslikeseasonalvending,home‐basedwork,thatmaybedirectlyimpactedbydisasters.

C) Infrastructure Deprivation: livinginsettlementsthattypicallylackadequatedrainage,energyandcommunicationssystemswheretheimpactofaneventsuchasfloodingordroughtwillbefeltmoresharply than elsewhere. Low quality of their housing, with limited ventilation, inadequate coolingfacilitiesmakethemmorevulnerabletoclimatevagarieslikeheatstress.

D) Financial Susceptibility:havingpaucityofincomeresourcesandaccesstocreditandinsurance;areoftenforcedtoexhaustlimitedsavingsorassetsinordertorespond.

E) Social Marginalization: having least fall‐back options, limited resources and access toinformation,inhibitedrecognitionasacityresident.Slumsandinformalsettlementsareoftenexcluded,forinstance,fromearlywarningsystemsorfloodpreventioninfrastructure.

F) Gender Discrimination: given the gender roles in these societies, especially domesticresponsibilitieslikewaterfetching,foodsecurityandcaregiving,womenareevenmorevulnerableandbearthedualburdenoftheseclimate‐relatedevents.(UNWomenWatch,2009).

ClimateChangewillonlyfurtherexacerbatetheconditionsofthesecommunities.Extremeheateventsforexample,impacttheurbanpoor,livinginheatedconcreteboxes,withnowindows,ventilation,andnoorlittleaccesstoshade,fans,andothercoolingtechnologies,themost.Addingtothis,istheexposuretoheatduetooccupationalcompulsionsespeciallythoserequiringtoworkoutdoors inconstruction,streetvending,etc.Productivityofwomenhomebasedworkers,whomostlyworkinafternoonscouldalsogodownsometimesupto50%insummersresultinginreducedhouseholdincomesandincreasedfinancialburden.(FocusedGroupDiscussionswithcommunities)

Spatialanalysistechniqueshavealsorevealedthattheurbanpoorwhotendtoliveinlowlyinginformalsettlementsarehighlyvulnerabletosuchdisasters(Pillaietal2010;Hoffman2009;LallandDeichmann,2009).Thereisalsodocumentedevidencethatwomendieexponentialmorethanmenduringdisastersduetosocio‐economicdisadvantages(Neumayer&Pluemper,2007)5andthattheyarelikelytosuffermoreintheaftermathofdisasters,e.g.adolescentgirlsfacingsexualharassment(Bartlett,2008).

Apartfromfloods,thereisalsothefrequentinundationcausedbyheavyrainfalldays,resultinginmostslumdwellersfacinglossoflivelihoodandassetsduetoinlandflooding(Chatterjee2010).Self‐employedslumdwellerstypicallydonothavewarehousingfacilitiesorinsuranceagainsttheirassets.Floodsandinundationcaneasilydestroythephysicalassets(machines,rawmaterials,etc)ofthesebusinessesaswellashomes,leavingresidentsdestitute.Womendominatedsectorsaremorelikelytobeimpactedbytheseandareoftenworsthitbyclimaterelateddisasters(IUCN/WEDO,n.d).

                                                                 

5 Of the 140,000 who died from the 1991 cyclone disasters in Bangladesh, 90% were women. Reasons for the disparity include women not having been taught to swim, clothing restricting mobility and cultural norms regarding the preservation of female honour causing many women to leave their homes too late because they waited for a male escort. The mortality factor even holds true for heat waves. During the 2003 European heat wave, the excess mortality for women was 75% higher than that for men of all ages.  

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Thesituationgetsworsewithmixingofsewagewaterwith the flood water, which not only is a breedingground for diseases in the short term, but also haslong term health impacts if it infiltrates the watersupplysystemsoruppershallowaquifers(ifexistent)(Groenwall et al., 2010). This occurs because thesanitation situation is often bad in slums due toinsufficientsewagecanals,missingtoiletsandlackofstormwaterdrainagesystems.

Further,slumsandinformalsettlements,areoftennotconnected to public services like water supplysystemsandeveniftheyare,thisisofteninsufficientintermsoffrequency,durationandstability(Sekharetal.2005;KarnandHarada,2002)making themthemostdeprivedfromaccesstosafewater.Withincreasedwaterscarcity,theyareboundtobeevenmoredeprivedfromwaterservices.

Thereisalreadywelldocumentedevidencethaturbanpooraremorepronetodiseasessuchasdiarrhea,dengue,malaria,etc(Montgomery2009,Harpham2009,Mercasoetal2007,Cattaneoetal2007)andthattheywillbeatgreaterriskofadversehealthimpactsofclimatechange(IPCC,2007).Asthehealthrisksspreads,women’sworkloadincaringforthesickwillalsoincrease.Thiswillfurtherlimitthetimetheyhaveavailableforincomegenerationwhich,whencoupledwiththerisingmedicalcostsassociatedwith family illness, increase thehousehold financial burden andheighten the levels of poverty. ThespecificclimaterelatedimpactsandincreasedvulnerabilityofslumcommunitiesandwomenhasbeensummarisedinTable1next.

Table 1: Specifics of climate‐related impacts and increased vulnerability of slum communities especially women 

Climatestress

Vulnerabilitydrivers Impactonslumcommunities Additional burden onwomen

Extremeheat Microclimaticconditions

Poorly‐ventilateddwellings

Noaccesstocoolingspaces/trees

ExpensiveCoolingtechnologies

Outdoorworkspaces

Increased mortality‐ elderly andchildren

IncreasedStress,FatigueandIllness

ReducedProductivity

ReducedProductivity

Increasedcaregivingrole

Extremeprecipitation

(flooding andinundation)

SettlementinLowlyingareas

Flood prone construction (belowroadlevel)

Nostormwaterdrainage

Nosewagelinesorblocked/brokendrainage

InsecureLandTenure

Lossoflifeandassetsduringfloods

Temporary relocation can lead toeviction

Loss of assets‐ home, businesses anddocuments

LossofLivelihood

Increased health risk due to watercontamination

Higherrisktolife

Sexualharassmentandlackofprivacyatshelters

Increased drudgery ofaccessingsafewater

Increased child protectionrole

Water scarcityand

Contamination

Lessaccesstoreliablewatersupply

Dependenceongroundwater(oftenshallowaquifer)

Noknowledgeofqualityparameters

Compromisedwaterusage

Useofunsafewater

Incidenceofwaterrelateddiseases

Financialburden

Increased drudgery ofaccessingsafewater

Sometimes girls may dropfromschool

There is acute water shortage in the slums. During 

summers  it  is  difficult  to manage  drinking water 

even from distant sources. Few of the slums have 

wells  but  none  is  working  and  contains 

contaminated  water.  Ground  water  has  almost 

exhausted and quality is also very poor. As women 

have  the  prime  responsibility  for  water  at 

household  level, the declining water security adds 

to their drudgery of fetching and storing water. 

(Focused  Group  Discussions  with  communities  in 

Jaipur) 

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Withalowlivelihoodbaseandlimitedfall‐backoptions,theircapacitytowithstandclimatestressandshocksislimited,leavingthemtobecaughtinthe“povertytrap”‐theywillbecomepoorerduetoclimatechangebutnotbeabletomaketherequiredresilienceinvestmentsbecausetheyarepoorandlong‐termsolutionsseemeconomicallynon‐feasible(Sach,2005).Eventhoughtheyareoftenseencopingintheirownways,thesestrategiesarenotfeasibleinthelongrunandoftenputtheminanegativesituation.Thereisanurgentneedtocreatesolutionsforpositiveandtransformativeactionanddevelopacultureofresilienceamongthesecommunities,particularlywomen.

4. KEYACTORSANDSTAKEHOLDERSINVOLVEDINPROJECT

Themostcriticalsuccessparameterforanyprojectistheengagementofmultiplestakeholders.Thiswasalso the more important for this project as it recognised the lack of platforms and communicationchannelsbetweenmultiplestakeholdersasthekeybarriertobuildingresilienceofslumcommunities.TheprojectwasinfactconceptualisedbybothGRPandMHTasapartnershipprojectbetweenknowledgegeneratorsandcommunitiestolearnfromeachotherandjointdeviseresiliencesolutions.Thefirststeptowardsbuildingsuchaprojectnaturallywasadetailedstakeholderanalysis.Theprojectconceptionteamintheinitialphaseitselfundertookthisexercise(Figure3)andthenlookedforrelevantpartnersfor coming together as part of the GRPproject.

TheGRPprojectthuswasdevelopedasacollaborationof17partnerswithMahilaHousing SEWATrust (MHT) as the leadorganisation. This included along withthe slum communities, local womenleaders (Vikasinis), local governmentofficials and elected representativesincluded a multi‐disciplinary team ofurban planners, geo‐hydrologists,environmentalist, architects, civilengineers, mechanical engineers, geo‐informatics, insurance, public health,disaster management and communitymobilizers. (ListofprojectpartnersandtheircorecompetenciesisgiveninAnnex2).

LossofProductivehours

VectorBreeding

Openwaterbodies/nallas

Unhygienicwaterstoragepractices

Lowaccesstohealthcareservices

Increasedmorbidityandmortality

Lossofwages

Healthexpenditure

Increasedcaregivingrole

LossofProductivehours

Source:InputsfromTechnicalExperts;FocusGroupDiscussionswithCommunitiesandConsultationWorkshop.SeeAnnex1and2fordetails

Figure 3: Project Stakeholder Analysis

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Additionally, during the project development phase private start‐ups and service providers wereidentified to support specific project initiatives. This process of engagingwith relevant stakeholderscontinuedduringthetwo‐yearprojectphase.Inordertospecificallyenablethisprocess,between2015to2017,around15multi‐stakeholdereventswereconductedinvariousprojectcitiesbringingtogethermore than 200 sector experts and government officials. The background and context of the keystakeholdersandprojectactorsisbeingdescribedinthissection.

4.1 MAHILAHOUSINGSEWATRUST

MHTwas founded in1994by theSelfEmployedWomen’sAssociation (SEWA),aunionofpoor,self‐employedwomenworkers,inordertofacilitatebetterhousingandinfrastructureforitsmembersinthestateofGujarat.Today,MHTisworkinginseventeencitiesacrosseightstatesinIndiaandcollaboratingwithpartners inBangladeshandNepal. It isa leadingadvocacyorganizationwithexpertise inpolicydevelopment,grassrootsorganizing,communitydevelopmentandtechnicalknow‐howinlandtenure,construction, management and oversight of infrastructure projects. Most importantly, MHT createsopportunitiesforpoorwomentolearnabouthousingissuesandpublicprocesses,whichtheycannotgetanywhereelse.

MHT’smission is to organize andempowerwomen inpoor communities to improve theirhabitat.Aqualityhabitatisahomewithallbasicservicessuchascleanwater,toilets,electricity,andadequatelightandventilation.Itisakeyfinancialassetthatsupportslivelihoods,andmakesthepoormoreresilienttoheatstress,disease,andotherhazardsofclimatechange.MHTbelieveswomenaretheleaderstodriveprogressintheirunder‐servedcommunities.Throughitsgrassrootsprogramsinhabitatdevelopment,climatechangeresilience,andparticipatorygovernance,MHTempowerswomentoexercisetheirrightsandupliftlivingconditionsfortheirfamiliesandneighbours.

4.1.1 APPROACH  AND PROGRAMS

MHTbelievesthatthemosteffectivewayofensuringaccesstoservices,andlegalrightsinslums,andpoor areas is throughmobilizing communities, especiallywomen, and empowering them to procurebetter services for themselves. Hence MHT’s approach to habitat development is to supportdisenfranchised communities to build social capital and empower themwith technical knowledge toaffectchange.

Towards this, MHT helps women in poor communities organize themselves into local groups, orCommunityBasedOrganizations(CBOs),eachwitharound200to250families.Agroupof10‐12womenrepresentingthesefamiliesaretrainedasleadersandformaCommunityActionGroup(CAG)toactivelyinterfacewithgovernmentbodiesandtakechargeofimprovementprocesses.MHTalsofacilitatestheCBOsandCAGstoformtheirowncitylevelfederationcalled“Vikasini”‐whichisled,managedandownedbythewomenleadersthemselves.

Throughthisstronggrassrootwomen‐ledapproach,MHTworkstowardsimprovingthedeliveryofcorepublicservicesfortheurbanpoor.Thisinvolvesvitalneedsassessmentsofslumdwellers,conductedbymembersofthecommunity‐helpingthemelucidateandvoicetheirstakeintheprojects;workingoutsuitablenegotiatingplatforms;facilitatingpolicychangestomeettheneedsofthecommunities,andmostimportantlypromotingtransparencyandaccountabilityintheservicedeliverysystem.Overtheyears,

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MHT’s work has evolved from the core focus on water and sanitation services, to energy services,affordablehousinginfrastructureandfinance,landrightsandenablingparticipatoryurbangovernance.(Figure4).

 

Figure 4: Evolution of MHT's Programs 

Through its community‐based, women‐led approach, MHT has enabled access to basic services andhousingformorethan329,000families.Inaddition,theadvocacyofthesecommunitygroupshasledtomanyotherbenefitssuchas:

OverINR1065millionofpublicmoneyhasbeenchannellizedforprovisionofbasiccivicamenitiestotheslumfamilies.

ThecommunityitselfhaspaidanupfrontcontributionofoverINR444milliontowardsinfrastructuredevelopmentfortheseservices.

4.1.2  KEY  PARTNERSHIPS    

MHT recognises that to be effective in influencing ‘higher level’ policy decision‐making, grassrootorganisationsneedtolinkwithothergroupssharingsimilarconcerns.Itisonlybyformingpartnerships,canwestrengthenthesocialnetworksoftheCBOsandVikasinis,bettercompeteforlimitedresourcesandincreaseparticipationandvoiceinmacroleveldeliberations.

MHThasthisbeenfocusingondevelopingkeypartnershipswiththelocalgovernmentsandacademicinstitutions.MHTworksverycloselywiththeAhmedabadMunicipalCorporationaspartofitsvariousslumdevelopmentactivities:Parivartan‐SlumNetworkingprogramme;SlumElectrificationProgramme;DPRpreparationforRajivAwasYojana(RAY),ResettlementfacilitationunderJNNURM,andAffordablehousingprogramme.TheworkhasalsobeenrecognisedbytheAMC,whenitofficiallyinductedMHTaspartofthecitySlumNotificationBoard,thecommitteeforCitySanitationPlan,andthecommitteefor

•Began in 1995 as "Parivartan" Slum Networksing Project (SNP): a uniquepartnership between slum communities, AMC, MHT, SEWA Bank & private sector toextend a package of 7 services (individual toilets, sewerage connections, waterconnections, paved streets, streetlights, storm water drainage, and wastemanagement) into slum areas.

Water, Sanitation and Waste Management

•Began in 2001 as " Ujjala" to provide legal electric connection in Ahmedabadslumsin partnership with Torrent Power (then Ahmedabad Electricity Company).MHT has since then expanded its energy program to other states. Along withenabling grid connections, MHT also promotes the use of energy efficient &renewable sources.

Efficient and Renewable Energy

•Began in 2001 as a housing finance programme to support the SNP programme. Theprogramme has expanded into a full‐fledged programme since 2005 with MHTworking in close collaboration with the local governments and real estatedevelopers to enable affordable housing for all.

Affordable Housing and Land Rights 

•Beganin2008withtheformationofthefirstVikasiniinAhmedabadandwaslaterexpandedwithfocusonadvocacyforinfluencingurbanplansandpolicies.

Participatory Urban Governance

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ZeroWasteManagement.InDelhi,too,MHTisonthesteeringcommitteetosupporttheMunicipalActforthepoor.INRanchitoo,MHTisapartofthePradhanMantriAwasYojana(PMAY)committee.

ThesuccessofMHT’sworkhasbeenbasedonthefactthat,MHTdoesnotfocusonlyonidentificationofgapsinimplementationofpeoplecentricprogrammesbutworksintandemwithlocalgovernmentstodevelop pro‐poor solutions. This requires constant liasioningwith civic officials‐ sensitizing them topeople’sneedswhileunderstandingproceduraldynamics;maneuveringred‐tapewhileremainingwithintheregulatoryframeworks;demonstratingworkableapproachesonthegroundandtrainingULBsontheseapproaches.

MHThasalsobeen lobbyingat theStateandNational levels forenablingPro‐PoorWater,Sanitation,EnergyandHousingPoliciesandProgrammes.Themainfocusisonstreamliningtheproceduresandensuringbettertransparencyandaccountabilityforentitlementofsubsidytothepoorundertheexistingschemes.

Someimportantachievementsinthisregardhavebeen;

BeingappointedasaconsultingexpertbytheGujaratUrbanDevelopmentAuthorityforUrbanPoorPrograms

MemberontheexpertcommitteefortheRajivAwasYojanaoftheGovernmentofGujarat OntheguidingcommitteeofMinistryofHousingandUrbanPovertyAlleviationforimplementing

JNNURM TaskForceMember,PrimeMinister’sOffice(PMO)taskforceforAffordableHousing SteeringCommitteeMember,AffordableHousingandPovertyAlleviationfortheNationallevel

12thfive‐yearplan,PlanningCommission MHTworksverycloselywithHUDCOandtheNationalHousingBankinformulatingtheirpro‐

poorprograms. MHTwasonthecommitteeformedbyMinistryofHousingandUrbanPovertyAlleviations.

MHThasalsofocusedonenablingcommunitypartnershipswithotherorganisationsinAhmedabad.Thepurposeofpartnershipsistoallowcommunityorganisationstogrowbeyondtheirownlocalconcernsand to takeastrongerpositiononbroader issues throughnetworkingandadvocacy.While themostimportantpartnershiphasbeendevelopedwiththelocalmunicipalbodiesandelectedrepresentatives,Vikasini, Ahmedabad, has also been able to form partnerships with academic organisations likeEnvironmentalPlanningCollaborative;UrbanManagementCentre,Ahmedabad;privatesectorbodieslikeSELCOandSEWAsisterorganisationsliketheLokSwasthyaSEWATrust,SEWAAcademyandtheSEWABank.

4.1.3 EXPANDING INTO  CLIMATE  RESILIENCE 

TheevolutionoftheprogramsofMHThasbeenorganic,mainlybasedontheneedsanddemandsofthepartner communities. MHT has always also been a learning organisation, trying to explore newknowledgeandtechnologieswhichcanbenefitthecommunities.Asapartofthisprocess,whenanewstaffmember,withexperienceofworkingongenderandClimateChange,joinedMHTin2013shewasencouragedtomakeapresentationontheissueinaVikasinimeeting.Thepresentationtriggedanewthoughtprocesswithintheorganisation.Firstly,therewasarealisationthatmuchoftheworkthatMHTwasdoingwasbuildingresilienceofthecommunitiesforClimateChange.However,theperspectivetounderstand the long term impacts and build in the same into the current programmeswas lacking.Secondly, the Vikasini leaders discussed how they are already experiencing the impacts of extremetemperatureandprecipitationandexpressedtheneedtolearnmoreontheissue.Asthatstaffmember

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(nowoperationsheadandconvenoroftheGRPproject)hadwrittenfortheMHTblogin2015,“AtalkwhichIthoughtwouldbequiteeasyturnedouttobeadauntingtaskwhenIrealizedIwastalkingtowomenwhohadnoideaofGlobalWarming,ScenarioProjections,notevenGreenhouseEffect.AndyettheyweretheonesIknewaretobethemostaffectedbytheimpactofthechangingclimate.SoIdidwhatIknewbest,asked thewomenwhat theywere experiencing about the changingweather conditions.And voilà, thewomennotonlyknewwhatwashappening,butwereintheirownwaysdevelopingmechanismstocopewithit.Itwasveryindividualspecific,oftenbasedontraditionalknowledge,butitwasworkingforthem.Thisgotmethinking,ifjustexperiencecouldhelpagroupofwomentofixsomanyproblems,whatcouldtheynotdoiftheyhadtherequisitescientificknowledge,capacitiesandtechnologies.Canthisbeawaytodevelopactionableadaptationplans?Togetsolutionswhicharedemonstratedontheground,andwhichtheworldofpoorwillbereadytoadoptbecauseitwouldseemsoreal,soneartothem.” 

ThathowMHT started exploringmoreon the issueofClimateResilience, engaging specificallywithtechnicalexpertsfromIndianInstituteofPublicHealth(IIPH),GandhinagarandCentreforEnvironmentEducation(CEE),Ahmedabad.Initiallythediscussionswerelimitedtounderstandingtheissueandhowit impactswomen from slum communities. Subsequently, MHT also organised a specific training onClimate Change for Vikasini, Ahmedabad, with the help of CEE. Gradually there was a sharedunderstandingthatthereneedstobeadeeperlevelofengagementontheissueandweneededtogoaboutitscientifically.

ButthekeychallengewashowdoweactuallytransferthisscientificknowledgetotheourgrassrootstaffandVikasinileaders.Climatescience,isaverytechnicalsubject(ormaybewehavemadeitso)anditfeltverydifficulttotransferthesciencetothelesserliterateoroftenilliteratewomen.Again,thereisthecomplexity of inter‐linkages and inter‐connectedness between various issues, which needs to beunderstoodbeforeonetakesdecisions.Asimplesolutionlikeapond‐whichmayseemveryenvironmentfriendlyandhelpfulingroundwaterrechargecanbeactuallynotsousefuliftheregionisgoingtohavehighheatwavesandtherebyhighevaporationratesandworstcouldbedisastrousifthewaterpathwaysarehighlycontaminatedespeciallywithsewageandothersolidwasteaswecouldendupcontaminatingthe ground water aquifer. This needs multi‐disciplinary approach. But we also needed this multi‐disciplinaryteamtoworktogetherwitheachotherandwiththewomentohelpthemdevisethemostusefulsolutions.

Andherecameanotherchallenge.Sectoralexpertsareoftenverypossessiveabouttheirownsubjectsandnotsoopenwhencomestodeviatingfromtheirsaidhypothesis.Soitwasimportanttodevelopacommonframeworkwhichtheycouldworkon.Thisiseasiersaidthandoneaswedidnotknowhowtodevelopthis“COMMON”framework.That’swhereMHTthoughthewomencouldtaketheleadandtheydid.We thusdecided towork togetherwea common theme “WhereWomen takeLead inClimateAction”.

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4.2. SLUMCOMMUNITIES

4.2.1. SOCIO‐ECONOMICBACKGROUND

The slum communities involved in the project in Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Jaipur mainly belong toBackwardCasteswhilethoseinRanchimainlybelongtotheScheduledTribes6.Thecastecompositionwas reasonably similar to that of the countrywith45%OtherBackward Castes and 20%Scheduledcastes.Thecommunitieshaveahighlevelofilliteracywitharoundone29percentnotevenbeingabletoreadorwriteandaround19percentonlybeingabletosigntheirnames.Only8.5percentofthewomeninterviewedhadgonetohighschoolandabove.(Projectbaselinesurvey,2016)

The residents are mostly low‐income communities working in the informal sector as daily wagelabourers, construction workers, iron smiths, tailors, embroiderers, domestic help, bamboo basketmakers,necklacemakers,sweepersandragpickers,vegetableandfoodvendors,orsellers inclothesmarketsandhome‐basedworkers(papad,agarbattimakers).Somealsoworkinfactories,orasauto‐drivers,plumbers,masons,electricians,etc.Mostofthemlackaccesstosecureincomes.Around70%ofthe families reported an annual income between 1000 to 3500 USD in 2016. Comparatively annualincomesarehigherinAhmedabadascomparedtootherprojectcities.(Projectbaselinesurvey,2016)

Althoughmostlymigrantsfromruralareasfromthesameornearbystates,mostofthesepeoplehavebeenresidinginthecityformorethantwodecades.Theprojectbaselinesurvey(2016)showedthat80percentof the treatment families interviewedhadresided in thecity forat least15years.Nearly90percentofthehouseholdsreportedthattheyownedtheirhomesbutonlyhalfofthemheldproperlegaltitlestotheirhomesandaround30percentwereillegal.(Projectbaselinesurvey,2016).Mostofthesehomes have been purchased without proper legal documentation long back. Mostly illiterate, thecommunitieshavenotbeenabletogettherequiredregistrations.Also,thesearetheonlyhomeswhichcomeataffordableratestothepoor.Itgenerallybeginswithtakingland,eitherfromthelandownerorlocal landmafia, and building a hut and graduallymoving towards semi‐permanent and permanenthouses). This does give these communities a higher level of security and social capital compared totransient communities (settlements that lack permanent/ semi‐permanent houses). MHT does notgenerally engage transient communities. However, the overall level of social capital among thecommunitiesisgenerallyverylow.Thebaselinesurveyassessmentalsoreflectedalowlevelofsocialcapitalamongtheslumcommunities,especially thosewhereMHThadnotworkedbeforetheprojectintervention. The project referred these slum communities as emergent communities. All slumcommunities in Jaipur, Bhopal and Ranchi fall into this category; while one third of the slums inAhmedabadfallunderthiscategory.

MHThasalsoovertheyearsworkedwithmanyslumcommunitiesespeciallyinAhmedabadtoaccesstheseservices.Aspertheorganisation’sapproach,typicallythereistheformationofaCommunityBasedOrganisationwitharound200to250familiesaremembers(mainlythewomenofthehousehold).Ofthese 10 to 15 women would have been identified as leaders and provided with trainings andhandholdingsupporttoengagewithlocalmunicipalcorporation,officialsandelectedrepresentatives,to

                                                                 

6 Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are people belonging to those communities which have been recognised by the Indian Constitutions as socio‐economically backward. The Constitution also empowers the government to make special provisions for these communities without infringement of the fundamental right to equality. 

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demandandaccessbasicservices.Theseslumshaveahigherlevelofsocialcapitalhavebeenreferredtoasestablishedslums.Aroundtwo‐thirdsoftheslumsinAhmedabadfallunderthiscategory.

Lack of proper tenure and city policieswhich link provision of basic services likewater, sanitation,sewageandelectricitytolandtenuremeansthatmostslumsaredeprivedonthenecessaryinfrastructureandalackaccesstotheseservices.However,notallthe100slumcommunitiesintervenedareofsimilarnature. Government policies in India have changed over the years andwithmany city governmentsfocusingonprovidingservicesatleasttoregularornotifiedslums,thereareslumswhichhavevaryingdegreesofaccesstobasicservices.

Basedontheprojectbaselinesurveydata,onecansaythataroundhalfoftheslumhouseholdswouldhaveaccesstopipedwatersupplyfromthemunicipality.However,mosthouseholdsonlyreceiveoneortwohoursofwaterperdaywhichisquiteinadequate.Thereishugedependenceongroundwaterandthe declining availability has heightened the water stress in summer months. The quality of waterdrasticallydeterioratesduringthemonsoon‐forcingpeopletofetchdrinkingwaterfromhandpumpsorborewellsthatarebetweenhalftotwokmsaway.

Sanitationissueshavebeenaddressedoflatewitharound90percenthouseholdshavingaccesstotoilets.Opendefecation,however,remainsaprobleminsomeofthesettlementsevenwheretoiletsareprovided.Thelackofproperdrainagesystemcreatesanissueinotherwiseimprovedareas.Thereareindividualsewerconnections in80%of thehomes, althoughoverflowingsewers isamajor issue.Thedrainagesystemisoftenclogged,causingwaterloggingaswellasmixingofsewagewaterwithdrinkingwatersupplysystems.

Garbagedisposalisalsoseriousissueasmostsettlementsdonothavepropergarbagedisposalsystem,andsogarbageisoftencollectednearhomesoristhrownintonearbycanals.Almostallfamilieshaveaccess to electricity, althoughmanymayhave illegal connections.The electricity supply is good, andresidentsexperiencefewoutages.Theelectricityusageandcosthassignificantlyincreasedoverthelastdecade.

Giventhe lackof financialsecurityandsocialcapitalaccompaniedby limitedaccesstobasicservices,thesefamiliesarealsohighlyvulnerabletoclimatechange.Furtherevenwithinthesecommunities,thereisadifferencewithsomefamiliesbeingathighriskwhileothershavingamoderateorlowrisk.Accordingto the project baseline survey (2016); around 26 percent of the families fall in the high vulnerablecategory, 34 percent in themoderate vulnerability category and 41 percent in the low vulnerabilitycategory.

4.2.2GOVERNANCEINSLUMS

Slumresidentsaresubject toconstantuncertainties‐ theft,disease, lossof livelihoods,environmentalhazards,andtheconstantthreatofevictionanddemolition.Everydaysurvivalisalsoastruggle.Theyfacethedifficultchallengeofsecuringaccesstobasicservicessuchasdrinkingwater,toilets,andhealthand education. Informal social networks and systems of governance often evolve in these slums tomitigatetheserisksandimprovetheinterfacebetweenthegovernmentandcitizens.

Thesesystemsofgovernancevarybasedonfactorssuchastheslum’sethnicconstituency,howlongithasbeenestablished,andhowithasbeenestablished.Someparticularlyheterogeneouscommunitiesdonothaveanysingleslum‐widegovernancesystem.Eachofthecaste/communitybasedclustershavetheirownsocialnetworksthatprovidesupportinfaceofadversities.Overtheyears,informalleadership

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emergesinslumcommunities.Theseinformalleaderscalledaagevansorpramukhsareoftenbackedbypolitical patronage,which allows them to bring short‐term, often need‐based improvements in slumareas.Whileinsomecommunities,theseaagevansenjoylocalpublicsupport,inotherstheyrulethroughfearandintimidation.Theyhaveavestedinterestinkeepingtheslumspoorandunderdevelopedsothattheycankeepcontrol.Theysometimesalsooperateillegalbusinesses(rangingfromsupplyingutilitieslikewater,throughamake‐shiftpipedsupplynetwork,oftenatveryhighpricestomanufacturingandsellinggooch/localalcoholanddrugs).Theseactivitiesthriveontheslumremainingunder‐developedandaninsulatedterritorywithminimalinterferencefromgovernment.

Box 2: MHT's approach to organising slum communities 

WhenMHTentersacommunity,ittriestoestablishanewsystemofgovernance,whichiswomen‐led,basedontrustandlegitimacy,andonethatamplifiestheircollectivevoicetonegotiateforbetterserviceswith the government. In some rare instances,MHT also co‐opts into existing systems ofgovernance.MHTalmostoftenfacesresistancefromthelocalleadersandthugs(largelymenwithpoliticalbacking).These local thugsstallchange,oftenmocking,spreading falserumorsabouttheorganizationaswellascommunitywomenparticipatingintheprocess.Inafewinstancesthepast,womenfromthecommunityaswellasMHTfieldworkershavealsobeenphysicallyassaultedandthreatened. In the face of such active resistance, the mobilization and community organizationprocessoftentakesuptoafewmonths.TheMHTinstitutedgovernancesystemcomprisesCBOsthataremembership‐basedgroupsoffamiliesresidinginslums.EachCBOconsistsofbetween200to250families.ThepresenceofCBOsmakesitpossibleforslumfamiliestodirectlygetinvolvedinslumimprovement processes/ other actions which require monetary and non‐monetary support/contributionfromthewholecommunity.Agroupof10‐12womenrepresentingthesefamiliesaretrained as leaders to actively interfacewith government bodies and take charge of improvementprocesses.Thisgroupofleadersistermedasthecommunityactiongroup(CAG).TheCAGmemberstakea lead in securingaccess tobasic servicesand legal rights, aswell as inother socialwelfareactionsinhealth,education,andwomen’srights.WithinvestmentsinCBOsandcapacitydevelopmentofwomenleaders,therearerisingaspirationsamongcommunityleaderstomovebeyondensuringbasic civic services in their slums and strengthening their influence on city level policies andprograms.

4.2.3 VIKASINIFEDERATION

Asapartofitseffortstoimproveaccesstobasicservicestoslumcommunities between 1998 and 2008, MHT had enabled theformationofaround150Community‐basedorganisations(CBOs)inAhmedabad.TheseCBOsthroughtheirwomenleaders,notonlyled to physical habitat improvements, but also social, economicandorganizational improvements in the livesof local residents.Thewomenleadersthensettheirsightsbeyondbasicserviceacquisitionandtowardsuchprioritiesasbetter housing facilities as well as governance issues. Towards this they started working to tacklesystems‐level issues like electricity, property tax and housing, land tenure, and identificationdocumentationsforrationandelectioncards.Atthislevel,however,individualCBOsarelimitedintheamount of leverage they can bear on citywide programs, and soMHT began introducing an idea ofcollaborationbetweenwomenleadersfromdifferentcommunities.

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This collaborativeconceptemergedmostprominently inNovember2008whenaSammellanof 140CBOswasorganisedinAhmedabadtodiscussanexitstrategythatwouldreducethedirectinvolvementofMHTwithineachCBOs.ItwasrealisedthateachCBOhadprogressedalongacontinuum,fromlimitedorganization to collective action on community‐wide, social and political concerns. The” Vikasini”federationwasthenbornoutofthisexperienceanddeterminationwithineachlocalitytofosterhigher‐level, city‐wide interventions. An informal body, the Vikasini represents a vital link between thegovernmentandtheurbanslumdwellers,servingtogivetheurbanpooravoiceandcommandattentiontopolicydesignandimplementationthatdirectlyaffectthesecitizens’dailylives.

There is no hierarchical structure and each Vikasini member represents two to three CBOs. TherepresentativemaintainsconstantcontactwiththeCBOtobringforththeirissuesandconcernstothecitylevelboard.Thesemembersmeeteveryfortnighttoupdateeachotheraboutdevelopmentsintheircommunityandplantheircourseofaction.Theyalsoserveasacommunitychangeagentsincetheseleadersarealmostalwaysthefirstportofcallwhereverthereisaprobleminthecommunity,especiallyrelated to basic civic services, and land and housing disputes. The Vikasini leaders also bridge theimportantinformationgapbypassingonrelevantgovernmentnotificationsonnewpolicies,surveysorschemeswithintheircommunity.BasicallytheVikasiniworksatthreelevels:

1. Citizen‐level:workonbehalfofindividualsineachcommunityonapplicationsforidentityproofsand other personal documentation (election card, ration card, UID, etc.) aswell as assist theprocurementofwelfarebenefitsrelatedtopensions,scholarships,andotherlivelihoodsupport.

2. Area‐level:workasthe liaison for twotothreeCBOsto localULBs foroperations, repairandmaintenanceof civic service, theprovisionofadditional facilitiessuchplantationandrailwaycrossings,andforareaplanningandenumerations.

3. City‐level: represent the voices of poor and women in multi‐stakeholder dialogues andworkshops,andprovideinputsincityplansandpolicies.

CurrentlytheVikasiniinAhmedabadismadeupof154CBOsandledby21voluntarywomen‐leaders.(Box3)Therepresentativesaredirectlyandsuccessfullyinvolvedinpushingforwardapro‐pooragendawithin thecity governancestructure.Encouragedby the success inAhmedabad,MHTalsopromotedVikasinisinSurat,DelhiandJaipurnow.WeviewthismodelofadvocacyandimplementationasvitaltosuccessfulresilienceactionineverycitywhereMHTworks.

Box 3: Progress and Achievements of Vikasini Ahmedabad beyond MHT’s core mandate 

Since2008,whenVikasiniAhmedabadwasformed,thewomenleadershaveconstantlyworkedinclosecoordinationwithMHTtoenablehousing,energy,waterandsanitationservicesforall.However,theyhavealsomovedbeyondthesetoplayavitalroleinlinkingthepoorcommunitymemberswithotherlocalandStateGovernment initiatives. Inmanycases,Vikasini representativescollectapplicationsfromgovernmentoffices,distribute themamongst theeligible families/persons,providesupport infillingouttheapplications,and,ifrequired,escortthecommunitymemberstotherelevantgovernmentofficesforfollow‐upsonthesubmittedforms.Thusfar,Vikasinimembershavesupportedmorethan7000women,toavailrelevantdocumentsandcertificates,getbenefitsofgovernmentwelfareschemesandprogrammesofothercivilsocietyorganisations.Vikasini,Ahmedabadhasespeciallyfocusedon

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buildingpartnershipswithotherorganisations,expandingtheirreachandtheirinfluence.Whiletheirmostimportantpartnershipsarewiththelocalmunicipalbodiesandelectedrepresentatives,VikasinihasalsocollaboratedwithacademicorganisationsliketheEnvironmentalPlanningCollaborative,theUrbanManagementCentre,privatesectorbodieslikeSELCO,andsocialinstitutionssuchastheLokSwasthyaSEWATrust,SEWAAcademyandtheSEWABank.

Beginningwiththeirinvolvementinplanningandresearchofpro‐poorprogrammes,theVikasini isnow officially invited by the AhmedabadMunicipal Corporation (AMC) and other organisations toparticipateonanumberofissues.Overtheyears,Vikasini,Ahmedabadhasbeeninvolvedin: TheAhmedabadCityDevelopmentPlan2020,CitySanitationPlanandZeroWasteManagement

Plan Updatingthevoterlistforwardnumber13onrequestofthelocalAMCMunicipalCouncillor. Biometric survey and data collection under Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and Jawaharlal Nehru

NationalUrbanRenewalMission(JNNURM)forAMC. PublictoiletsandpublicconvenienceassessmentsfortheUrbanManagementCentre. WaterandsanitationservicesassessmentinMehsanausingmobiletechnology. Researchonbicyclingandtransportationchoicesofthepoor. Mappingofserviceavailabilityandhouseholdstatusin1,262slumsandchawlsofAhmedabadfor

EnvironmentalPlanningCollaborative(WorldBankfundedresearchproject). Mobileenabledmappingsurveyof50,000plushouseholdsinnewlyincorporatedfringeareasof

AhmedabadMunicipalCorporationwiththeaimtomarkoutthehomesofthepoorwhowouldbeeligibleforbenefitsofgovernmentschemes.

Surveyandplanningforpilotatslumslevelforenabling24x7watersupplyservicesinAhmedabad. TakingsessionsinawintercourseforstudentsofCentreforEnvironmentPlanningandTechnology

(CEPT)instituteinAhmedabad.

 

4.3. TECHNICALEXPERTS

Thechallengesofgrowthandresiliencebuildingfacedbytheurbanpoorrequiressoundresearchandinnovations.However,takingtheinnovationtoscaleoftenfacesbarriersrelatedtothemulti‐dimensionalandmulti‐stakeholdernatureofsocialchallenges.(see5.1 Barriers to ResilienCe Building of SlumDwellers).Dealingwiththisrequiredanewapproachwheresocialandtechnologicalprogressco‐evolvesthrough direct dialogue between the natural and social sciences and collective action betweencommunitiesandtechnicalexperts.Oneofthekeyaspectsoftheprojectwasthustofacilitateprocessesandplatformswhichenablecommunities,andtechnicalexperts(socialandnaturalscientists)tointeractandco‐createpro‐poorresilientsolutions.

4.3.1 TYPESOFTECHNICALACTORS

Giventhemulti‐dimensionalnatureoftheproject,fourtypesoftechnicalexpertswerepartoftheproject:

a) Innovativeentrepreneursandbusinesses:Mainlyinterestedinarrangingademonstrationoftheirproduct/serviceintheslums,theentrepreneursandbusinesssoughtthehelpofMHTtogetanentryintothecommunitiesandaspacetoshowcasetheirproduct.MHT’sinterestwasmainlytoexploremultiplesolutionstothevariousproblemstobeabletosupportthecommunitiestoselectthemostefficientandcost‐effectivesolution.Theideawastocreateabasketofchoicesforthecommunitytochoosefrombasedontheirneeds,aspirationsandfinancialstatus.Duringtheproject a range of such partners dealingwith improved roofing solutions, water purificationproducts,compostingtechnologies,buildingtechnologies,etcwasexplored.

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b) Academic Institutions‐UniversitiesandPublicResearch Institutes :Academic institutions

played many roles including enabling systems thinking approach, providing subject specificinputs and technical trainings and creation of knowledge products (technical manuals,audio/videobytes,etc).ThekeyinstitutesparticipatingfortechnicalsupportespeciallyrelatedwithwaterandheatstresswereFreeUniversityofBerlin(FUB)andIndianInstituteofPublicHealthGandhinagar(IIPHG).Theseinstitutesparticularlyengagedundertakingappliedresearchprojects in JaipurandAhmedabad. Inaddition,UniversityofGeorgiaTech,AtlantaalongwithIIPHGleadtheformativeandsummativeprojectevaluationtobeabletocaptureanddisseminatethelearnings.

c) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Social Innovators: Local CSOs with differentorganizationalfocusandexpertisewerealsoinvolvedintheprocess.ThekeyamongthemwasCentre for Environment Education (CEE)which led the communication and behavior changeaspectsoftheproject.Inaddition,theprojectalsoinvolvedmultiplecommunicationtechnologypartners‐MobileVaani(formobilebasedcommunication);RadioNazaria(acommunityradiostationatAhmedabad);AyanMedia(avisualcommunicationagency).Thehighlightoftheprojectwasthattheseagenciesdidnotworkinisolationbutcametogethertosupporttheprojectdevelopanintegratedandeffectivecommunicationstrategy.

d) Individual Subject Matter Experts: The fourth set of technical experts involved a lot ofindividualswithsubjectmatterexpertise,whodemonstratedaninterestinworkingdirectlywiththecommunities/grassroottotrainthemordesignproductsandservicesforthem.Theprojectbenefitted from the expert services of more than 20 people from the field of health, vectormanagement, disaster management, water management, behavior change analysis and riskmanagementandinformationtechnology.Theseexpertscamefromdifferentbackgrounds‐somehadworkedwiththegovernmentwhilesomewithCSOs,bringinginvariedperspectivestothesameissue.

The focuswasonpartneringwithhighlyspecialized, local,national, internationalexperts.Oneaspectwhichrancommonacrossallthepartnerswastheirintentiontoenablepolicychangeforscale‐mostofthepartnershadworkedwiththelocal,stateornationalgovernment.

Thereweremore than 21 organisations/individualswhichwere involved in the project as partners,althoughnotallpartnershadanequalstake.Whiletheinnovatorsandentrepreneurswerelimitedtodealingwith theirproducts,many individual subjectmatter experts limited toproviding trainings tocommunityandstaffandparticipationinprojectrelatedworkshops.Mainlytherewerefourpartners‐IIPHG, FUB, Georgia Tech and CEE which were involved in depth into the project designing andimplementationandmonitoring.

4.3.2 TECHNOLOGYFORSLUMS

TheinitialattractionformostpartnerstocollaboratewasMHT’sabilitytomobiliseslumcommunitiesespeciallywomen and the approach of the project designingwhich enabled the partners to interactdirectlywiththewomenleaders.Thisprocessbeingfacilitatedintheprojectdesignstageitself,wasakeymotivationforthepartnerstocontinuetobeapartoftheproject.

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Thisisinterestingbecauseonethekeybarrierstoinnovationandtransferofknowledgeidentifiedbytheprojectwastheskillsandabilitiesoftechnicalexpertstoworkwithcommunities.Currently,thishappensintwoways:

a) Forresearchpurposes‐whentheUniversityofthePRIwouldsenditsstudentsorsurveyorstothe communities to get data from them which would inform the research project. Here thecommunityisbasicallyasupplierofinformation,withnoorlittlecontrolovertheanalysisandconclusions drawn. In fact in most cases, the results may not even be shared with thecommunities.

b) Formarketingpurposes‐Innovatorsaswellasbusinesseswithestablishedproducts,everyonehasstartedtolookatslumcommunitiesasatargetpopulation,especiallythosewhoarealevelhigheronthepovertypyramid.However,boththesegroupsfacemultiplechallenges.Firstly, the products or services offered are often designed in a genericmanner and are notsuitableforslumcommunities.Theyneeddesignsthatareplannedfordensity,havemixedormultiple use, build on their existing investments, are cost‐effective and at the same timeaspirational.Hence, even thougha rangeof climateresilientsolutions forheat resistanceandwatermanagementarealreadyavailable,theyareofteninaccessibleandunsuitablyprototypedtomeetthespecificneedsofthesecommunities.Often,thetechnologyofferedisnotinsyncwiththeexisting infrastructureor theexistingspaceconstraints.Thishappensmainlybecause theinnovatorhasnospacetotesttheprototypeoftheproductdirectlywiththeslumcommunitiesandalsono facilitation forvalidationof theprototype.Oneof theessentialservicesthatMHTbroughtintothispartnershipwasfacilitationtotestandprovidefeedbackontheprototypeandtovalidatethesolution.Thesecondchallengeisforbusinessestohaveapropersupplychainmodelwhichenablesthemtoreachoutproductstocommunitiesatascale.Thecurrentdistributor‐basedmodelofmostbusinesses which require high upfront investments are not successful in slum communitieswherethecapacitytopayislowandinitialturnoverislessmakingthebusinesslessviable.WhileMHTisstillstrugglingtoenablebigchangesinthis,theCAGleadersandVikasinishavebeenabletomakeamarkbybecomingsalesagentsandmarketeersformanyoftheproducts.Thishelpsdisseminate theproduct in thecommunitywhile alsobecominga sourceof livelihood for thewomenleaders.Thethirdchallengeisthecost.Mostinnovationsattheinitialstagearenotcosteffectiveespeciallyasthemanufacturerhasnotachievedtheeconomiesofscale.Thismakestheproductscostlierandoften therearenotmanytakersat theslum levels.Asslumdwellershave littleaccess toformal finance, they are not even able to take these on instalments. MHT has beenworkingtowardsenablingthisbylinkingslumdwellerstoformalbanksandcreditcooperativesaswellasbyhaving a revolving fund specifically created for financing suchproducts.This is alsoanattractionforinnovatorsaswellasbusinessestopartnerwithMHT.

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4.4. GOVERNMENTACTORS

4.4.1 MUNICIPALCORPORATORS(LOCALCOUNCILORS)

MunicipalcorporatorsorCouncilorsaremembersofthelocalgovernmentcouncil.Theyareelectedfromdifferentwards7,whicharebothelectoral/politicalsub‐divisionsandadministrativesubunitsinIndiancities.

Acouncillor’sprimaryroleistomonitortheactivitiesofurbanlocalbodyintheprovisionofallmunicipalservices and ensure their effectiveness in their respectivewards. They oversee the responsibility toensure coverage and functioning of public works like water, sewer, sanitation, lighting, solid wastemanagement,roads,governmentschools,hospitals,publicparksetc.,andhencearetheclosesttothecommunities.

Inmostcities,thecouncilorsareallocatedasetbudgetforcarryingoutdevelopmentactivitiesintheirwards.InAhmedabadforexample,eachwardcouncilorisallocatedanannualbudgetofRs.22Lakhs(2017‐2018).Eachwardisrepresentedby4Councillors,hencethetotalcouncillorbudgetforthewardisRs.88 lakhs. InBhopal, theannualallocatedbudget foreachwardcouncillor isaboutRs.25 lakhs(2016‐17).

Apart from councillors ward development funds, in some Corporation example Ahmedabad,Bhubhaneshwar,Ranchialsosetsasideacapitalbudgetfortheward.8Toutilizethesecapitalfunds,thecouncilors are required to submit the intent andestimatedbudgetforaproposedcapitalimprovementandgetitsanctionedfromthelocalbody.

Overthelast20years,MHThasmobilizedandtrainedwomen leaders from poor communities to engagewith the councilors and leverage their budgets tobringinimprovementstotheirarea.Withtheactiveengagementandfinancialsupportoflocalcouncilors,the women leaders have been able to bring abouttangibleimprovementsintheirareas.

4.4.2TECHNICALSTAFFOFLOCALGOVERNMENT

Whilethecouncillorsformthedeliberativewingofthelocalgovernment,allMunicipalCorporationsalsohaveanexecutivewingheadedby theMunicipalCommissioner.Thesearesubsequentlydivided intozone/wardlevelofficesanddifferentfunctionaldepartmentslikepublichealthandengineering,waterandsanitation,schooleducation,etc.Thefunctionaldepartmentsaredifferentlyorganisedindifferentcities.Thesearebutthecoremunicipalstaffwhoplan,sanctionandimplementthevariousprogrammesandservicesofthemunicipalcorporation.Thesedepartmentshaveanumberoftechnicalstaffmainly

                                                                 

7 Asdiscussedearlierinsection‐‐‐‐, thepopulationofacitydeterminesthenumberofwardsinamunicipalarea.Forexample,inAhmedabad,typicallyonewardcomprisesapopulationofaboutonehundredthousand(Onelakh). 8 InBhopal,thereisnoadditionalward‐wisefundallocation,buttheBhopalMunicipalCorporationpreparesadetailprogrammebudget. 

AssharedbyHirabenPatel,thewardcouncillorfromNikolwardinAhmedabad,“ItisonlywiththesupportoftheVikasinileaderinmyareathatIhavebeenabletoworkwithsomuchofvigour.ThesupportoftheVikasiniisveryimportantinreachingouttothecommunityandconvincingpeoplethattheyneedtoraiseavoicefortheirrights.” 

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engineers and medical professionals. While these staff are competent to design and plan projectstechnically,theyoftenlackthesocialengineeringskillsrequiredduringimplementationespeciallywhenitcomestoworkinginslums.Becausetherearelimitedchannelsforeffectivedialogbetweengovernmentandslumdwellers,localgovernmentsareoftenunawareofbarriersthatexistinextendingservicesinslums.

OneoftheuniquesellingpointsofMHThasbeenitsprogrammemanagerswhoaremainlytrainedasengineersbutbringstrongsocialmobilizationskillswiththem.Theseprogrammemanagersworkcloselywiththetechnicalstafftoovercomethesebarriersbyrecommendingprocessimprovements,changesinpoliciesandoperationalguidelines,andsurrogatemechanismstohelpreachtheirpoliciesandprogramsto the poor. As Bharati Bhonsale, programme manager, Ahmedabad shares, “I am responsible forliasioningwiththegovernment.Hence,Iamawareofthecircumstancesatbothends–thewomenwhofaceproblemsaswellas the localgovernmentwhich finds itdifficult towork in thecommunity.Thus, Iamrequired to do the balancing act.” In the past 20 years, MHT has successfully worked with localgovernmentsandhasbeeninstrumentalinbringingkeypolicyandprogramchangesthathaveenabledthe poor to access improved services. Local governments also recognize the value MHT brings inresolvingtheimplementationhurdlesonground.

Overtheyears,inAhmedabad,therelationshipshavedevelopedbeyondonlyprogrammemanagerstoourspearheadteammembers(grassrootstaff)andVikasinisdirectlyinteractingwiththetechnicalstaff.Whilethishasnotbeenaneasyprocessandrequiredmanytrainingsessionsandhandholdingsupportto the Vikasini leaders, one can now see the change in perception and attitude of both the localgovernmentstaffandVikasinileaders.

As,Meenaben,aVikasinileader,fromVishwasnagar, Ahmedabad shares,“Initiallywhenwe thoughtofworkingwith the localgovernment,we alwayshad the impression that it would bedifficult.Butover theyears, IreceivedtrainingfromAnandbhairegardingthestructure and functioning of localgovernancesystems.Wehavebeenableto change and challenge people’sperceptionsaboutthegovernment.Thebelief that government machineryneverworksisastereotypeandweneedtodismantleit.”  

AsimilarsentimentisechoedinthestatementofMr.AnandPatel,the(nowRetd)DeputyCommissionerofAhmedabad, “I have been working with MHT andVikasini leaders since the past 19 years. In order toimplementgovernmentpoliciesandschemes inurbanslums, Vikasini’s support has been instrumental. Thegovernment falls short when it comes to convincingpeople and securing their support for developmentalneeds. This is where organizations like MHT andVikasinileadershaveplayedavitalroleofamediatorbetween the community and the government. In thisway,wewereabletoservearound50slumsinthecity.During the initial phase ofmywork, I did face somechallenges.ButwhenIsawthatIhadMHT’sfullsupport,I startedenjoyingworkingwith thesewomen leadersand ithasgivenme immensesatisfactiontoservethecommunity.” 

AnotherkeyrolethatMHTplaysisenablingcoordinationbetweenthemultipledepartmentsoftheULBs.Oneofthekeychallengestoenablebasicservicestoslumdwellersisalsothemultiplicityofwindowsand channelswhich theyhave to approach to secure a service. For example aspart of one500NOC

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schemeinAhmedabad,whichenablesslumcommunities(especiallythoselivinginverysmalldwellingsandarepoor)toaccesslegalwaterandsanitationconnectionsandalsoprovidessubsidyforthesame.While an innovative mechanism to enable service delivery to the poor, the critical challenge of theschemes has been that the application passes through 38 tables in 6 different local governmentdepartments.Mostslumdwellersarenotawareoftheseprocessesandendupwithfollowupsonlyatthezoneofficelevel,therebyreturningdejected.

MHT demystifies the complicated processes and builds capacities of thewomen leaders particularlyVikasinistounderstandthesame.Thisisveryessentialforthewomenleaderstobeabletopursuetheircasethroughthewholegovernmentchannelandbringittoa logicalconclusion.Furtherhandholdingsupportisprovidedtothewomenleaderstofollowupatmultiplelevelsandalsoworkwiththetechnicalstaffinvariousdepartmentstounderstandthelimitationsandsolvethem.

4.4.3 NATIONALANDSTATEGOVERNMENTS

AlthoughafederalstructurebothNationalandStateGovernmentsplayakeyroleinurbandevelopmentespeciallyforhealth,education,infrastructureandhousingdevelopment.ClimateChangeasasubjectisalsobeingdealtmoreatNational andState level than atmunicipal level. In addition, theMinistryofFinancealsocoordinatestheCentralFinanceCommissionseveryfiveyears,whichstipulatetheshareofthe ULBs in the net revenues. The 14th Finance Commission, for example, enabled a basic andperformancegrantofINR69,715croresand17,429crores,respectivelytoallULBsinthecountryfortheperiodfrom2015‐2020.ThisisanuntiedgrantparticularlytobeusedforprovisionofbasicservicesandprovidesthemuchneededfiscalautonomytoULBs.

The roleof theNationalGovernment liesmainly inpolicymaking and supplementing the samewithfinances.InmanycasesthereareNationalprogrammeslikeJNNURM,PMAY,AMRUT,SMARTCities,etcandcentrallysponsoredschemesliketheNationalUrbanHealthMissionandEducationrelatedSchemes,whichimpactcities.UndermanyofthesethecitygovernmentsneedtosendproposalstotheNationalGovernmenttoseekfundingeitherdirectlyorthroughtherespectivestategovernments.MostoftheseprojectsareimplementeddirectlybytheULB.

MHTplaysakeyroleinsupportingtheULBsinimplementingtheseprogrammesonthegroundespeciallythePMAY.Besides, it hasalsobeen involvedwithAMC in supporting rehabilitationof slumdwellersarisingasaresultoftheimplementationofmanyJNNURMprogrammesinAhmedabad.Anotherkeyrolethat MHT plays is documenting the challenges and solutions that emerge in the process ofimplementationoftheseprojectsandparticipatinginpolicydebatesatNationalleveltoenablepolicychange.(alsosee4.1.2KeyPartnerships).

TheStategovernmentsinIndiathroughtheirUrbandevelopmentDepartmentsandotherservicerelatedlinedepartmentsespeciallyPublicHealthandEngineeringDepartment,RoadsandBuilding,haveamorepro‐activeroleinurbanmanagement.NotonlydotheStategovernmentsdirectlyprovideGrant‐inAidtourbanlocalbodies,butalsoimplementprojectsdirectlythroughthelinedepartmentsorparastatalagencies.Insomestatestheurbanservicedeliveryistheresponsibilityofparastatals(stategovernment’sstatutoryagencies)thatarenotanswerabletoULBsandonlytostategovernments.MHT’sinteractionwith the parastatals dealing with basic service delivery like Jal (Water) Boards, Electricity Boards,HousingBoards,etcissimilartoitsinteractionwiththeULB.TheinteractionsatStatelevelarelimitedtoinfluencingchangesinpoliciesandlegislationsrelatedtotownplanning,water,sanitationandhousing.

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5. THEURBANRESILIENCE(GRP)PROJECT

TheGlobalResiliencePartnership(GRP)projectwasdevelopedasaconsortiumof18partners‐technical,governmentandcommunitiesin2015.ItaimedtobuildresiliencetoClimaterisksandshocksformorethan1,25,000people,particularlywomen,livingin100slumsettlementsin7citiesofSouthAsia.Theprojectteambelievedthatachievingthisrequiredthetargetcommunitiestobeawareoftheclimaticrisksandprojections,conducttheirownriskandvulnerabilityassessments,integratetheclimateriskperspective,especiallythoselinkedwithdisasterpreparedness,land/resourceuseandhouseholdlevelfinancialplanning. 

5.1 BARRIERSTORESILIENCEBUILDINGOFSLUMDWELLERS

Slum communities,particularly women,however, face manyinformation, technical,behavioral,institutionalandfinancialchallengesto building climateresilience.(Figure5)

Information Barriers‐ Slumcommunities are facedwith two kinds ofknowledge barriers —thefirstispoorunderstandingofthepotentialriskofclimatechangeduetolackofmicroleveldataandaccesstoclimaterelatedinformationandtheotherislimitedskillsetsforscientificassessmentofrisksandvulnerabilities(IIEDandIIED,etal2014;RockefellerandArupInternational,2014).Additionallytheskillgapsamong localgovernmentsandclimatescientists towork inparticipationwithcommunitiesfurtherhindertheparticipatoryprocesses.Prestonetal.(2011)has,throughareviewof45vulnerabilitymappingexercises,foundthatonly40%includedstakeholderparticipationhighlightingthetechnical,expertise,resource,andinstitutionalchallengestoimplementingparticipatoryprocesses.

Institutional Barriers‐ Cityplanningisoftennotinclusiveandslumdwellersinparticulararenotevenconsideredasresidentsofthecityandgovernmentsarelesslikelytoinvestinthem(UNISDR,2011).Averycriticalrequirementtoresilienceisthedevelopingofsocialcapitalorpeople’sinstitutionsacrossslumsandcities,especiallythosewhichareinclusiveofwomenandwhohavethecapacitytogeneratepressureforchangeswithinthegovernment(BoonyabanchaandMitlin,2012).Atthesametime,thereis theneed for city governments and local service providers to respond to the needs of urbanpoor,particularly slum communities. Many city governments, however, lack the capacities and inter‐departmentalcoordination,todevelopandimplementpro‐poorparticipatoryclimateresilienceactionplans (UMC and NIUA, 2008). IPCC (2014) also highlighted the critical partnership gaps betweentechnicalexperts,localgovernmentsandslumcommunitiestoundertakeparticipatoryriskassessmentsanddesignjointtechnicalsolutions.

Figure 5: Barriers to building resilience of slum communities

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TechnologyAdoptionBarriers‐Whiletechnologyinnovationiscritical,arangeofclimateresilientsolutionsforheatresistance(ventilationdesigns,alternativematerials,greenlandscaping,)andwatermanagement(rainwaterharvesting,smallrechargemeasures,eco‐systemwaterplanning,watertestingkits, etc) are already available. However, they are not adopted by the communities due to a lack ofawareness.Alsotheyareofteninaccessibleandunsuitablyprototypedtomeetthespecificneedsofthesecommunities(Nagrath,2013).Often,thetechnologyofferedisnotinsyncwiththeexistinginfrastructureor the existing space constraints. Additionally, one also needs to understand that the poor prefertechnology solutions which builds on their existing investments. Addressing this requires theinvolvement of communities with social scientists and technical experts to design effective andcustomisedsolutions.

Further, given their socio‐economic context, thepooroftenhavea short‐termvisionanddepictverytypicalbehavioranomalieswhendealingwithrisk.Theunpredictabilityofclimate‐relatedrisksismorelikelytobringoutbehavioranomaliessuchaslossaversion,status‐quobiasand/ornarrowframing.Thusmere information will not induce behavior change or adoption. There is a need to provide distinctincentives(notnecessarilyfinancial)forthis(IFRC,2010).Thisrequiresastudyoftheculturalaswellassocialdynamics,alongwiththebehaviorpatternsofthepoor‐averycontextspecificapproach.Alsothereisneedforinnovationsincommunicationtoolswhichcanhelptranslateafuturisticconceptintotoday’sprioritiesforinducingaction.

Financial Barriers‐ Resilienttechnologiesareoftenexpensiveandrequirecapitalinvestmentsandincur high maintenance costs, making them inaccessible to the underprivileged communities. It isimportanttodesignfinancialproductskeepinginmindtheneedsoftheurbanpoorandtheirinformalstatus,includingthoseforrisktransfer.

5.2 PROJECTRESILIENCEBUILDINGMODEL

The project was thus conceived as a socio‐technical partnership between communities andtechnicalexperts toaddressall theabovebarriers.Theproposedcommunity‐basedresiliencemodel was to be women‐led, integrated; evidence based, and focused on innovativecommunicationstrategiestopromoteacultureofresilienceaction.

Women‐led: Currently, the most vulnerable in the community and one with the least access toinformationandresources,women,wereempoweredtobecomeagentsofchange.Systemswerecreatedforwomentotakeleadinresilienceactionbybuildingtheircapacitiesandprovidingthemplatformstovoice their concerns andpriorities.Thiswasdonemainlybyorganising them into community‐basedorganisations(CBOs),communityactiongroups(CAGs)andbuildingtheircapacitiesasVikasinis.

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Integratedand Partnership based: Theprojectalsobroughttogethermulti‐disciplinaryexpertisetolookatholisticvulnerabilityassessmentsandsolutionstoclimatestresswiththelivelihoodofthepoorat the core. The focus was to get multiplestakeholderstoengagewitheachotherandcreate frameworks and tools to facilitatecross‐transferofknowledge.

Evidence based Technology and Communication for Change: Theprojectdeployedinnovativecommunicationstrategies to induceaction includingaudio,video andmobile messaging, participatorygames, folk shows, participatory learningand vulnerability assessment tools, micro‐data gathering through community basedsurveillance and the development of aclimatevulnerabilitycalculatorforthepoor.Also recognizing that action occurs onlywhen awareness is accompanied by areliable and effective intervention, theprojectalsofocusedonundertakingfielddemonstrationsofsuccessfultechnologies.

5.3 THEORYOFCHANGEANDLOGICMODEL

Theprojectbuildsupontheconvictionthatiftheurbanpoorareprovidedwiththerequisiteknowledgetoundertakevulnerabilityandriskassessmentsandareequippedwithavailableresilient‐technologies,they will be able to devise and implement locally relevant and pro‐poor climate resilient solutions.Moreover, if the poor are empowered to implement their own resilience plans, and the institutionalmechanismsrepresentingtheirvoicesareinplace,theywillbeabletobetterinfluencecityplanningandgovernanceonpro‐pooradaptationandresilienceaction.

Climateactionforpoorwillhappenonlyifthepoorareself‐organizedforaction.However,theycantakeactiononly if theyaremadeawareof the risksandareprovidedsimplifieddata throughcustomizedtrainings and exposure through structured interactions with research/technical experts. There aresuitabletechnologysolutionsavailable,whichneedtobejointlydevelopedandvalidated,standardized,demonstratedandmarketedwithsuitablefinancialsupport.Incentivizingisthekeytoconvincingthemto adopt the technology. The underprivileged communities will be able to effectively pressurize thegovernmentiftheyareorganizedintocollectives,areequippedwithtechnicalknowledgeandqualifiedsupport.

Thiswillbesustainableandscalableonlyifthewholeprocessisinstitutionalized.MHTbelievesthatthemostefficientmodelofresiliencewouldbeonewhichenables‘iterativeadaptation’—alearningprocessthrough creation of highly‐evolved, self‐organized institutions. This requires pursuing an adaptiveprocessthatincorporatestheabilitytocontinueadapting.Itbuildsincapacityto“learn”andprogresstowards greater efficiency and optimization. The challenge, however, is how one “engineers” such aprocess,thecriticalanswertowhichwouldbeby“empoweringlocalagents”tobuildaninstitutionthatensuresstabilityforthecommunityatrisk.

Integrated

 Women

‐Led 

Community Managed

 Resilien

ce

Partnership‐based: inter‐ community (CAG) and intra community (Vikasini); with other stakeholders (government, 

scientists, innovators, civil society, etc)

Evidence‐based: Creates tools for micro‐data gathering and community based vulnerability assessment and surveilliance 

system 

Localised: Capitalises on local technical expertise with indigenous and community knowledge to create a local resource pool ; community leadership development

Scale: Across Multiple Geographies  (7 cities, 100  slums) and Multiple Risk Areas (heat waves, water stress, flooding and 

inundation, water and vector borne diseases)

Combines capacity building  and awareness measures with field demonstrations  of solutions /infrastructure

Transformative Thought  Process: Using communication tools and analytical models to make a long term concept more realistic and 

comprehendable to the poor by linking with today's issues

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ThelogicmodelthatemergesfromourtheoryofchangeisgiveninFigure6.

 Figure 6: Project Theory of Change

Themodelinturnimpliesthefollowingrelationshipsbetweeninputs,outputs,proximateoutcomesandlong‐termimpactsassharedinTable2.

Table 2: Project Input, Output and Outcome Matrix 

LEVEL INPUTS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

IMPACTS(CULTURE OFRESILIENCE)

HOUSEHOLD

MobilizingWomenthroughOnetoOnecontact,AreameetingsandVideoShows;TargetedCommunication;TrainingsandExposureVisits;SupportforTechnologyDemonstrations

HouseholdlevelVulnerabilityDatabase;IncreasedClimateRiskandsolutionsawarenessamongwomen;Catalogue(PrintandVideo)ofSuccessfulHouseholdleveltechnologies

HouseholdsAdoptResilientSolutions;InformationSeekingbehaviorforClimateRisksandTechnologySolutiondemonstrated

Householdsshowreducedvulnerabilityandshowfuturisticinvestmenttendencies

SLUM/LOCALITY

FormationofCommunityActionGroups;TrainingofWomenandYouthleaders;ToolsforVulnerabilityAssessment(DatacollectionandSharing)andResilience

CommunityActionGroups(CAG)inplace;Localcadreoftrainedwomenandyouthleadersdeveloped;CommunitySurveillanceSysteminplace;Slumlevel

CAGimplementingResilienceActionPlan;RevisitingthePlanthroughregularfeedbackandsystematicdatacollection;Sharingofreal‐

Slums/localitieshaveasystemforrisksurveillanceandresilienceplanninginplace;CAGabletoattractpublicinvestment/

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5.4PROJECTDEVELOPMENTPHASE

TheGRPchallengewasuniqueinthesensethatitwasatwophasedprocess.Aftertheinitialconceptnotewasselected,therewasfinancialandtechnicalsupportfortheselectedgranteestodevelopundertakeanin‐depthproblemassessmentandthendesigntheirsolutions(project).MHTanditspartnersusedthisopportunitytotesttheviabilityofthetheoryofchangeintheprojectdevelopmentphaseitself.Thus,theprojectwasdevelopedinaparticipatorymannerbyprovidinginitialorientationtoselectcommunityleadersespeciallyVikasiniAhmedabadtounderstandClimaterisksandvulnerabilityandprovidedthemwiththenecessarytools(HistogramandMoserframework)toundertakeaquickassessmentofthesameattheslumlevel.TheVikasinileadersinAhmedabadandprojectstaffintheemergingcitiesusedthesetoolstoundertakefocusgroupdiscussions(FGDs)withtheslumcommunities.

InendMarch2015,theywerethenbroughtthemtogetherwiththetechnicalexpertsinworkshopmodeto undertake joint problem analysis. The problem tree development workshop which brought thetechnicalpartnersoftheproject, implementationteamandwomenleadersfromAhmedabad,Bhopal,RanchiandJaipurononeplatform,wasakeyhighlightoftheprojectdevelopmentstage.Thiswasthefirsttypeofinteractionwheretheexpertsandcommunitieswerebroughtacrossthetableanddiscussedabout the specific stresses from their different perceptions to develop problem trees. Each of theseproblemtreesonheatstress,waterscarcity,inlandflooding,waterandvector‐bornediseases, lossofpropertyandinstitutionalcapacitiesaswellasmechanismsdevelopedaspartofthisworkshopweretakenasabasetodeveloplog‐frameswhichhelpedtheteamtodesignsolutionsinaparticipatorymode.Attheendofthistwo‐daycomprehensiveworkshop,securinghealthandlivelihoods,emergedasthecoreofthesolutionsframework.Thisworkshopalsobroketheicebetweenthetechnicalexpertsandcommunityleadersandwasfollowedbymanytechnicalexpertsalsovisitingtheslumstounderstandtheissuesbetter.

Planning;SupportforTechnologyDemonstration

ResiliencePlansDeveloped

timedataatcitylevel

privatefinancingoptions

CITY

FormationofCity‐levelFederations(Vikasinis*);MeetingsandTrainingsofVikasinis;Developmentofcity‐levelTechnicalResourceGroup;ToolsforVulnerabilityAnalysis;Toolsforscopingoftechnologiesandcommunitybasedvalidation

CityLevelforumwithVikasiniandTechnicalResourceGroupsFunctional;SlumvulnerabilitySpatialDatabaseavailableonline;CitywideRecommendedSolutionsCataloguewithsupplychainmechanisms(PrivateandPublicSectorbased)available

Vikasiniundertakingadvocacywithlocalgovernments/serviceprovidersforinvestmentinpro‐poorresilience;Systemsforregularinteractionbetweencommunity,technicalexperts(resourcegroup)andlocalgovernmentinplace)

CityGovernmentresilienceplanshaveapro‐poorandpro‐womenagendawithvoicesandconcernsofslumdwellersincorporated;VikasiniprovidingregularfeedbackinCitylevelplansandprocesses

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TheprocessofconductingFGDswas furtherexpandedintopartnercitiesBhubhaneshwarandDhaka(Kathmanduwasnotcoveredasitfacedamajorearthquakeinthatperiod).Inall52FGDswereorganisedin6citiesduringthisphaseontheissuesrelatedtoclimatechange.Thekeystressbeingcoveredbytheproject‐heat,water,waterquality,floodingandinundationandvectormanagement;alsoemergedasthemajorissuesduringtheseFGDs.Communitiessharedthatduetoextensivelyhotafternoons,4hoursofthedaywentinvainastheycouldnottakeupanyactivityduetotheextremeheat.Thisledtodecreaseintheworkinghoursaswellasreducedefficiency.TheFGDsalsobroughtoutthatmostofthehouseholdsreceived2‐3hoursofwaterperdaythroughindividualmunicipalconnectionsorthroughcommonborewellsinthecommunity.However,therewerestillareaswherewaterwasamajorissueespeciallyinthesummermonths.Mostof thecommunitiesalsoreportedon inland floodingwhichcausedbackloggedsewers.Somealsomentionedthatheavyrainfallforaslittleas1‐2hourscausedknee‐levelwaterloggingandonanaverage,workersmissout4‐5workingdaysamonthas insteadofworking, residentsgotinvolved in removing water or fell sick and were unable to work as flooding caused unhygienicconditions, increase in dengue and casesof other vectorbornediseases.Basedon these interactionsdetailedcitylevelcommunityprofilesandslumprofilesweredevelopedforthetargetsettlements.

Vikasini,Ahmedabadwassochargedduringthisphase,thattheydemandedmoretechnicalknowledgeonhealth‐relatedtopicsonwhichMHThasnotworkeddirectlybefore.Twotechnicaltrainingswerethusorganized for the Vikasini‐Ahmedabad during this stage, one on the issue of Heat stress,Water andVector‐bornediseasesfacilitatedbytheprojectpartnersDr.VijayKohliandDr.VikasDesai.BoththetrainingshelpedtheVikasinishavinganincreasedunderstandingofthenewconceptsandbreakingofmythsaroundtheseissues.

Later inMay 2015, there was also an Indicator development exercise undertakenwith the VikasiniAhmedabadandgrassrootmobilizationteamwhichwastofeedintotheprocessofassessingcommunity‐levelvulnerability.Vikasini’sviewofsmartslumandsmartcitywastakentounderstandtheirperceptionofvulnerability,riskandresiliencebuilding.Varioussourcesofinformationforthewomenleaderswerealso mapped to identify the existing barriers and prospects for behavior change communicationinterventionsaspartoftheprojectimplementation.Thiswasalsosupportedbyaninterestingroleplayand story‐telling exercise with the grassroots team and different types of communicationstrategies/practicesusedonthegroundtomobilizethecommunities.Theentireexercisewashelpfulinchartingoutabehaviorchangecommunicationstrategyfor theproject.Thelastdayofthisthree‐dayworkshopalsosawvariouscommunicationtechnologyprovidersparticipateandsharetheirmodelsasalsoexplorepossibilitiesofcollaboration.Twoofthethreemaincommunicationpartnersoftheproject‐MobileVaniandRadioNazariawereboughtintotheprojectmainlyduringthisworkshop.

Inordertofurtherthestakeholderengagementprocess,multi‐stakeholderworkshopswereorganisedinAhmedabad, Bhubhaneshwar and Dhaka. The last two especially enabled MHT to understand thedynamics of the partner cities as also assess the possibilities of collaboration in these cities. It wasthrough theseworkshops that in addition toHomenet SouthAsia, twonewprojectpartners ICCCAD(Dhaka)andCORE(Bhubhaneshwar)wereidentified.

Duringthisphase,thetechnicalexpertsespeciallyGeorgiaTech,FUB,IIPHG,DevelopmentAlternatives,SELCO, Himadri Consultants and other individual experts also did their own scoping ofsolutions/technologiesandalsodevelopedsectoralbriefsoftheirsubjectsofexpertise.Thesesectoralbriefswentontobecomethebasisforestablishingtheevidencetovalidatethetheoryofchangeandproposedprojectstrategies.

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Finally,inJuly2015,asolutionsdevelopmentworkshopwasorganisedwhichagainbroughttogetherthetechnical experts and Vikasini Ahmedabad leaders to reflect on the proposed project model,implementationstrategiesandactivities.

5.5 PROJECTSTRATEGIES,ACTIVITIESANDOUTPUTS

5.5.1  COMMUNITY  ORGANIZATION  AND  LEADERSHIP  TRAININGS  

Womenfacestructuralbarriersandcapacitygapsinparticipatinginlocalgovernanceactivities,astheyarelesslikelythanmentohavetheeducation,contactsandresourcesneededtobecomeeffectiveleadersand change makers. Organising women from slums communities and providing them leadershiptrainingshasthusbeenoneofthekeyfocusofMHT’sworkovertheyears.

MHTorganizesandmobilizeswomenfrompoorslumcommunitiestoformtheirownCommunityBasedOrganizations(CBOs),eachwitharound200to250families.Agroupof15to25womenrepresentingthesefamiliesaretrainedoncommunityaction,leadershipandurbangovernance.Generally,agroupof10to12womenwouldemergeasleadersduringthetrainingprocess.ThisgroupofleadersiscalledtheCommunityActionGroup(CAG).TheCAGgroupthenbecomesastrongsupportsystemwithintheslumforwomentoactivelyinterfacewithgovernmentbodiesandmunicipalcorporationsandtakechargeoftheslumimprovementprocesses.

MHTappliedthesameapproachtotheGRPproject.Duringtheprojectperiod,MHTmobilised27,055familiesin107slumcommunitiesacrosssevenprojectcitiesintoCBOs.Thiswasfollowedbyconductingof180trainingsforwomenleaderstoinducecollectiveactionwithinthecommunities.Consideringthetimeconstraintsoftheproject,MHTshorteneditsCAGtrainingprogrammefroma10module(20days)programmetoa4module(8days)programme.ThekeytopiccoveredundertheGRPprojectforCAGleadersincluded:

1) OrientationtoMHTandGRP;2) ImportanceofcollectiveactionandprocessofCBO/CAGformation;3) Structureandfunctioningofurbanlocalbodies(ULB)andserviceagencies(includingavisitto

thelocalULBoffice)4) Urbandevelopmentprogrammesandpeople’sentitlements

Asthetrainingprocesscontinuedoveraperiodof6monthstooneyeardependingontheslum,CAGswerepromotedinalltheslumsettlements.However,therewasadifference.TheCAGspromotedaspartoftheGRPnotonly included10womenleadersfromtheCBObutwerealsoencouragedto include2adolescent/younggirls.Thiswasdonewiththedualmotiveto firstlyhaveamorecontemporaryandfuturisticperspectivewithinthegroupaswellasfortheCAGtobenefitwiththetechnologyskillswhichtheseyounggirlswouldbringwiththem.Thesetrainingsandmobilizationactivitiesenabledformationof114WomenledCAGswith1604leadersincluding249adolescentgirls/youthleaders.

5.5.2  PROMOTING  A CITY  LEVEL  FORUM  FOR  POOR  WOMEN  

The Ahmedabad experience clearly had demonstrated what influence a city‐level federation like“Vikasini”canhaveonscaleaswellasforenablingpro‐poorurbandevelopmentpolicies.Learningfromthisexperience,whiletheVikasiniinAhmedabadwasstrengthenedontheissueofClimateChangeandresiliencebuilding,MHTalsofacilitatedtheformationofVikasiniinotheremergingcities‐Jaipur,Bhopal

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andRanchi.ThismainlyinvolvedidentificationofCAGleaders,whoarewillingandhavethecapacitytomovebeyondtheirresidential locationstootherplaces.Generally,oneleaderfor2‐3nearbyslumsisidentified.AlargergroupofwomenwasinitiallyidentifiedandencouragedtomeetatthecitylevelaspartofVikasinimeetings.Thesewomenarethengivenspecifictaskstoperforminotherlocations‐likemobilizing CBOs in other slums, undertaking surveys, facilitating drives, facilitating governmentliasioning,etc.Thisprocesswasundertakenforaperiodof6to8monthsinthethreecitiesafterwhich,aninitialgroupof15to20city‐levelwomenleadershaveemergedasVikasinisinthesecities.

In Bhubhaneshwar, the process was initiated by providing them the task of facilitating the CBVATexercise.ThishastenedtheprocessandevenBhubhaneshwarsawtheemergenceofcity‐levelVikasinileaders.Processesforenabling2moreVikasinisistobeinitiatedinDhakaandKathmandu.

5.5.3 MULTI‐STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 

AnotherkeylearningappliedfromMHT’searlierexperienceinAhmedabadwasthefacilitationofmulti‐stakeholderengagement.Thus,inallcities,CAGandVikasinileaderswereencouragedtodevelopone‐toone relationships with the local ward councillors andmunicipal officials. To further strengthen theseinteractions city level multi‐stakeholder events(workshops and round tables) were organised in allcities. The highlight of these events were the paneldiscussions organised to provide various stakeholdersan opportunity to provide their perspective and alsointeract with the other stakeholders. Each multi‐stakeholder event has a panel of community leaders,whichwasmuchappreciated.Alltheeventssawelectedrepresentatives and officials of the municipalcorporationandserviceagenciesparticipate.

Another highlight was the participation of localacademic institutions and innovators in these events.This not only helpedMHT and the communities get abetter overview of the local issues (especially from ascientific angle) but also helped create linkages forfuturetechnicalinteractions.21Technicalexpertsfromvariousfieldsincludingwater,geo‐hydrology,heatstress,vectormanagement,disastermanagement,health,socialdevelopmentspecialists,architects,civilengineers,communication,etc.were identifiedat theproject levelandatcity level.MHTfurtherfacilitatedinteractionbetweentechnicalexpertsandslumcommunitiesthroughadditionalfieldvisits,technicaltrainingsandconductingofjointresearchactivities.Theeventsandpartnershipshelpedbridgethe communication andknowledge gapsbetweendifferent stakeholders, help themunderstand eachother,andmovetowardscoordinatedresilienceaction.

5.5.4  CLIMATE  CHANGE  TRAININGS  AND  COMMUNICATION  ACTIVITIES  

The project also recognised that to transfer scientific knowledge, we will have to repeatedly andprogressively convey information regarding climate change and resilience actions without losing

ParticipatoryResearchonIntegratedWaterManagementwithFUBinJaipur

AnintegratedwatermanagementplanwasdevelopedintwoslumcommunitiesinJaipuraspartofahighlytechnicalyetparticipatoryresearchprojectwithFUB.Theresearchhasbeencompletedandthefindingshavebeendevelopedasatechnicalhandbookonconductingparticipatorygroundwaterresearchandguidelinestoperformhydro‐geologicalinvestigations.Theresultsofthestudyalong‐withpossiblesolutionshavealsobeensharedwiththeteamaswellasthelocalstakeholders.

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residents’interest.Towardthisgoal,itwasnecessarytodeviseinnovativecommunicationtoolsthataresystematic,repeated,andslowlyprogressingindepthanddifficulty.

ThekeytrainingsandcommunicationactivitiesthatMHTadoptedinthisregardincluded:

a) TheBasicClimateChange(BCC)OrientationTrainingb) Advancedtechnicaltrainingsledbysectorexpertsc) Masscommunicationcampaignsusingcreativemediumslikegames,videoshows,andfolkmedia.

Thebasictrainingmoduleaimedtointroducetheconceptofclimatechangeandgenerateawarenessofitsimpactontheurbanpoor,especiallywomen.It’sastep‐by‐stepprocesscomposedofsixsessions.Thefirsttwosessionsareintendedtostimulateinterest.Session3andsession4introduceconceptssuchasclimate change and global warming and explaining their impacts on the entire humanity as well aseverydaylife.Thelasttwosessionsaremoreactivity‐oriented,withSession5introducingthegameofsnakesandladders,whereclimatestressorsaresnakestodragwomendownandresilienceactionsareladders that help them up. Session 6 encourages personal reflection and introduces the concept ofresilienceactionsandfuturisticthinking.MHTconductsthistwo‐daytrainingwiththeCAG,whothenactas Climate Saathis to facilitate individual modules in the community. 58 trainings on orientation ofclimaterisksandresiliencemeasureshavebeenorganizedintheprojectperiodtocreatealocalcadreof1508ClimateSaathis.

The technical trainings conducted by sector experts offered more in‐depth and comprehensiveinformationonagiventopicsuchaswatermanagement,vector‐bornedisease,heatstress,managingone’s own health etc. Instead of giving all CAG members undifferentiated Technical Training, theintentionistoencourageeachCAGmembertobecomespecializedinatleastoneclimatechange‐relatedstressoramongthefour.16advancedtrainingshavebeenconductedfor445ClimateSaathistofurtherupgradetheirknowledgebaseonclimaterisksandresiliencesolutions.Theseadvancedtrainingsweretechnicaltrainingsonmultipleclimaterisksandsolutions‐heatstress,watermanagement,vector‐bornediseases&flooding,wastemanagementanddisastermanagement.

MHTalsoemployedinnovativecommunicationstrategiestools likesnakeandladdergame,animatedvideos,posters,andwallpaintingsandfolkmediatoreachouttocommunitiesthroughmultiplechannels.Theprintmediamaterial includeddisseminationof500copieseachofasetof4postersondifferentstresses,whichwaswidelyusedinallCBOmeetingsreachingouttoawideaudience.Folkmediashowswereorganisedin38slumsreachingouttomorethan7500peoplewithinaspanofonemonth.Around229roundsofthesnakesandladdersgamewereorganizedinwhichmorethan3500peopleparticipated.Shortaudio‐visualmaterialsoncommunityvulnerabilities,interventionsandcommunityfeedbackhavealsobeenproducedbyAwaasSewaforcommunityawarenessbuilding.Amongthese,theanimationfilmon“Ramaben’sstory”becamequitepopularwiththecommunities.

An integrated Voice Response (IVR) service provided personalized access to climate‐change relatedinformationandavenuefortheirpersonalfeedbackonhousehold‐levelinterventions..87114IVRbasedmessages were sent during the project period. 6289 inbound call were received at the two‐communicationplatformMobileVaanicreatedfortheproject.

Communicationchannelslikecommunityradiothatreportlocalsituation,expertopinion,governmentresponses and citizens’ voices (primarily in Ahmedabad) help widen outreach beyond our targetedcommunities.45radioepisodeshavebeenbroadcastedonthebroadthemeof“EnablingInclusiveand

Basic Climate Change Training

1. Snake and Ladder game

2. Realisation of climate variance

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ResilientCities”viaRadioNazariya(acommunityradiostationinAhmedabad).FouradolescentgirlswhowereCAGleadershavealsobegunworkingascitylevelradioreportersforRadioNazariya.

5.5.5  COMMUNITY  BASED  VULNERABILITY  ASSESSMENT  AND  RESILIENCE  ACTION  PLANNING  

Onethecoreprojectbeliefswasthatcommunitiesneedtoundertaketheirownvulnerabilityassessment.Thiswasamajorchallenge,sinceneitherlocalslum‐leveldataisavailablehandilyintheregion,notdidthewomenleadershavethecapacitiesandorientationtolearncomplexmodels.Todealwiththis,theGRP partners developed the Community Based Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit (CBVAT). This is aparticipatory learning toolusing a set of 6 exercisesdesigned tobuild a community’s understandingaboutclimaterisksandadaptationstrategies.Theassessmentspansoversixtoeightweeks.AseriesofchartsandtablesareprovidedtoCAGmembers,guidingthemtoidentifythestressoragainstwhichthecommunityismostvulnerable,theoccupationgroups/genderthataremostvulnerableasalsotoassesstherootcauseofthevulnerabilityandtheiradaptivecapacity.Theseinclude:

a) Histogram:Tomaptheclimateandurbanizationchallengesfacedinthelasttenyearsb) Moser:Tounderstandthegenderimplicationofclimatestressandshocksc) MatrixRanking:Toapplyasomewhatobjectiveanalysistoidentifythemostimpactingstressor

andthemostvulnerableoccupationalgroupsd) RiskQuadrant:Tounderstand the stressorsand shocks in relation to the levelof impact and

frequencyofoccurencee) RootInfluenceDiagram:Todissectthekeyrisksemerginginthelastsessionandidentifycauses

whicharemainlyresponsiblefortheriskaswellasforaggravatingthesituationf) Adaptive Capacity Scoring: To assess the availability of infrastructure, knowledge and social

capitalwithinthecommunitywhichwouldcontributetobuildingtheirresilience

TheCBVATprovidedaframeworkfordialoguewithincommunitiesregardingidentificationofpracticalstrategiestofacilitatecommunity‐basedadaptationtoclimatechange.OncetheCBVATassessment iscompleted,theresultsareconvertedintoapowerpointpresentationandsharedwiththeCAGmembersinaworkshopmode.ThisiswhentheCAGscometogethertodeveloptheirCommunityBasedResilienceAction Plan (CBRAP). The CAG members revisit the assessment results once again, improving oracceptingthesameanddevelopanannualactionplanforaddressingtheidentifiedkeystressors,listingthetimerequiredforaction,thedaily/weekly/monthlygoals,thefundingtheyneed,andorganizationswhocansupportthecommunitiesinimplementingtheseactionplans.Duringtheprojectperiodalmost70%oftheCAGshadcompletedtheirCBVATassessmentsandmorethanone‐thirdhasdevelopedtheirresilienceactionplans.

5.5.6  COMMUNITY‐BASED  SURVEILLANCE  

Whiletheannualactionplandevelopmentprocessisaperiodicaffair,theprojectwasalsoconsciousofthe fact that resilience building is an iterative process and that the communities especially the CAGleadershavetobegroomedintomonitoringtheclimaterelatedchangesandstressestobeabletotaketimelyaction.Towardsthis,theprojectdevelopedatwo‐prongedsurveillancesystem:

a) Seasonalsurveillancesystem:Thiswasinitiatedthroughdrivesinvolvingyoungboysandgirls(knownasChildDoctors)fromthecommunityforcollectingreal‐timedataonlarvaepresenceandwaterqualitytesting.Inthefirstyearoftheproject,withthehelpofthechilddoctorsandCAGleadersvectorsurveillancewasconductedin46slumsandwaterqualitysurveillancewasconductedfor71slums.Theprocesshasbeencontinuedintheyear2in24slumsforvectordrive

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and4slumsforwaterqualitydrive,whereintheCAGleadershavetakentheirowninitiativetoundertakethis.

b) Daily/weekly surveillance systems: The project also piloted systems to collect real timeweather information and climate data in 23 slums. This included systems to measuretemperature,humidityandprecipitationasalsotolookalsowaterquantityandquality,vectors,floodingandinundation.

5.5.7  TECHNOLOGY  VALIDATION  AND  DISSEMINATION  

MHTalsoresearchesandinvestsintechnologiesinordertoprovideoptionstopoorcommunities,sotheycan then make their own decisions based on what is affordable and appealing to them. The newtechnologieswerescopedthroughexposurevisitsandinvitinginnovatorsandtechnologyproviderstoworkshopsalongwithinputsfromtheprojecttechnicalexperts.Thisiscoupledwithfielddemonstrationofrelevanttechnicalinterventions.Seeingandexperiencingvariousproductsfirsthandhelpsbuildtheconfidence among communities to themselves invest in resilient technologies. 175 field leveldemonstrationsof21differentclimate‐resilienttechnologiesandsolutionshavebeenundertaken.NinecommunitylevelsolutionshavealsobeendemonstratedinAhmedabad,Ranchi,BhopalandJaipur.Theseweremainly those solutionswhichemerged from the resilienceplanningexerciseand includeurbanlandscaping,vermi‐compostsystems,watermeters,composttumblersandcommunity‐managedwatersupplysystems.

5.5.8   INFLUENCING  CITY  GOVERNMENT  POLICIES    

Buildingonitsgrassrootsexperience,MHTandotherGRPpartnersadvocatedwiththegovernmenttoinstituteandimplementPro‐PoorPoliciesandPrograms.Thiswasdonethroughparticipatinginvariousworkshops especially those relatedwithplan‐making/policy formulationprocess and sharingof thelearningsoftheproject.

5.6 KEYLEARNINGSABOUTCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENTFORRESILIENCE

More specifically, the model of change posits ten key expectations that serve both to shape theinterventionandtofocustheevaluation.

1. Entryintonewcommunitiesrequiresperceptionsoflegitimacy,trust,andincentivesonthepartofcommunitywomentopartner,whichcanonlybebuiltovertimewithmultipleengagements.

2. Continuedparticipationbyhighlydisenfranchisedwomeninmarginalizedcommunitiesrequiresstrategies topromote individualandcommunityempowerment, solve tangibleproblems, andbuildrecognition/identitywithincommunity

3. Leadershipworksbestwhenitisdevelopedandinteractsatandpromotescoordinatedactionattheslum,communityandcitylevel.

4. Empowering women to advocate in a non‐confrontational/collaborative manner increasesmunicipalsupporttoaddresstheseneeds

5. Resilienceininformalsettlementsrequirescoordinatedactionamongstmanylocalactorsovertime,withleadershipthatisnottooconcentratedamongstafewmembersoftheslumcommunityandwhichismaintainedovertime.

6. Systematic,repeated,andinnovativecommunicationtoolsarenecessarytoenablescientificandfuturisticthinkingincommunitieswhosemembersareusedtothinkingshort‐term

Community based Vulnerability

Assessment (CBVAT) &

Resilience Action Planning (CBRAP)

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7. Community’s continued interest in resilience planning requires delivery of more immediatetangibleactionsorbenefits

8. Community‐leddatacollectionleadstoanincreasedunderstandingwithinthecommunitiesontheirownvulnerabilitiesandissuesaffectingthem,therebyleadingtomoreresilientactions

9. Successful pro‐poor technologies should be cost‐effective: commercially available, culturallyappealing,withproperservicesprovidedalongwiththepurchase

10. Facilitating interactionsbetween communities and technical experts enhances the capacityofbothtocommunicateclearlyanddevelopmutuallyagreeablesolutionstoresilienceproblems.

6. IMPLEMENTATIONINESTABLISHEDCITIES:AHMEDABAD

6.1 CITYPROFILE

6.1.1  OVERVIEW    

Withapopulationof60lakh(6million),AhmedabadisthelargestcityinGujaratandthefifthlargestmetropolis in India (Census 2011). The city has been at the forefront of several important political,economic, and social developments including India’s independence and civil rightsmovement ledbyMahatmaGandhi.Duringearlytomid‐20thcentury,AhmedabadwasalsotheepicenterofthedevelopingtextileindustryinIndia.Thegrowthintheindustrialsectorwasaccompaniedbytheemergenceofaninfluential civil society, which was influential in establishing several notable institutions such asAhmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA), Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO),IndianInstituteofManagement(IIM),PhysicalResearchLaboratory(PRL),etc.inthecity.

Thecity’seconomywentintoadeclineinthe1980saftertheclosureofthetextilemills.TheAhmedabadMunicipalCorporation(AMC)alsowasseverelyimpoverishedandunabletoinvestincitywidephysicaland social infrastructure.During the 1990s, the city embarkedupon several key reforms to improvemunicipal income. By 1995, it had a budget surplus and began several newprojectworks includingaugmenting its water supply and sanitation systems, improved road networks, investments intransportation,riverfrontdevelopment,andslum‐upgradationatscale.Duringthistime,AMCalsotookproactivestepstoencourageparticipationofcommunitiesandcivilsocietyorganizationsincity levelurbanprojects.

Inthelast20years,thecityhasmadesignificantprogressinmanagingurbangrowthandexpandingtheaccesstobasicenvironmentalservices,andimprovingthequalityoflifeofitscitizens,includingthoselivinginslumsandinformalsettlements.Civilsocietyorganizationshaveplayedakeyroleinsupportingthisdevelopment,whilesafeguarding the interestsof thepoor,andencouragingtheir involvement incommunity and city level governance and planning programs. Today, Ahmedabad is recognized as athrivingmetropolisintheforefrontofrealestateandinfrastructuredevelopmentandisoneofthebettermanagedcitiesinIndia.

6.1.2  DEMOGRAPHICS  AND  POPULATION  GROWTH  

Untiltheearlytwentiethcentury,thegrowthofthecityofAhmedabadwasrestrictedtotheeasternsideofthecity.TheopeningoftheEllisBridgeintheearlytwentiethcenturyconnectedthewesternbank,whichallowedtheongoingdevelopmentofthecityinthisdirection.Ahmedabadsawasignificantgrowthinpopulationduring1970’sowingtothegrowthinindustry.Expansionofthecityintoperipheralareas

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beganinthe1980sandhascontinuedsincethen.Thepopulationofthecityhasincreasedfrom35lakh(3.5million)intheyear2001to55.68lakh(5.56million)in2011.Thepopulationgrowthduringthisdecadecanlargelybeattributedtoexpansionofmunicipallimitsin2006when17NagarPalikasand30GramPanchayatswereannexedintothecitylimits.Todaythecitycomprisesanareaof464sqkm.

 

Figure 7: Population growth in Ahmedabad, Source: Census 2011

6.1.2  SETTLEMENT  PATTERN  

Spatially,thecityisclearlydividedintoeasternandwesternparts.SabarmatiRiverflowsrightthroughthe center of the city, bisecting the city into its two halves. There are nine bridges across the riverconnectingeastandwestAhmedabad.Thehistoricwalledcity(recentlyrecognizedbyUNICEFasaworldheritagecity)islocatedontheeasternbankoftheriver.Thewesternpartofthecityhaslatelyseenmoreinvestmentininfrastructure.Inthepastdecade,thecityhasexpandedlargelytowardsthewest.Areasbetweenthe132feetroadandSarkhej‐GandhinagarHighwaysuchasGhatlodiya,Chandlodiya,ThaltejandSarkhejhaveseenrapidrealestategrowth.SGHighwayhasemergedasanimportantcommercialarea in the city.The emergenceof new industrial centers suchas Sanandhasalso influenced spatialgrowthinAhmedabadandhasdrivendevelopmentfurthertowardsthefringesbetweenSGHighwayandSPringroad.

6.1.3  SLUMS   IN  THE  CITY  

According to the Ahmedabad Urban Development Plan published in 2013, there are 262,511 slumhouseholdsinthecitycomprisingapopulationofmorethan13Lakh(23%ofthecity’spopulation)9.GroupsandNGOsworkingwithslumcommunitiesinthecityestimatetheslumpopulationtobebetween30to40%.

SlumsinAhmedabadarelocatedoneitherpubliclands(oftheState,Centralgovernmentlikeairports/railwaylandsetc.),inenvironmentallyvulnerableareaslikeriverorlakebeds,oronprivatelandswhoseuse is restricted through land/planningregulations.Theownersdonot seeanyeconomicbenefits in

                                                                 

9 The official Census of India figures are much smaller. According to Census 2011, only 4.5% of the city’s total population resides in slums. 

0.14 0.18 0.21 0.27 0.310.59

0.831.1

1.5

2.3

3.3

4.4

5.5

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1891 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

POPULATION (in m

illions)

YEAR

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holdingtheselands,aslegallytheycannotbeusedforanysortofdevelopment.Insuchcases,thelegallandowners often illegally subdivide the land and sell the plots in the grey‐market, facilitating theformation of ‘informal communities’ or slums. Several slums are also located on land belonging toreligious trusts. The trusts had settled landless/ poor people on these lands (either at no cost, orsometimesafterpayingafee/rent).Whilethesehouseholdsenjoyade‐factotenure,theydonothavelegaltitlestotheland.Ahmedabadhasadoptedamoreliberalandprogressiveplanningapproachinthelasttwodecades.Severalregulatoryconstraintsthatrestricteddevelopmentoncertainlandshavebeenreplaced with more fair and participatory processes for land development. The cost of formaldevelopment processes however is still high. Hence peripheral areas in Ahmedabad are still seeingformationofnew‘informalsubdivisions’.

6.1.4  URBAN  REJUVENATION  &  SLUM   IMPROVEMENT  PROGRAMS  

Overthelast20years,theAMChasundertakenseveralprogramstoimproveaccesstobasicservicesandshelterforthepoor.

ProgramsaimedatUrbanPoor:

1995‐2009:ParivartanSlumNetworkingProgram 2001:SlumElectrificationScheme Introductionof500NOCprogramdelinkingservicedeliveryfromtenure SlumRedevelopmentunderRajivAwaasYojanaandPMAY InstitutingRWAsinpublichousingcomplexes

Programsforcitylevelinfrastructureimprovement

1995‐ongoing:SabarmatiRiverfrontDevelopment(TheAMCbegandiscussionsaboutthisprojectin1995toimprovethehealthoftheSabarmatiRiverand reclaim land for parks, promenades and other public uses. The project also required theresettlingofabout10,000slumhouseholdsfromtheriverbankstopublichousingcomplexes)

JNNURM:BRT,augmentingwater‐sanitationnetworks AMRUT SmartCityPlan 2017:MetroRail

Plansandpolicies:

2005:ReformsinDevelopmentPlan(implementationthroughTPschemes) 2005:CityDevelopmentPlanunderJNNURM 2012:CitySanitationPlan 2013:City’sfirstheatactionplan 2015: Development Plan (implementation through TP schemes) (new byelaws for affordable

housing)

6.1.5  ROLE  OF  CIVIL  SOCIETY   IN  CITY  DEVELOPMENT  

Anactivecivilsociety,inwhichpeopleareengagedandwellinformed,canfacilitatedialoguebetweenthestateandsociety,itcandemandaccountabilityandmonitortheperformanceofpublicofficials.Also,

44 

 

veryimportantly,civilsocietyorganizationsplayakeyroleinmobilizingcommunities,particularlythevulnerableandmarginalizedsectionsofmasses,toparticipatemorefullyinpoliticsandpublicaffairs.

AhmedabadhashadalongestablishedandprominentcivilsocietyevenbeforeIndependenceItalsohasa long history of volunteerism and philanthropy whose roots can be traced to Mahatma Gandhiestablishinganashraminthecityandtheinterestofearlyindustrialelitesinphilanthropyandpublicleadership.

In the last 20 years, a number of civil‐ society organizations and NGOs have played an increasinglyimportantroleinurbandevelopment.OrganizationslikeEnvironmentalPlanningCollaborative(EPC),UrbanManagementCentre (UMC), Centre forEnvironmentEducation (CEE), IIPHprovided technicalplanning/communicationassistance,playedanadvisoryrole.

OtherslikeMHT,SEWA,andSAATHhaveplayedakeyroleinbuildingsocialcapitalinpoorcommunities,developingcommunityvoice,financialinclusion.OrganizationslikeCHETNAhavebeenworkinginpoorcommunitiestomobilizewomenandgirlsaroundhealthissues.Theseorganizationshavebeencrucialinfacilitatingdialoguebetweenpoorcommunitiesandthegovernment,seekingtoestablishtrustandengagementintheimplementationofdevelopmentprogramsinthecity.

6.1.6  MHT’S  WORK BEFORE  GRP  

MHTstarteditsworkinthewaterandsanitationsectorinAhmedabadin1995withtheParivartanSlumNetworkingProgram,whichenabledaccesstolegalservicesandimprovedlivingconditionsforcloseto40,000householdsacross47slumsinAhmedabad.Furtherdown,MHThasalsocollaboratedwithAMC,onthe500NOCandNirmalGujaratAbhiyanSchemes,therebyenabling1,31,105slumresidentstoavailthebasicfacilitiesofhouseholdlevelwaterconnections,toiletsanddrainagefacilitiesinthelast20years.Recognizingthataccesstoelectricitywasalsoamajordemandofpoorwomen,MHTlaterpartneredwiththeAhmedabadElectricityCompanytoinitiatetheUjjalaprogramtoprovidelegalelectricconnectionsinAhmedabadslumsin2001.SincethelaunchofJNNURMin2005,MHThasplayedasignificantroleinconnecting poor communities to public housing programs. MHT has also been advocating for moretransparentandinclusivelandmanagement&planningproceduresandmakinghousingmoreaffordableandaccessibletothepoor.

Overtheyears,MHThasworkedinmorethan200settlementsinAhmedabadinsomeorothercapacity,BeforeGRP,MHThadenabledmorethan2lakhfamiliesavailaccesstovariousbasicservicesandhousinginAhmedabad.MHT is especially recognisedamong slumdwellers inAhmedabadas anorganisationwhichsecuresaccesstobasicservicesandhousingforthepoor.

After2008,withtheformationofVikasini,Ahmedabad,MHThasfurtherscaleditsworkinAhmedabadthroughastronggrassrootnetworkof52womenleadersworkingacrossthecity.MHTenjoysaverygoodrapportwiththeAMC‐officialsaswellaswithelectedrepresentativesasanorganisationwhichstrivestosolveimplementationissuesandenable“lastmileconnectivity”.

6.2 EVOLUTION  OF  GRP  PROGRAMME   IN  AHMEDABAD  

6.2.1     GRP  PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT  STAGE  

Ahmedabad,beingtheestablishedcity,wasthecenterofGRP’sinitialprogramdevelopmentstage.Mostoftheinitialprogramrelatedprocesses,trainings,partnermeetings,andworkshopsduringtheproposal

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developmentwereconductedatAhmedabadwhichthengraduallymovedontotheemergingaswellasenablingcities.

FocusGroupDiscussionswithelevenslumcommunitieswereorganizedduringthefirstphaseontheissuesrelatedtoclimatechangeacrossAhmedabadwhereheatstressandwaterloggingcameouttobemajorslum‐levelrisksandcommunities’ livelihoodgettingaffectedespeciallyduringtheheatmonthsandmonsoonswasalsoobservedduringthediscussions.Communitiessharedthatduetoextensivelyhotafternoons,4hoursofthedaywentinvainastheycouldnottakeupanyactivityduetotheextremeheat.Thisledtodecreaseintheworkinghoursaswellasreducedefficiency.Mostofthecommunitiesalsoreportedoninlandfloodingwhichcausedbackloggedsewers.Theyalsomentionedthatheavyrainfallforaslittleas1‐2hourscausedknee‐levelwaterloggingandonanaverage,workersmissout4‐5workingdaysamonthasinsteadofworking,residentsgotinvolvedinremovingwaterorfellsickandwereunabletoworkasfloodingcausedunhygienicconditions,increaseindengueandcasesofothervectorbornediseases.

ThehighlightoftheproposaldevelopmentphaseinAhmedabad,however,wasthecapacitybuildingofthe Vikasini leaders on the issue. While in other cities, the FGDs were undertaken by the staff, inAhmedabad, Vikasini leaders took the lead in this. The first official GRP event in factwas a Vikasinitrainingheldon13thMarch2015,whereinthewomenleaderswereprovidedbasicinputsontheissueaswellasequippedwithparticipatorytoolstoundertakeFGDsintheslums.HavingundertakentheFGDs,theVikasinileadersdevelopedafurthergraspoftheissueandwerethusveryactiveduringtheproblemdevelopment workshop held in Ahmedabad later that month. This workshop was later followed byindicator development and behaviour change analysisworkshopwith the Vikasiniswhich became aforumfortheVikasinistoprovideinputsintothesolutionsfortheirproblems.

Havingidentifiedhealthstressors(heatandvector)asamajorknowledgegaparea(Vikasinishadalreadybeen trainedon issues related toWASHand energy), two technical trainingswereorganized for theVikasini‐Ahmedabadduringthisstage,oneontheissueofWaterandVector‐bornediseasesandotheronHealth facilitated by the project partners Dr. Vijay Kohli and Dr. Vikas Desai respectively. Both thetrainingshelpedtheVikasinishavinganincreasedunderstandingofthenewconceptsandbreakingofmythsaroundtheseissues.

AwaterandwastewatermanagementbasedsurveywasundertakenbyHimadriConsultants,oneofthetechnicalpartnerstheproject forRajivnagar‐3andSaraspurMill,toscopewaterrelatedsolutionsforthese two slums. Individual rooftop rain water harvesting and recharge of existing well as techno‐economical option for Rajivnagar and community‐level rain water harvesting for Saraspur wereproposed.Theproposalcouldnotbeinculcatedinthefinalprojectimplementationduetolowfeasibilityandveryhighcostimplications.Thiswasagoodlearningexperiencesincethetechnicalpartnerhadnotinvolvedthecommunityinthefinalisationofthesolutionanditreiteratedontheneedforjointsolutiondevelopmentinthemainphase.

6.2.2     GRP  PROGRAM  IMPLEMENTATION STAGE  

MHTidentified38poorcommunitiesinAhmedabadwhereitwouldworktowardsbuildingresiliencecapacities of poor women. Of these 38 10 communities, MHT had already worked in 25 on habitat

                                                                 

10 Of the 38 communities, the program was implemented (with varying degrees of success) in 37 communities. It never took off in one community (Chhipa Nagar). 

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improvementsandthusalreadyestablishedcredibilityinthesecommunities.OvertheyearsMHThadalsoinvestedinmobilizingtheresidentsintocollectivesandbuildingcapacitiesofwomenleaders.Thesecommunities were hence more organized with an active women leadership. 13 were ‘emerging’communities,whereMHTstartedworkinginthebeginningof2016undertheGRPprogram.Inits20years of work in Ahmedabad, MHT has partnered with local government and developers and ledredevelopment/ relocation of slum communities into formal housing societies. Some of these publichousing societies were hence also identified for intervention. Another category included in theinterventioncommunitieswasacommunityinAhmedabad’shistoricoldcity.TheideabehindincludingpublichousingandcommunitiesinhistoriccoreintheprogramwastoengagewithGovernmentplayerstowardsscalingupandmainstreamingtheresiliencebuildingapproachinpublicallyfundedhousingandcommunitydevelopmentprojects.

The program implementation started in Ahmedabad in December 2015. Bharti Bhosale led theimplementationof theprograminAhmedabad.BhartihasbeenworkingwithMHTformore than17yearsmanagingwater,sanitation,andhousingprogramsinAhmedabadaswellasothercities.Shehasexperienceandexpertiseinliaisingwithgovernmentagenciestodesignandimplementinfrastructureandhousingprogramsinslums,andalsoandon‐groundexecutionandmonitoringoftheseprograms.Ateamofsixfieldofficerswasputtogethertorollouttheprogramininterventioncommunities.MHTalsoengagedmembersoftheVikasiniFederationtospearheadcommunityorganization.AteamofonefieldofficerandaVikasini/spearheadteammemberwereassignedbetween5to8communities.

Entryintocommunities

FromDecember2015 ‐April2016 the focuswasonmobilizing families inemergentcommunities topartnerwithMHTunder theGRPprogram.Thisprocesswas long‐drawnand involved repeatedandmultiplevisitsbyMHTstaffandspearheadteams.Themobilizationprocessinvolvesunderstandingthecommunity and its needs and vulnerabilities, introducingMHT and its work, andmore importantlybuildingtrustamongresidents.MHThasworkedincloseto200communitiesinAhmedabadinvariousareaof thecity.Amongcommunities,MHT isviewedasan implementation focusedorganizationthatworks with community residents to liase with government to bring water and sanitationimprovements11.SomenewcommunitieslikeSilverPark,thuswerealreadyawareofMHT’sworkandshowedimmediateinterestandwillingnesstopartner.InothercommunitieslikeBalapirnoTekro,theprocessof trustbuilding took as longas sixmonths.By theendof themobilizationphase,MHThadpreparedadatabaseofallslumhouseholdsandgottheirconsenttocometogethertoformaCBO.Thetwo types of communities that proved themost challenging tomobilizewere formal public housingcommunitiesandverypoor/illiteratecommunitiesboundbyrigidsocio‐culturalnorms,superstitionandwherethewomenweremostdisempowered12.

Organizingwomenintocollectives,developingleadershipincommunities

InApril2016,MHTstartedtheCAGtrainings(forwomen)aimedatbuildingawarenessoncollectiveactionandurbangovernance.Thetrainingprocessalsoprovidesenoughopportunitiesforwomenfromcommunitytogettogetherandidentifyandselectagroupof10‐12women‘leaders’whowouldformtheCAG.Thetrainingprogram(comprising4modules,2dayseach),isgenerallyspreadover4to5months

                                                                 

11 Interview with Meenaben, Vikasini member, Spearhead team 12 Interview with Bhartiben 

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andisconductedinMHToffices.Thisisimportantasitofferswomenanavenuetoventureoutoftheirneighborhoods,akeybehavioralchangeforwomenfromthissocio‐economicstratum.

The trainingswereorganizedkeeping inmindwomen’s schedules, their lossof livelihood, religious/cultural festivals and other engagements. Yet in some communities getting women out was verychallenging.Therewasskepticismamongwomenandmenalikeaboutthewhereabouts/natureofthesetrainings.MHTthusalsoorganizedvisit forcommunitywomenandtheirhusbands toMHTofficestoconvince them to let thewomenattend these trainings. SometimesMHT staff alsohad to personallyescortwomentoandfromtheircommunitiestoattendthetrainings.

Typically,InAhmedabadcommunities,35‐40womenattendedthesetrainings.About3‐5womenfromeach community attended all trainings. By the end of August 2016, 7 of the 13 emerging slums hadcompletedthetrainingprogramandhadanestablishedleadershipintheformofCAG.Intheremaining6slums,ittookmuchlonger(tillDecember2016)tocompletethetrainings.

MobilizingCommunitiesaroundClimateChange

To generate awareness and interest around the issue ofclimatechangeamongpoorwomenrequirednewstrategiesandcommunicationtools.Areameetingswerenotgarneringalotofattentionandinterest.ByApril2016,theknowledgeteamhaddevelopedaClimateChangeorientationmultimediatrainingtoolkitcomprisingcreativecommunicationtoolslikegames, videos, and group activities. Between May andDecember 2016, the field staff ran awareness campaignsaroundclimatechangeintheinterventioncommunitiesusingvideo shows, area meetings, and games and activities. InAhmedabadthesnakesandladdergamewereverysuccessfulingarneringwidespreadparticipationfromthecommunities.CAG leaderswereable torecall theseactivitiesas themostinterestingandhavingthemostimpactonthemintermsofbothunderstandingtheconceptandimpactofclimatechangeaswellasencouragingthemtothinkaboutmakingresilienceinvestments.Theclimatechange training forCAGmembersfrom slums was conducted in June 2016, for establishedcommunities and in December‐January 2017 for emergingcommunities.

Institutingcommunityledsurveillanceandaction

Withtheuseofcreativecommunicationtools likevideoshowsandthesnakesandladdersgamewasbeginningtogarnerenoughinterestamongcommunityonclimatechangeanditsimpacts.Womenwerestartingtocomefortrainings.However,Bhartibenfeltthattheprogramwasgettingtootrainingfocused.Shebelievedthattosustaintheinterestofcommunitiesintheprogramaswellastheirtrust inMHT,therewasneedto“demonstrateactionandtangiblechangeonground”.InthecriticalreflectionmeetingfortheprogramheldinSeptember2016,Bhartibenhighlightedherconcern.

Atthattimetheknowledgeteamwasintodevelopingthecommunity‐basedsurveillancesystem.Itwasfeltthatthesystemcanbemodifiedtoprovideitamorecommunicationangleifitisconductedasadrive.

ClimatechangewasanewtopicevenforMHTfieldstaff.TheAhmedabadstaffandVikasinimembersparticipatedinaseriesofclimatechangeorientationtrainingsbetweenMarchandApril2017.Inthese‘trainingoftrainers’workshopsthestaffwastrainedtofacilitateclimatechangetrainingandcommunicationactivitiesonground.InJune2016,thestaffwasalsotrainedinfacilitatingcommunitybasedvulnerabilityassessmenttoolkit(CBVAT)anduseofdigitalcommunicationplatformslikemobile‐vanitohelpcommunitiescreateanddisseminateoriginalcontentonclimatechangeanditsimpactsontheirdailylives.InMarch2017,anothertrainingoftrainersforCBRAPwasheldinwhichagainbothVikasinileadersandgrassrootstaffparticipated. 

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Somovingbeyondonlyreal‐timedatacollectionforafewhouseholds,thevectorsurveillancesystemwasexpandedtoincludeatleasthalfofthehouseholdsintheslums.Tomakeitmoreattractiveitwasdecidedtoinvolveadolescentboysandgirlsintheprogramme.Theseyoungboysandgirlsfromcommunitieswere trained as ‘child doctors’ to identify and monitor larvae breeding spots, and also provideinformationtofamiliesonvectormanagement.

Given the limited resources, initially it was planned to undertake vector drives only in 7 slums ofAhmedabad.However,thedrivesreceivedverygoodresponsefromthecommunityandVikasinileadersandthuswasexpandedtocoveranadditional13slumsinthecity.

Encouraged by the experience, it was felt that the water quality testing should also be undertakenseasonally (in addition to the daily andweeklymonitoring systems being planned). Itwas felt thatconductedinadrivemode,thiswillnotonlytrainthewomenleadersonthetestingmethodsbutwouldalsobeastrongcommunicationtooltoprovideinformationtothecommunitiesontheirwaterquality.BetweenDecember2016toFebruary2017,waterdriveswereconductedin22slumsofAhmedabad.

Boththesedrivesreceivedaverypositiveresponsefromcommunitiesbothintermofdrivingbehaviorchangeandencouragingfamiliestomakeresilienceinvestments.Muskaan,oneofthechilddoctorsfromBabaLavlaviNagarsays“Earlierthefamiliesdidnottakeusseriously.Theywouldaskustocomelaterandneverreallygaveustime.Butwepersisted.Whenwestarteddetectinglarvae,cleaningthoseareas,theyunderstooditsimportance.Theystartedfollowingwhatwetoldthem.Theykeptthedrinkingwaterareasclean,startedcleaningthewatertanks.Soonitbecameamatterofprideforthecommunity.Nowfamiliesinvitemetotesttheirwaterontheirown!”Followingthewaterdrives,severalfamiliesinRajivNagaralsoinvestedinbuyingwaterpurifiers.Othercommunitiesbecamemoreengagedinkeepingtheircommunityclean,gettingthedrainsclearedetc.Thedrivesalsoprovedtobeanopportunityforthecommunitytoengage with ward councilors and other government stakeholders. The councilors recognized andapplaudedthesecommunityledinitiativesandalsosupportedthembyprovidingsaplingsforplantation,andlinkingcommunitiestoAMC’shealthandsanitationdepartments.

InFebruary2017MHTalsoestablishedenvironmentalsurveillancestations(temperature,humidityandwaterquality)inthehomesofVikasiniworkersin4slumcommunities.Thepurposewastoencouragecommunitiestocollectandmonitorrealtimeclimatedataanduseittomakeinformedchoicesabouttheirdailylivesandactivities.

InvolvingWomenleadersforCommunicationStrategyDevelopment

The drives further reiterated the crucial role of Vikasini members as ‘foot soldiers’ in programdevelopment. They were in the forefront of driving grassroots change, communicating ideas andinformationtocommunities,supportingtheminresolvingeverydayissues,andalsobringingtheirneedsand concerns toMHT. InDecember 2016,MHT thus organized aworkshopwith the communicationpartners (ledbyCEE andArmanOza) in collaborationwithVikasini to developnew communicationmaterialandatimetableforcarryingoutoutreachactivitiesanddrivesinslumsinthefollowingyear.Duringtheworkshop,Vikasini’sofferedimportantinputsindevelopingkeymessagesandvisualstobedisseminatedthroughdifferentmediaplatforms.

Communityledriskassessmentandresilienceplanning

By the end of the first year, it was time to focus on training communities to understand theirvulnerabilitiesthroughtheCBVATandCBRAPprocess.TheCBVATandCBRAPtoolsaredesignedasaseriesofparticipatoryexercisestobeadministeredwithCAGmembersoveraperiodof6‐8weeks.

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Several members of Ahmedabad field team and Vikasinileader Krishnaben were trained to conduct the CBVATprocessonground.However,sincetheprocesswastechnicalandslightlycomplexandinvolvedalongerlearningcurve,itwasdecidedthatateamcomprisingonefieldofficer(Radha)andtwoVikssanileaders(KrishnabenandBhanuben)wouldadministeritinallslums.AccordingtoRadha“Itwasdifficultformetorememberallthetermsandthedifferenttools.Iusedtogetthemconfusedandmixed‐up.IttookusalongtimetofacilitatetheCBVATinthefirst5to6slums.Wethoughtitwasa lot of paperwork which we were not used to. Thecommunitiesalsoshowedlittleinterest.Theythoughtitwasatediousprocess.The riskquadrantexercisewasparticularlydifficultforthemtounderstand.Aswegothangoftheprocess,itgoteasierandIalsostartedenjoyingtheprocess.”

TheCBVATprocesseliciteddifferentresponsefromdifferentcommunities. In some established communities like RajivNagarandRameshDuttColony,CBVATwasverysuccessful.At least 5‐7 women consistently participated in all theexercises thatwerespreadacrossa fewweeks.Theywereabletounderstandandarticulatetheirvulnerabilities.Inthepublic housing complexes the process got derailed almostevery‐time because of quarrels and concerns overmaintenance and other issues of apartments. In emergingcommunities, itproveda littlemore challenging to sustaininterestintheprocess.BetweenJanuarytoDecember2017,MHTfacilitatedCBVATin28andCBRAPin22outofthe37communities.

Promotingadoptionoftechnology/resilientsolutions

Building on the interest that the drives and the outreachprocesses had generated, MHT encouraged and supported communities to initiate community levelactions.CommunitiesmadeapplicationstoAMCtocleandrains,organizedwastecollectiondrive,plantedtrees,gotpavedstreetsandstreetlightsinstalledetc.

MHTalsoconducttechnologydemonstrationstonudgefamiliestowardsmakingresilientinvestments.Around March‐ April 2017 (before the onset of summer), MHT demonstrated several cool roofingsolutions(whitepaints,thermacolroofs,modroofs)forslums.Othertechnologydemonstrationsincludesprinklertaps,waterfilters,rainwaterharvestingsystemsandanotherhome‐grownsolutionslikeuseof indigenous plants as mosquito repellants, use of mosquito nets etc. Parallel to the technologydemonstrations,MHTorganizedadvanced trainings forVikasiniworkersandadolescentgirls inMay2017onheatstress(identifiedasakeyconcerninAhmedabadaffectinghealthandlivelihoods).

Duringthisphase,itwasalsofeltthataspecialcommunicationdrivebeconductedwhichfocusesmainlyonsolutions.FolkmediahademergedasagoodstrategytopromotecommunicationintheDecemberbehaviourchangecommunicationworkshop.Itwasthusdecidedtoundertakeafolkmediacampaignfocusingonresiliencepracticesandtechnologysolutions.UndertakenbetweenMarchtoMay2017,folk

One of the key challenges of theprocess was the need to involve thesame people in the training andimplementation process. One of thecritical gaps that Ahmedabadexperiencedinthiswasthatgiventhelargesizeoftheteam,andtheneedtotrain every one with limitedresources, different people attendeddifferent trainings,exceptRadhaandKrishnaben who attended alltrainings. Later on, it emerged thatonlythesetwocouldbestfacilitatetheprocesses on the ground since theyhas a more sound understanding oftheissueandprocesses.Thisisakeylearning for MHT and highlights theneed for staff capacity building. Thefact was also recognised by MHTduring the project and in October2016 and in January 2017 refreshertraining was also organised for allprojectstafffromvariouscitiesoneonresilience building and another oninstitutional development. TheregularstaffcapacitybuildingprocesshasnowbeeninstitutionalisedwithinMHT.

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mediagotaverypositiveresponsefromthecommunities.Nexttodrives,snakeandladdersgame,folkmediawerethemostrecollectedCAGactivitybythecommunitiesinAhmedabad.

Community‐basedresilienceplanningandaction

By May 2017, the CBRAP process had also been initiated in a few slums in Ahmedabad. By thencommunitieshadpreparedresilienceactionplans,whichidentifiedandprioritizedactionstobetakenatthecommunitylevel.BetweenJuneandDecember2017MHTsupportedtheimplementationofafewkeycommunity level solutions including revivalofwells inAhmedabad’shistoric core,useof communitywater meters, plantations and landscaping using indigenous plants in public housing complexes,vermicompostingetc.TheAhmedabadimplementationteampartneredwithsector/technicalexpertstoimplementthesesolutions.

Engagingwithgovernmenttobringchange

Throughouttheimplementationstage,MHT,VikasiniworkersaswellasCAGleadersfromslumsengagedwith the government at different levels to improve living conditions/ bring tangible change in thecommunities. CAG leaders engaged with the elected councilors and leveraged their funds for localinfrastructureandimprovementsintheircommunities.15councilorsrepresenting15wardsinthecityweresupportedimplementationoftheprogram.VikasiniwiththesupportofMHTwasalsoinstrumentalinworkingwithAMCtoextendwaterandsanitationinfrastructurein33communities.

MHT has been known in AMC for implementing water‐sanitation and housing programs in slumcommunities.WiththeGRPprogram,MHT’sworkintheareaofheatstress,especiallycoolroofinitiativesinpoorcommunitiesalsostartedgeneratingenoughinterestamongAMCHealthDepartmentstaff. InMarch 2017, when MHT organized the CBRA in Ahmedabad, we used this opportunity to furtherstrengthentheengagementwithgovernmentactors(atalllevels)andtechnologyexpertsintheCity.Mr.MukeshShah,JointSecretary,DepartmentofClimateChange,Govt.ofGujaratwasinvitedtospeakatthevaledictorysessionoftheCBRA.HesharedtheStateGovernmentsinitiativesincombatingclimatechangeanditsimpacts,andwelcomedtheopportunitytopartnerwithMHTinfuture.

Inearly2017,AMC(withthetechnicalsupportofIIPH)wasintheprocessofdevelopingthecity’sheatactionplanfortheyearalongwithIIPHG(withDr.AbhiyantTiwariasthepointperson).Dr.AbhiyantTiwari(IIPH)wasalsoinvitedasapaneliststospeakonscalingtechnologysolutions.HeacknowledgedthatMHT’sworkhasbeencrucialinestablishing‘heatrelatedstresses’asanimportantissueamongstgovernmentactors.Lateron,Dr.AbhiyantTiwarialongwithDr.TejasShah,HealthOfficer,AMCvisitedMHTofficetolearnabouttheGRPinitiativesinheatstressandpotentialconvergencewithcity’sheataction planning process. In April, a team fromNRDC (a technical consultant to AMC for heat actionplanning initiative) through interactions with IIPHG, learnt about the project and visited MHT tounderstanditsworkinsupportingpoorfamiliestoinvestincoolroofs.On7thAprilthecity’sheatactionplanwaslaunched.TwoVikasinimembers(Ms.PraveenabenfromRameshduttcolonyandMs.MinabenKori from Rameshdutt colony) were invited to share theirexperienceswithcoolroofsattheplan’slaunchworkshop.ThiswasAMC’sthirdheatactionplan,andforthefirsttime,theplanemphasizedcoolroofing.MHT’swork inslumcommunities(insurveillance and technology outreach) was recognized andfeaturedaspartof theplan.Theplan identified “Collaboration

By the next year in May 2018, the AMC had 

officially adopted white painting of roofs as 

a strategy and has been promoting the 

same. 

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withnon‐governmentalorganizations”13asakeystrategytoexpandoutreachandcommunicationwiththecity’smostat‐riskcommunities.MHThasalsonowrecognizedasakeystakeholderinsupportingthecity’seffortstowardsclimateaction.

InMay2017,MHTandVikasinimemberswereinvitedattheStateGovernmentslaunchofAhmedabad’sfirstrealtimeairqualitymonitoringsystemsupportedbySystemofAirQualityandWeatherForecastingandResearch(SAFAR).

6.2.3  KEY  CITY  LEVEL  OUTCOMES    

MHThadbeenworkinginAhmedabadfor20+yearsinhabitatdevelopment.Itisrecognizedamongstlocalgovernmentasapartnerinreachingservicesandinfrastructureinpoorcommunities.UndertheGRPprogramcontinuedtoworkwithAMCtobringwaterandsanitationinfrastructureintocommunities.The program offered MHT an opportunity to widen its engagement with AMC beyond slumimprovement/engineeringdepartmentstoalsoengagewiththehealthdepartmentonpreventivehealthinitiatives.MHTalsoestablishedaworkingrelationshipwiththeStateClimateChangeandWomenandChildDevelopmentDepartments.Theemphasisonmulti‐stakeholderprocessesalsoresultedinlastingpartnershipswithtechnicalinstitutionsandotherNGOsinthecitysuchasIIPHandCEEthatcontinuedbeyondtheprojectperiod. ThesepartnershipsbenefittedMHT’sotherprogramsandalsoresultedinnewfunding.ThebiggestsuccessinAhmedabadhoweverwastherecognitionofMHT’sworkintheareaofheatstressbygovernmentactorsandleadingtechnicalstakeholdersinthecity.

6.3   CASE  SLUMS  OF  AHMEDABAD  

6.3.1   SILVER  PARK  (EMERGING  SLUM)  

LocatedinthewesternperipheryofAhmedabadintheSarkhejarea,SilverParkisa90‐year‐oldMuslimsettlement of close to 100 families. Silver Park is one amongst themany settlements in theMuslimdominated Sarkhej and Juhapura areas. With access to housing becoming increasingly difficult forMuslimsinotherpartsofthecity,theseareasaredensifyingrapidly.TheaveragefamilyincomesinSilverPark are between Rs.10,000‐Rs. 15,000 per month. Men are engaged as drivers, are part of theconstruction industry.Womenareengaged inhouseholdchoresordohomebasedwork likesewing,embroideringetc.Theyspendonlyalimitedtimeoutsidetheirhomes/community.

SilverParkislocatedoffoftheSarkhejMakarbaroad.ThelandmostlikelybelongstoaMuslimreligioustrust.Families inSilverParkdonothave legal titles totheir land,butdoenjoysomekindofde‐factotenure.Theaccessroadleadingtothecommunity isabout5–6meterswide,whichfurthernarrowsdownto3–4metersclosertothecommunity.Theaccessroadsaswellinternalroadsareallunpaved.Thecommunityexperiencesseverefloodingduringmonsoons,andtheroadsgetwaterloggedandremaincoveredinmuck/mudformonthstogether.

AMCprovidedindividualwaterconnectionsinthecommunityafewyearsback.Howeverwatersuppliedisnotsufficient,andtillveryrecentlywassuppliedatoddhoursintheday.Thecommunityresidentsroutinelycall tankers toaugment the limitedsupply.Mosthouseholdshave individual toilets in their

                                                                 

13 https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ahmedabad‐heat‐action‐plan‐2017.pdf 

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homes,whichareconnectedtokhalkunva(deepsinglepits).Thereisnoundergrounddrainagelineinthe community. The houses themselves are in good condition with pucca structures (sometimesmultistoried),andhavebeenincrementallydevelopedovertheyears.

MHThasbeenworkingwithothercommunities intheSarkhejareasince2006. Itstartedworking inSilver Park in January2016on the insistenceof local communitywomen andNafisaBen, the electedcouncilorfromthearea.NafisaBenwasearlieravikasinimemberfromNehruNagarslumwhereMHThadfacilitatedaccesstoimprovedwaterandsanitationinfrastructure.SilverParkhadasomewhatactivewomen leadership and they sought MHT’s support in getting access to improved water supply anddrainageintheircommunity.Forthefirstfewmonths,Meenaben,VikasinimemberwhowaschargedwithmobilizingandorganizingtheslumconductedmeetingsontheprocessofgettinglegalwateranddrainageconnectionsfromAMC.InApril2016,MeenabenintroducedtheGRPprogramandtheconceptofclimatechangethroughvideoshowsandinteractivegames.“Thewomenwereverysharp”,Meenabensays,“Theyunderstoodeverythingveryquickly.SoonMHTstartedtheCAGformationtrainingsinthecommunity. In June2016,Meenaben facilitated a visit for a fewwomen to another slum communitywhereamod‐roofwasinstalled.

InJuneandJuly2017,MeenabensupportedslumhouseholdsinfillingapplicationsandcollatingrelatedpaperworktoapplyfordrainageconnectionswithAMC.Theprocessbetweenfilingoftheapplicationandacquiringtheserviceconnectionislengthyandtedious.Theapplicationispassedthroughmultipletablesforapprovalandsometimesendsupbeingrejectedbecauseofincompleteinformation/technicalglitches.MHThasdevelopedaweb‐basedinterfacelinkedtoabackenddatasystemtomakeiteasierforslum residents to track their application. This web‐based interface was piloted in Silver Park inSeptember2017.InNovember2017,womenfromthecommunityparticipatedinatrainingonusingtheinterfacetotracktheirapplication.MHTcontinueditsclimatechangeoutreachactivitiesintheslumallalong. The vector surveillance and water testing drives conducted in the community were hugelysuccessful. Women and children started taking an active leadership role in ensuring that thesurroundingsremaincleanandfreefrommosquitos.InNovemberAMCapprovedextendingdrainagelineintothearea(tillthemainroad).InDecember2016,MHTorganizedatwo‐daytrainingonclimatechangefortheCAGleaders.

By February 2017, most households in the community had received a copy of the ‘No ObjectionCertificate’issuedbyAMC(aprerequisiteforinformalcommunitiestoaccesslegalwateranddrainageinfrastructure). In March MHT organized a small event in the community inviting Nafisaben (wardcouncilor,Sarkhej)toupdateheroncommunityledsurveillancestartedunderGRP.Sherecognizedtheeffortsof thecommunity, especiallychildren inmaintainingcleanlinessandcurbingspreadofvectorbornediseases.

From March to May 2017, MHT focused its outreach on heat stress and its impacts on health andproductivity.Anotherexposurevisit(toasluminOdhav)forCAGleaderswasorganized.Thewomenwereexposed tovariouscoolingroof solutionssuchas theModRoof,Whitepaint, thermocoalbasedinsulationetc.InAprilMHTalsoorganizedfolkmediagatheringsonthesubject.InMay,MHTinstalledatemperaturemonitoringstationinoneoftheCAGmember’shouse.WiththesupportofCAGleadersandthelocalcouncilor,MHTalsoorganizedatreeplantationdriveinthearea.

Now that the AMC had approved laying of the drainage line,MHTmobilized the community to findresourcestobringthedrainagelineintothecommunity,andgetthestreetspaved.NafisaBenagreedtospendhercouncilorsfundstowardslayingthisinfrastructure.MHTalsoappliedforgettingstreetlightsinstalledinthecommunity.InAugust2017,MHTfacilitatedtheCBVATexerciseswithCAGleaders.

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Currently,MHTisfacilitatingthelayingoftheundergrounddrainagelineinthecommunityleveragingCouncilor’sfunds.Theundergrounddrainagelineisexpectedtobefunctionalbyearly2018.MHThasalso been influential in changing thewater supply timings in the community to a time that ismoreconvenientforresidentfamilies.RehmatbenandKarimabenaretwoofthemostactiveCAGmemberswhoareworkingwiththesupportofMeenabenSoni,aVikasiniworkertobringtheseimprovementstothecommunity.Theybelievethatoncetheworkfordrainagelineisover,andtheroadsgetpaved,thelivingconditionswilldrasticallyimprove.

6.3.2 BALAPIR  NO  TEKRO  (EMERGING  SLUM)  

BalapeerNoTekroisarelativelysmallslumcommunityofabout100familieslocatedintheeasternpartofAhmedabadintheDudheshwarward.Thesettlementis80yearsoldandissituatedonlandbelongingtoareligioustrust.

TheslumcomprisesverypoorpopulationswithanaveragefamilyincomebetweenRs.5000‐Rs.10,000permonth.Educationlevelsarealsolow.Mostpeopleareengagedinvegetablevending,casuallabour,andotherpettyjobssuchasexchangingutensilsforusedclothes.ItisahomogeneouscommunitywithmostfamiliesbelongingtothePataniCaste(Hindureligion).Theslumislocatedonaslopedterrainandrisesupwardfromthemainaccessroad.Theconditionofhousesaswellassanitationinfrastructureintheslumisverypoor.

Thehousesaretiny(lessthan30sqm)withtinroofs,andaretightlypackedalongverynarrow,undulantalleysoftenlitteredwithgarbageandcoveredwithopensewage.Severalfamilieshavemadeadditionstotheirhousesovertheyearsandhaveencroacheduponthestreets,makingtherightofwaynarrower.Thishasalsomadeitdifficulttoinstall/upgradeundergroundwaterandsanitationinfrastructure.Mostfamiliesgotothenearbycommunitytoiletfordefecation.Theslumcommunityhasaccesstopipedwatersupplyandelectricity.Severalhouseholdsrelyonburningsolidfuelfortheircookingneeds.

MHTstartedworkinginbothBalapirNoTekroandSilverParkinDecember2015.BalapirNoTekrowasa completely new settlement. MHT had no prior history of working in or around the community.Krishnaben,anexperiencedvikasinileaderwaschargedwithstartingthecommunityorganizationandmobilization process in the community. She narrates her experience: “I didn't even know that thiscommunity existed.When I reached there, I started asking around. Usually, I always start with theAnganwadi.Peoplewerenotveryreceptiveat thestart.No‐onereallywanted to talkaboutcommunityissues.Wearefineheretheywouldsay.Wedon'tneedanythingfromyou.Ikeptmakingrepeatedvisits”.

SlowlythecommunitystartedengagingwithKrishnabenandMHTfieldstaff.3monthsafterthe firstvisit,MHTconductedthefirstsurveyinthecommunityinFebruary2016.Itwasahouseholdlevelrapidassessmentofthelevelofinfrastructure,aswellaslevelofcitizenshipandentitlements.

Krishnabenhadbeenengagedwiththecommunityformorethan6months.MHTstartedorganizingarealevelmeetings. Sincemostwomenwere engaged in vending activities and left forwork early in themorning, the attendance in these was often low. During these interactions and trainings, it becameevident that lack of sanitation is a major concern for the community. It was already May and thetemperatures had started to soar beyond 40‐degree celcius.MHT started introducing the concept ofclimatechangeat this time. InKrishnaben’swords“Womenhadstartedcomplainingabout increasingheat.Iusedthisasanopportunitytostarttalkingabouttheevidentchangeinclimatepatternsandwhatiscausingthat.IhadattendedthetrainingonclimatechangeatMHTofficejustamonthbefore,soIcouldreallyengagetheminaninformeddiscussion.”

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Inmostmeetingswomenwerevocalaboutthelackofindividualtoiletsandinadequatedrainagefacilitiesintheslum.InJune2016,MHTtookthisagendatoAMCandfacilitatedafieldvisitforAMCofficerstotheslum.Simultaneously,MHT’sfieldstaffmobilizedwomenontheimportanceofformingacommunity‐basedorganizationandcollectivelyworkingtogethertoimprovesanitationinthecommunity.MHTalsostartedtheCAGformationtrainings.

Theyinformedandeducatedthecommunityaboutaccessingindividualtoilets(fullysubsidized)underGovernment’sSwacchaBharatMission(SBM).

AMCagreedtoconstructtoiletsintheslum.MHThelpedthehouseholdsmakeapplicationsundertheprogram. AMC engaged a contractor to construct toilets in the community.Within a period of threemonths,thecontractorsconstructedindividualtoiletsin7houses.Oncethesuper‐structureswereready,thecontractorstartedworkonconnectingthemtotheexistingdrainageline.Thedrainagelineisveryold.Alsoseveralfamilieshadextendedtheirhousesintothestreetrightofway(overtheundergrounddrainage line),whichmade itscleaningandservicingdifficult.Thedrainagelineoftengotcloggedupcausingunhygienicconditionsinthecommunity.Fearingthatconnectingthenewtoiletstothisdrainagelinewillworsen the situation,most households vehemently opposed the decision. They stopped thecontractorfromdoinganyfurtherwork.

For the next couple of months (September to December 2017), MHT tried to mediate between thecommunitymembersandAMC.Thecommunitydemandedanewdrainageline(inadditiontotheexistingdrainageline).AMCwasnottookeentoputinanewdrainageline.Theyfelt thatthelanesweretoonarrowandtheconstructionwouldinvolvedemolitionofseveralhouses.

MHTalsocontinued its climatechangecommunicationandoutreachactivities in theslum.MHTalsomobilizedyoungchildrenfromtheslumandorganizedawatertestingdriveinJanuary2017.AllfamiliesintheslumhaveapipedwaterconnectionprovidedbyAMC.Theyweresatisfiedwiththewaterquality.Thetestresultsreaffirmedthat.Whiletheseactivitiessawparticipationfromwomen,theykeptbringingupthesanitationissues.

In February 2017 MHT mobilized a few community members (Sonalben and Nandaben who werebeginning to emerge as leaders in their communities) and approached the elected ward councilor(PhalguniBen)forasolution.ThecouncilorsuggestedthatthecommunityshouldmakeanapplicationtotheAMCforregularlycleaningthedrainage line.MHTalongwithVikasinimemberKrishnaBenmadethese applications toAMC and followed up on the process. AMC sent sanitary staff for cleaning thedrainageline.Whiletheywereabletocleanmostofthedrainageline,itprovedtobeachallengingtask,as at several places, families had extended their houses over the drainage line and paved over themanholes.

However even after the cleaning, no onewaswilling to connect the newly constructed toilets to thedrainageline.MHTsoughtthesupportofCAGmemberstoconvincethecommunity.HowevertheCAGmemberswerealsounsuccessfulinchangingpeople’spositions.MHTthenstartedadvocatingwiththeAMCforanewdrainageline.Howeverthebiggerchallengewastoconvincethecommunitytomakespaceforputtingthenewline.Individualhouseholdshadextendedtheirhousesandencroacheduponthelanesinthecommunity,leavingaverynarrowrightofwayatseveralplaces.

It was impossible to put a new line without demolishing some of these encroachments. No singlehouseholdwasreadytothis.Smalltemplesandonelargetreealsoobstructedthealreadynarrowstreets.The communitywas notwilling to negotiate around any of these factors. Even after sixmonths, the

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community was not able to come to a resolution. Over time, AMC stopped paying attention to thecommunity.Thecontractorleftwithoutcompletingtheconnections.

InMay2017,MHTfacilitatedthecommunitybasedvulnerabilityassessment(CBVAT)exercise intheslum.Duringtheexercise,issuessuchascloggingofdrainagelines,inundation(duringmonsoonmonths),andunhygienicconditionsinthecommunitywererepeatedlyhighlighted.Thecommunityidentifiedbadqualitywater,increaseinvectors,rodents,andwidespreaddiseases,andheatstress(onaccountofverysmallhousesandverynarrowlaneswithlimitedlight/aircirculation),useofpollutingfuelsforcookingamongsttheareasofcriticalconcern.TheCBVATexercisealsoprobedthewomenparticipantsontheleveloforganizationinthecommunity.Duringoneoftheexercise,majorityofthewomenagreedthatduringtimesofcrisisthecommunitycomestogethertoresolveanissue.However,aCAGmemberdidnotholdthesameview.Shepointedoutthatoverthelastmonthswhenthecommunityneededtoworktogethertosolvethesanitationissue,noonecooperated.

InJune2017,severalhouseholdsdemolishedthetoiletsconstructedunderSBM.Theygarneredfinancialsupportfromthelocalcouncilortorepavethelanesinthecommunity.Duringthistime,MHTtriedtodemonstrate cooling roof solutionsbutwasunsuccessful. Sincemosthouseholdshad tin sheet roofs,somefallingapart,anyinterventionproveddifficult.InAugust2017,thecommunityparticipatedintheparticipatoryresilienceplanningexercise.KrishnabencontinuetosupportandmentorCAGleaderstotake resilience actions. As of December 2017, with the cleaning of the drainage line, the sanitationsituationinthecommunityhasimproved.Mosthouseholdshoweverstillprefertousethecommunitytoilet.Atthehouseholdlevel,Sonalbenhassupportedmorethan10householdstogetaccesstoliquefiedpetroleumgas(LPG)cylindersforcookingandhalpedthemmoveawayfrompollutingsolidfuels.

6.3.3 RAJIV  NAGAR‐3  (ESTABLISHED SLUM)  

RajivNagarisalargeinformalsettlementinarelativelyaffluent,andcentrallylocatedareaofthecity.The land is in private ownership. The 1976 statutoryDevelopmentPlanprepared byAUDA in 1976demarcatedtheplotaspartofthecity’sgreenbelt.Howevertheauthoritiesneveracquiredthe land.Sincetheprivateownerscouldnotmakeanylegaltransactionsontheland,theyillegallysubdividedtheland and sold individual parcels through greymarket transactions. The community came into beingaround1980,andhassincethenbeenamidstalegalbattlebetweentheownersandtheAMC.ArecentHighCourtResolutionhasdeclaredthattheoriginalownerswillgetback70%oftheirland.AMCwouldretaintheremaining30%,whichwillbeusedtohousethecurrentoccupants/slumresidents,andtodevelopotherpublicamenities.RajivNagar3ispartofthe30%retainedbyAMC.

Thecommunityhasbetween300‐400householdsandcomprisesalargelyHindupopulation.Owingtoitsambiguoustenure, thecommunityhasbeendevoidofmunicipalservices.There isnopipedwatersupply inRajivNagar‐3.Thecommunity isentirelydependentonwater fromborewellsoperatedbyprivateindividuals.FamiliespaybetweenRs.250‐300permonth,forwaterfromtheseborewells.Somefamilies have come together to dig their own borewells. Water quality of the bore water has beenconsistentlydeteriorating. Some families claim it isundrinkablenow.Most familieshaveconstructedtheirowntoilets.Thetoiletsareconnectedtodeepsinglepits(constructed30yearsback)todisposeoffwastewater.Thecommunityhasbeenconsistentlymakingeffortsforthelast15yearstogetaccesstomunicipalwateranddrainagelines.Finallyin2016,AMCapprovedthelayingofundergrounddrainageinthecommunity,whichiscurrentlyunderway.

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MHThasbeenworkinginthecommunitysince2005.BhanuBenemergedasaleaderinthecommunity.Shemobilizedanother8‐10womenandstarted followingupon theprogressof thewater‐sanitationinfrastructurewithMHT’ssupport.In2006,theprocessoflayingtheundergrounddrainagestartedbutwaslefthalfway.Toextendthewater/sewagelinesintotheslum,AMCneededeasementrightsfromtheadjoiningproperty.

UndertheGRPprogram,MHTcontinuedtoworkinRajivNagartomobilizecommunitiesaroundclimateactionandencouragethecommunitytotakeresilientactions.

In2016, thedrainagework in thecommunitywasalso finallyresumed.TheCAGmembersremainedengagedintheprocess.Theymobilizedfamiliestopaytheconnectionchargesandgetlegalconnections,andmonitoredtheconstructionwork.Overthelast2years,theCAGmembershaveaplayedanactiverole in generating awareness and interest amongst the community on climate change and relatedstresses.Communitysurveillanceprocesses(watertestingandvectordrives)havebeenverysuccessfulinRajivNagar.The communityhasbecomemuchawareabouthealth issues related todeterioratingwaterqualityandinfestationofmosquitos.6‐7familieshaveinvestedinwaterpurifiers;manyothershavestartedboilingwaterbeforeusing.AccordingtoCAGmembers,incidencesofMalaria,Denguehavealsodrasticallyreduced.ThecommunityalsogotadrainagelineinSeptember2017.Alltoilets inthecommunityarecurrentlybeingconnectedtoundergrounddrainage.TheCAGmembersarenowworkingtogetaccesstopipedwatersupplyinthecommunity

6.3.4   BABA  LABLABI  NAGAR  (ESTABLISHED  SLUM)  

BabaLablabiNagarisa60‐year‐oldsettlementlocatedintheEasternpartofAhmedabadadjacenttotheSabarmati River. It is a large homogenous community comprising about 500 Muslim families. ThesettlementgetsitsnamefromtheBabaLablabiMasjid,amosquededicatedtoalocalsaintaroundwhichthecommunitygrew.Themosqueisaprotectedheritagebuilding.Inmostfamilies,malemembersareMen are engaged as drivers,work in construction, or are food/ vegetable vendors.Mostwomen arehomemakers,fewareengagedinhomebasedworklikesewing,embroideringetc.TheaveragemonthlyincomesarebetweenRs.10,000toRs.15,000.

Thecommunityhasgrownovertheyearswithadditionofnewfamilies.Someofthehousesthatwereconstructedlaterareassmallas10‐15sqm.AlmostallhousesareKatccha(temporary)withtinroofs.Mosthouseshaveindividualtoilets,whichareconnectedtotheAMCdrainageline.However,sincethesettlementslopesdowntowardstheriver,incidencesofsewagebackflow(especiallyinlowlyingareas)arecommon.Floodingandinundationisalsoamajorconcernduringtherainyseason.ThecommunityhasaccesstopipedwatersupplyprovidedbyAMC.Allhouseshavealegalelectricityconnection.

MHTstartedworkinginthecommunityin1999aspartoftheSlumNetworkingProgram.Before1999,theslumwasinaverypoorshapewithnoinfrastructure.Peopledefecatedintheopen;therewerenopavedroads,water,orelectricityinthecommunity.Sewageusedtoflowintothestreetscreatingveryunsanitary living conditions.MHT facilitated the formationof CBO,whichwas formally registered inSeptember1999.GulshanBanowasoneoftheCBOleaders(CAGmember)whoplayedanactiveroleinmobilizingthecommunityandraisingcommunitycontributionaspartoftheslum‐networkingprogram.Attheendof2001,thecommunitywascompletelytransformedwithindividualtoilets,water&drainageinfrastructure,andwell‐pavedroads.MHTcontinuedtoremainengagedwiththecommunity.Afterthe2002riots,severalhousesinthecommunitywereburneddown.MHTsupportedthereconstructionof

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thosehouses.Duringthelast15yearstheCAGhasremainedactivelyengagedinimprovingthephysicalandsocio‐economicconditionsinthecommunity.

GulshanBanoisnowaVikasinimember.Shehasfacilitatedconstructionofindividualtoilets(fornewhouseholds), started a savings group forwomen, constructed a community hallwhere she runs freeclassesforchildren,andhasalsohelpedseveralfamiliestogetgovernmentbenefitsundervarioussocialwelfareschemes.HerdaughterMuskaanisnowalsoinvolvedwithMHTaspartoftheadolescentgirlsgroup.

UndertheGRPprogram,thecommunityhasespeciallyfocusedonwastemanagementandimprovingoverallcleanlinessandsanitationlevelsinthecommunity.TheCAGactivelyengagedwiththeAMCtogetopendrains closed, and get leaking sewagepipes fixed, both ofwhichwere causing very unsanitaryconditionsinthecommunity.Thedrainswerealsoopeningdirectlyintotheriver.TheyalsoworkedwiththeHealthDepartmenttotakepreventivemeasures(suchasfumigation,sprayingofDDTpowderetc.)tocontrolspreadofdisease.

7. IMPLEMENTATIONINEMERGENTCITIES:BHOPAL

7.1 CITY PROFILE 

7.1.1  OVERVIEW  OF  THE  CITY  

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is a city of historical, economical and as well as politicalimportance.Situatedonthesiteofan11thcenturycity,Bhojapal,foundedbyRajaBhoja,Bhopaltodaypresentsamulti‐facetedprofile‐ theoldcitywith itsethnicity, fineoldpalacesandmosquesand themodern new city with its well laid out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlinedmodernfacilities.

In1956Bhopalwasdeclared thecapitalofnewly reorganisedStateofMadhyaPradesh. In thesamedecade,theIndustrialTownshipofBharatHeavyElectricalsLimited(BHEL)wasalsoestablished3kmeastofthethencityboundary.Asaresultofthesetwointerventions,Bhopalhaswitnessedasubstantialpopulation growth. Capital ProjectTownshipT. T.Nagarwasbuilt south of the lakes to support thecapital.ThemilitarycantonmentmovedtoBairagarhareatothewestoftheoldcity.Inthedecade1971‐1981, the city boundary was increased to bring BHEL Township and Bairagarh within the BhopalMunicipalCorporationlimits.Bhopalhasthusnotgrownasasinglecitybutasdiscreettownships,withsparseoutgrowthinbetween.Dividedinto85wards,thecityhasapopulationofaround18lakhs(1.8million)spreadoveranareaof285squarekms(census2011).

Bhopalhasahumidsubtropicalclimate,withmild,drywinters,ahotsummerandahumidmonsoonseason.Theminimumandmaximumtemperaturereportedis9°Cand44°Crespectively.Averagerainfallofthecityis1260mm,majorlyconcentratingfromJunetoSeptember.BhopalisalsocategorizedasamoderatedamageriskzoneandislocatedwithinaSeismiczoneIII.Alsoknownas“theCityofLakes”,Bhopalhas14variousnaturalandartificiallakesaroundthecityincludingthetwolargelakes(theUpperandtheLower)towardstheeasternregion.NotsurprisingthusBhopal’swatersupplyisdrawnmajorlyfromsurfacewatersources,especiallytheUpperLakeandKolarDam.

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TheeconomyofBhopal is essentially divided intomodernand traditional industries.Theprominentindustriesintheoldcityarethoseofcotton,electricalgoods,jewelryandchemical.Someotherindustriesareinvolvedinclothweaving,makingsportsequipment,sealingwaxandmakingmatches.TheOldCityalsohasmanygaragesthatspecializeinautomobileconversionandarepopularforproducingmodifiedandtunedmotorbikes,SUVsandcars.Asignificant39%oftheworkingpopulationisalsoengagedininformalworkassociatedwiththeseindustries.

Ontheotherhand,beingthestatecapital, Bhopalisessentiallyanadministrativecitywithlargenumberofpopulationengagedinvariousstateandcentralgovernmentorganizations.Itisalsoahubofvariouseducational and research institutions of national importance, namely Indian Space ResearchOrganizations’Master Control Facility, Indian Institute of Science and Educational Research (IISER),SchoolofPlanningandArchitecture(SPA),AllIndianInstituteofMedicalSciences(AIIMS),MaulanaAzadNationalInstituteofTechnology(MANIT)etc.

Thecitybecamean infamous locationandattainedglobal attentionafter theUnionCarbidedisaster,commonlyknownastheBhopalGasTragedy,whichoccurredintheyear1984duetoleakedmixturesofdeadlygasesandleft5,295residentsdeadandover5lakhinjured(asperGovernmentfigures).Oneoftheworld’sworstindustrialdisasters,itstillcontinuestoaffectthecity’shealthandenvironment,withthepresentgenerationstillbornwithdisabilities.

7.1.2   DEMOGRAPHICS  AND  POPULATION  GROWTH 

After itwasdeclaredas state capital in theyear1956,Bhopalhasbeenattractinga largenumberofmigrantssincethenduetogrowingemploymentopportunitiesaswellasowingtotheestablishmentoftheIndustrialTownshipofBharatHeavyElectricalsLimited(BHEL)duringthesamedecade.Theinfluxofmigrants,includingmanypoorfromruralandtribalareasofthestateaswellasotheradjoiningstates,has been one of themajor factors responsible for the growth of the population in the 1960s due toflourishingtradeandcommercethatthecityinitiallyattractedpeoplefromwiderareas.Againintheyear1971‐81,afurtherimpetusinthepopulationwasseenduetoestablishmentofamajorindustrialarea‐Mandideep,along‐withheavycommercializationandexpansionofGovernmentservicesduringthesameperiod,whichrecordedaphenomenal74.35%decadalgrowth.Thereafter,inthelastfewdecadesithasbeen eventually stabilized to agradual increase with decadalgrowthrateof23.3%during2001‐11.However,atthesametime,thepoor in Bhopal are facing housingshortage and can only resort toinformal housing and squattersettlements. The population ofBhopal had increased from 1.43million (2001) to 1.79 million(2011).(Figure8)

7.1.3   SETTLEMENT  PATTERN  

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Population

Figure 8: Population growth in Bhopal city, Source: Census 2011

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Thecityislargelydividedintotwomajorareas:theoldandthenewcity.Theoldcitycomprisesmajorlyof Muslim populations due to small scale industries located in the region which are involved inproduction of cotton, cloth weaving, making sports equipment, sealing wax, making matches etc.Governmental organizations and planned growth largely constitute the new part of the city. ThemaximumgrowthhasbeenexperiencedintheSoutheastregionofBhopalalongtheHoshangabadRoad.TheleveledtopographyandeaseoftransportationfacilitiesneartheHabibganjRailwayStationhasledtothisSouth‐wardgrowthofthecityirrespectiveoftheinvestmentsmadeintheUpperLakethatwereunabletoencourageingrowingofthecitytowardsthewest.

7.1.4   SLUMS   IN  THE  CITY    

Duetotheincreasinginfluxofmigrantsandcitypoliciesnotenablingavailabilityofaffordablehousing,Bhopalhasseenasignificantgrowthinslumpopulationovertheyears.(Figure9).

AccordingtoCensus2011,Bhopalhas380 slum settlements (209 notifiedand 171 un‐notified) with totalpopulationof650,970(26.68%ofthecitypopulation).Otherstudies(CEPT,2013) point out that the census hasunder‐reported the slum population.Thecurrentofficiallyacceptedfiguresas quoted in the Bhopal Master Plan2021is9.36lakhslumdwellerswhichis36.2%ofBhopal’spopulations.

Theslumsrangefromlowerdensityatthe city periphery to higher densities of 150‐200 persons per hectare near the industrial areas. Amajority,59%oftheslumsinBhopalarelocatedinpubliclandbelongingtotheGovernmentofMadhyaPradesh,whereas12%onprivatelimitedandtherestaremostlyonPublic(BHEL)andGoIland.

AlargenumberofslumsinBhopalareon,orcloseto,nallahorriverbanks.Manyslumshavesteepslopes,rock outcrops and high water table. This would imply high infrastructure development cost on theaccountof cutand fill,difficult access, rockexcavationsanddewatering.Thepositive side is that theslopesarefavorableforgooddrainage,stormandsewerage.Someoftheslumsonflatterterrainhaveblackcottonsoils,whichagainimplyextradevelopmentcost.Mostoftheslumsdon’thaveaccesstothesufficientwater supply especially thoseonhills or remote areaswheremunicipal lines are not beenextended. 80% of the slums in Bhopal practice open defecation and have poor waste managementsystems.

Themajorityofslumresidentsworkintheinformalsectorasdailywageconstructionindustryworkers.Further,menhaveinvolvedinfishing,maintenanceandrepairing.Ontheotherhand,somewomenareinvolvedintraditionalworkssuchasembroideryandstitching.

 

Figure 9: City population versus slum population in Bhopal city

0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 3000000

1961

1981

2001

City Population

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7.1.5   URBAN  GOVERNANCE  ARCHITECTURE  

TheUrbanLocalBodygoverningthecityofBhopalisBhopalMunicipalCorporation.TheCorporationisheadedbyCityMayorwhopresidesoverCouncilors.TheMunicipalCommissioner,anI.A.S.officerformstheadministrativehead.Thecityisdividedin85wards.TheMunicipalCorporationrendersimportantservicestoitscitizenslike:birth,deathandmarriageregistration,assessmentandcollectionofpropertytax,buildingpermissionandhouseholdwaterconnection.BhopalDevelopmentAuthority,establishedby Government ofMadhya Pradesh as an apex body for planning and co‐ordination of developmentactivitiesintheMadhyaPradeshcomprisingofBhopalanditsinfluencearea.Inparticular,itconceives,promotes and monitors the key projects for developing new growth centres and brings aboutimprovementinsectorsliketransport,housing,watersupplyandenvironmentintheregion.TheTownand Country Planning ofMadhya Pradesh,with one of its district office in Bhopal is responsible formakingMasterPlanofBhopalCity.InBhopalwatercomesfromUpperLakeandKolarDam.WatersupplyinBhopalcityislookedafterbyPublicHealthEngineeringDepartment(PHED)ofMadhyaPradeshaswellasBhopalMunicipalCorporation.MadhyaPradeshHousingandInfrastructureDevelopmentBoard(MPHIDB),anautonomousbodycaterstothehousingneedsofthepopulationinBhopalcity.Itisalsoengaged in construction of schools, commercial building and colonies in the city. Public WorksDepartment Madhya Pradesh is engaged in planning, designing, construction and maintenance ofGovernmentassetsinthefieldofbuiltenvironmentandinfrastructuredevelopment.MadhyaPradeshPollutionControlBoardisresponsibletomaintainair,waterandsoilqualityinhealthyandusuableform.Presentlyitoperatesin12regionaloffices,whereBhopalisoneofthem

7.1.6  URBAN  REJENUVATION  &  SLUM   IMPROVEMENT  PROGRAMS  

TheStategovernmentandBhopalMunicipalCorporation(BMC)havebeenimplementinganumberofprojectsundertheJNNURMandAMRUTMission.BesidestheBMCisalsoimplementingtheADBfundedProjectUdaywithfocusoninfrastructuredevelopmenttobenefittheentireurbancommunityingeneral,withsomecomponentsfocusingonupgradingtheconditionsofthepoorestandmostneedygroupsintheslumareasinparticular. BhopalhasalsobeenselectedasoneofthefirsttwentycitiestobedevelopedasSmartCityundertheSmartCityMission.

AlotofGovernmentinterventionshavebeenimplementedtowardsbettermentoftheslumcommunityincluding;

MadhyaPradeshUrbanServicesforthepoor(MPUSP)ProjectUtthan(2006‐2011) BasicServicesforUrbanPoor(BSUP)/,JawaharlalNehruNationalUrbanRuralMission(2006) SlumEnvironmentandSanitationInitiative(SESI)programme(2011) PradhanMantriAwasYojana(PMAY14)(2011)

TheMPUSPwasimplementedinBhopalinselect21slumsthatareonmunicipalland.MPUSPworkswithULBsandslumcommunitiesforextendinginfrastructurethroughin‐situup‐gradationinidentifiedslumsfor improving water supply, drainage, roads, street lights, waste management and sanitation andcommunitysocialassets.TheBSUPisa280croreprojectunderwhichthegovernmentismainlyfocusingonprovidingdwellingunits(housing)andcreationofwater,sanitationandtransportinfrastructure.

                                                                 

14 earlierknownasRajivAwasYojana‐RAY 

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ThemostimportantinitiativeofthegovernmenthoweverhasbeenthePattaActof1984,whichenabledthestategovernmenttoprovideslumlandonleasetothedwellers.Outthe366slumsforwhichdataisavailable,177(48%)slumshavealreadyreceivedtheirleasedocumentsorPattatilldate.

7.1.7   ROLE  OF  CIVIL  SOCIETY   IN  CITY  DEVELOPMENT  

Participationfromcivilsocietyhasbeenencouragedbutthepresenceofcivilsocietyincitydevelopmenthasnotbeenstrong.RenownedNGOssuchasAarambh,SewaBharati,ActionAid,Muskaanhavebeenworkingtoensurecommunityparticipation,educationandhumanrights.

7.1.7   MHT’S  WORK  BEFORE  GRP  

MHTstatedinBhopalsince2011,throughtheProjectUday,whereitwasinvolvedinrevivalofdefunctCommunity‐basedOrganizations (CBOs) formed in the slums. Through itsworkwith the BMC,MHTorganizedCBOsaspartoftheslumup‐gradationprogramme,whilesupportingslumcommunitiestogetwater connection, sanitation facilities, aswell as pattas (land lease titles). Thiswas followed by theMisereor Foundation funded project on energy which focused on providing legal electrification,formationofenergyauditors,promotingtechnologyandawarenessgeneration.MHTovertheyearshaveworked closely with the BMC, Urja Vikas Nigam, Madhya Pradesh Vij Company, EPCO, and localtechnologyprovidersetcwhereinitslargerrolehasbeenbridgingthegapbetweentheserviceprovidersandtheslumcommunitiesforincreasedaccesstoservicesfortheurbanpoor.MHTisalsotheleadNGOforimplementingofRajivAwaasYojanaschemefor4pilotslums(Jheelnagar,ArjunNagar,Shantinagar(Nizamuddin)andAmbedkarNagar).

Since the work in Bhopal just started seven years ago, the internal network of individual slumcommunities is not as strong as in Ahmedabad. In the 13 slumswhereMHT had formed CBOs, thetrainingswerenotcompletedandtheCAGleadershadnotemergedfullyasdesired,althoughtherewereidentifiedpotentialwomenleadersinalltheseslums.Inmanyslumscoveredundertheenergyproject,although there was a certain rapport with the communities, it wasmainly through energy auditorstrainedandfacilitatedaspartoftheproject.Thecity‐widenetworkamongcommunitieswasalsonotyetestablished.Alsopriorto2015althoughMHThasworkedcloselywithBMC,itdoesnotenjoyasimilarrapportwiththeBMCofficialsandelectedrepresentativesasisthecasewithAhmedabad.

ThisiswhyBhopalwascategorizedasoneofthe“emergent”cities,whereMHT’smobilizingandcapacitybuilding efforts just began to emerge. Bhopal thus became an ideal site forMHT’s GRP Project bothbecause of its vulnerability to climate change stressors (heat stress and water scarcity) and theopportunityforMHTtoreplicateitsmodelinAhmedabad.

7.2   EVOLUTION  OF  GRP  PROGRAM   IN  CITY  OF  BHOPAL  

7.2.1   GRP  PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT  STAGE    

Initiallytwentyslumswereselectedandslumprofilesforthesamedevelopedforidentifyingthecurrentsituationsandkeyvulnerabilitiesinthesettlements.AmeetingwiththeenergyauditorandleadersofsomeoftheCBOsformedunderProjectUdayandPMAY/RAYprojectwasheldtodiscusstheissueanditsrelevanceforthecity.FocusgroupdiscussionswerealsoconductedinthefivecommunitiesofBhopal,namely Shantinagar Bhadbhada Basti, Arjun Nanger, Arjun Nager 1250, Purani Bag sewaniya andSatnaminagar,tounderstandimplicationsofclimatechangeinthelivesoftheslumcommunities.The

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energyauditorswerealsoinvolvedintheprocessalthoughtheleadwasmainlybyMHT’sgrassrootstaff.TheauditorsalongwithotherwomenleadersalsoparticipatedintheproblemanalysisworkshopheldinAhmedabad in lateMarch2015. Theworkshopalsoproved to be amajor experience sharing andlearningeventfortheBhopalteamastheygotanopportunityto interact first‐handwiththeVikasinileadersinAhmedabadandwerechargedbacktohaveasimilarresultintheircity.

HeatstressandwaterscarcitycameoutasmajorclimatechangeissuesintheFGDs.Thecommunitiesreflected that due to continued reduction of trees and greenery along with increase incongestion/urbanizationtherewasanincreaseinheatstress.Thiswasalsoleadingtohigherenergybillsastheywereresortingtoinefficientcoolingsystems.Thecommunitiesalsoreportedtohavebeenfacingdrasticwatershortagesduringsummersandlow‐quality,contaminatedwaterduringmonsoonswhichledtoresidentsbeingforcedtofetchdrinkingwaterfromborewells,governmentprovidedorprivatetankersandhandpumps.Furtherwatertableswereonadecline.Afewcommunitiesalsofacedinlandflooding during monsoons and resultant health issues especially malaria and typhoid. Women alsoperceivedthehealthexpensestohavesomewhat increasedby5‐10timesinthelastdecade.Garbagedisposalandproperdrainagesystemsweremajorproblemsasfarasinfrastructureinthesampleslumswereconcerned.Thiscausedwaterloggingandunhygienicconditionsintheslums.

Similar toAhmedabadexperience, thewatermanagementsituationandexistingmechanisms for twoslums‐ Budhakheda and Bagsewaniyawere done by Himadri Consultants, a technical partner to theproject.ThesituationalanalysisrevealedthatwatersourceandadequatepressureofwaterneedstobedealtwithinBudhakheda.RechargeoftheexistingwellandhouseholdlevelrainwaterharvestingsystemcouldbeasolutiontothewaterproblemsinBagsewaniyaduetounavailabilityofland.However,duetoveryhighproposedcostsfortheseprojects,thebudgetcouldnotbeinculcatedfortheimplementationstage.

7.2.2   GRP  PROGRAM  IMPLEMENTATION STAGE  

The programs in Bhopal is headed by M.Bhavna Maheriya Program Manager fromtheMHTheadofficeatAhmedabad.Bhavnahas been associatedwith the organizationsincepast17yearsandhasdeveloped theenergy efficiency / renewable energyprogrammeatMHT.Anelectricalengineerbyprofessionshehasalsodesignedflexiblefinancingoptionsforenergyalongwiththedevelopment of poor women as energyauditors. She has been overseeing theBhopal operations since the year 2012especially the energy and climate relatedinterventions.Sheplaysbothmonitoringaswellasaguidanceroletothelocalteamofsixmembersbased inBhopalandmakesavisittothecityonceintwomonths.

Locally,theprogramisledbyMs.EktaSahu,CoordinatorforMHTBhopalwhoismajorlyresponsiblefortheplanning,implementationanddocumentationofalltheactivitiesinBhopal.Liasioningwiththelocal

Figure 10: Operations diagram of the local team at Bhopal and list of slums

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governmentisalsooneofherimportanttasks.Sheissupportedbyateamofthreecommunityorganiserscumtrainersandfourspear‐head15teammembers.

Community Mobilization and leadershipbuilding

MHThadidentified20slumcommunitiesforclimateresilience interventions inBhopal.Outof these,13slums were already collectivized as community‐based organizations as part of MHT’s earlierinterventionswhereas7newslumswereidentifiedtoimplementtheGRPprogram.Oncetheprocessoffinalizationofinterventionslumswascompleted,themobilization process for the newly identified slumcommunitiescommencedfromJanuary2016asperMHT’s setmodel throughareameetings.The teamalso wanted to conduct video shows, but the highcostofrentingaplayerandlackofproperspaceintheslumspreventedthesame.

The actual process of the CBO formation thushappenedonlyduringthehouseholdlistingexercise.This door to door household contact exercisebasicallyundertaken togetcommunityconsent forjoiningtheCBOandbeingpartoftheprojectprovedtobeveryeffective inBhopal.Thecommunityandstaff not only got to know each other but it alsocreated a better understanding in terms ofcollectivizing the families together even within agiven slum. Thus, the larger slumswere organisedinto multiple CBOs, and overall 5518 householdswereidentifiedasmembersof25CBOs.

ThepotentialleadersfromtheseCBOs,womenandyoung/adolescent girls were identified as CAGleaders and provided CAG trainings. However, thetraining process was slow and in the first year(2016), only 22 CAG trainings were organised forthese identified leaders‐ basically on projectorientationTheprocesstookpaceonlyinthesecondyear, wherein all the CAGs underwent the otherthreemodules.Thereasonwasthateventhoughthe

                                                                 

15 Spearhead team members are grassroot women, mainly from the communities MHT works with. Women/young girls who have basic level of education and are highly committed to local development. They are paid based on their involvement in MHT’s activities and number of days given to any project. 

STAFF CAPACITY BUILDING FOCUS  

One  of  the  key  focus  in  Bhopal  was  the 

training  cum  orientation  program  for  the 

staff  to  initiate  climate‐change  focused 

initiatives.  The  first  was  3‐day  detailed 

program held in Ahmedabad in March 2016 

which had a “learning by doing approach” 

where  the  staff  members  along‐with 

obtaining conceptual clarity on the issue of 

climate  risks;  were  also  refining  the 

designed tools to easing the same process 

with  the  community  leaders.  The 

participatory tools gave them an easy way 

to communicate about the program on the 

ground  and  also  help  them  mobilize  the 

communities around this specific issue. This 

knowledge was  further  built  upon  by  the 

first  climate  change  orientation  training 

conducted  in  April  for  the  three  CAGs  in 

Bhopal  by  the  support  of  the  knowledge 

team  member  from  Ahmedabad. 

Thereafter,  the  processes  and  tools were 

taken  over  by  the  local  team.  Similarly  in 

June  2016  the  CBVAT  training  of  trainers 

workshop  was  organised  after  which  the 

knowledge  team members  facilitated  local 

level  trainings  for  three months  until  the 

staff could take over the process. The same 

was  repeated  for  the  CBRAP  process  in 

March 2017. Bhopal team was unique in the 

sense  that  all  the  staff  of  Bhopal 

participated in all the three workshops and 

hence  had  a  similar  and  high  level  of 

understanding  of  the  climate  change 

related aspects of the project. 

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potential leaderswereidentified,therewerenotveryforthcomingtoparticipateinthetrainings.Thewomenthoughtofitasawasteoftheirtime.InfactmanywomenalsodroppedasCAGleadersintheprocessastheywereexpectedtogivetimeforthetrainings.Itwasonlyafteratleast8to10meetingsbeingorganisedinallslumswiththeCAGleadersandotherwomenfromthearea,thattheCAGformationprocessgotpaceandthewomenstartedparticipatinginthetrainings.EventhenmosttrainingsinBhopalhavebeenundertakenattheslumlevelonlyandnotatofficelevelasinAhmedabadorothercities.

However, the response in the year two was very positive. The leadership development trainingsespeciallyaboutcollectiveactionandknowledgeofUrbanLocalBodycameouttobereallyhelpfulin

garneringtheinterestofthewomeninheadingcertainslum‐levelinitiatives.241womenleadersand55adolescent girls were developed as well as their leadership skills were enhanced during the GRPimplementationstage.

ClimateChangeTrainingsandCommunicationNothavinggottheinitialresponseforCAGtrainings,thelocalstafffeltthatitwouldbegoodtobeginwiththeClimateChangemodulesincethatwasmuchmoreparticipatoryinnatureandthewomencouldrelatetooquicker.ThusbetweenApriltoDecember2016,16CAGsweregivenbasicclimatechangeorientationtrainings.FollowingthesetrainingstheteamalongwiththeCAGleadersfacilitatedthesnakeandladdergameatthecommunitylevel.Thisreceivedaverypositiveresponsivefromthecommunitymembers.Thesnakeandladdergamewasacclaimedwidelyacrossthecommunitiesfornotonlyhelpfulinknowingtheimpactsofclimatechangeoninformalsettlements,butalsohelpingthemknowtheimportanceofsavingmoney,makingcarefuldecisionsandgettingafuturisticperspective.Lakshmi,aCAGleaderfromGaribnagarsays“thegamehasallowedmetothinktwicebeforeavailingloans,whichIearlierusedtotakewithoutgivingasecondthought.Ithashelpedmeinmakingthoughtfuldecisions.“

Taraben’s experience as a trainings facilitator: 

‐Which training exercise was the most effective in garnering a positive response? 

The activity with 4 glasses (one mixed with soil, others with pebbles, sugar, salt) which has been developed to make 

the women understand about how an ideal CAG leader should be (like the one who gets totally mixed with the 

community (like the sugar does) and at the same time should be nice in behavior (sweet) towards the members. 

‐Which training exercise is more difficult and why? 

The most difficult is the blindfold exercise, involving two women, in which one of them is blindfolded and the other 

takes her through the hurdles posed by the facilitator.  This exercise is to tell them as to how members should trust 

their leader on different issues/problems of the community.  

‐Do you think the trainings are effective in helping the women understand the concepts which was covered during 

the training? 

Yes, there has been an increase in the confidence level of the women. They have realized that speaking (or asking) 

and getting clarity about a certain issue makes a lot of difference.  For instance, a woman was unable to avail ration 

from the vendor twice due to some issue. It was resolved only when she went upto him taking help from the other 

CAG leader and asked about the issue. She finally got to know that it was just a matter of a signature. 

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Encouragedbythecommunityinterestandhavingestablishedsomelocalmeasuresforvideoshows,theteam then facilitatedvideo and slide shows16onClimateChange andResilience action.The videoonRamabenespeciallyreceivedalotofpositiveresponsefromthecommunitiesandwomenstillrecollectherstorywhenthereisadiscussiononclimatechangeimpacts.BhavnabentheprogrammeleadreflectedinNovember2016,“ Iconducted9areameetingswiththeCAGleaderswereconductedduringthevisittodiscusstheirexperienceaswellasthereceivefeedbackoftheprocessesundertakenbyMHTaspartoftheGRPprogram.Theywerespecificallyqueriedabouttheunderstandingofthesnakeandladdersgamealong‐withtheirimplicationontheirlifeandwerealsoaskedabouttheirtop3priorities.ItwasfoundthattheCAGshadaverywellunderstandingoftheclimatechangeissueandhowitaffectsthem.”

ThewholeprocessalsohelpedthelocalteamidentifytheactiveCAGleadersandgroomthem.Thetechnicaltrainingsonvariousclimatestressesfurtherhelpedstreamlinethisprocess.

ThefirsttechnicaltrainingwasorganisedAugust2016onvectormanagementfacilitatedbyDr.Kohli(projectpartner). This not only helped in mobilizing activewomen’s leadership but also enriched their technicalcompetenciesontheissue.Thetrainingwasfollowedbyfield visits by Dr Kohli, which further motivated thecommunity to take small actions. This was a self‐realizationprocessasoneparticipantsfromthevectortraininghad shared, “We individualsourselvesmustberesponsibleformosquitopreventionandshouldnotdependontheGovernmentforthis.Whensnakescomeoutof thehouses,peopledonotexpect theGovernment tocomeandprotect.Similarly, thebreedingofmosquitoesneedstobepreventedbyus.”

During thisphaseof theprogram, the staffmembersexperiencedahasslewhen the communitywasunabletoseeanendproducttotheprogramwhichtheyusuallyvisualizeforotherMHTprogramssuchaswater,sanitationenergyetc.Thisissuewasalreadybeingdealtwithattheorganizationlevelthroughplanningofdrives.

ThevectorsurveillancedriveconductedduringthefirstweekOctoberinsevenslumsofBhopal,triggeredtheknowledgebaseprovided by theprogram till date to a significant action. The formation of ChildDoctorsgainedvastenthusiasmamongstthechildrenandfurtherincreasedcommunityparticipationinBhopal.Thedrives inBhopal in fact resulted inadecrease in larvae levels in thecommunityand thecommunityalsostarting implementingthevectormanagementsolutions. Initiallyalthoughtherewassomeresistancefromthecommunitytoallowthechildrentoenterthehomesasthepeoplefearedthattheymightbefined.ButtheChildDoctorstookhelpoflocalCAGleaderswhoexplainedtothepeoplethatthiswasfortheirowngoodaswellasforthecommunity.

Graduallytheprocessundertakenoverfourweeksgottheattentionevenofthelocalmedia.TheMalariaDepartmentofficialsthencontactedEktabenandaskedhertosupportthedepartmentinundertakingsimilardrivesalsoinothermiddle‐incomehousingsocietiesnearby.Thiswasanimportantachievement

                                                                 

16 The Bhopal team developed their own power point slide shows on vector and heat management, which along with communities was also shared in local schools. 

In Rahulnagar, 10women (includingCAG and CBO members) voluntarilycleaned their area realizing theimportance of keeping surroundingsclean after Dr. Kohli’s technicaltrainingandfieldvisit. 

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sinceearliereffortstoestablishanyrelationswiththedepartmentwerebeingmetwithacoldshoulder.Therecognitionhasbeensuchthatwhenintheabsenceofanymonetarysupportfromthedepartmentasimilardrivecouldnotbeundertakenin2017,thedepartmentofficialwasseencomplainingthatthenumberofmalariaanddenguecaseswererisingintheseareas.ThedepartmentalsosoughtthehelpofMHTandVikasinileaders(astheVikasini,Bhopalwasformedbythen)inNovember2017toorganiseddiseasesurveillancehealthcampsinmultipleslumsinBhopal.

Followingthesuccessofthetechnicaltrainingonvectormanagementanddrives,asimilarapproachwas

employedforwatermanagement.Thus,beforeundertakingthewatertestingdrivesinFebruary2017,awatermanagementtrainingwasconductedwiththehelpofTheresa fromFUB(projectpartner).Thewater testing drive, conducted in all the GRP slums of Bhopal, post the technical training on watermanagementalsomadethecommunityrealizeaboutthewaterqualityanditsimplicationontheirhealthandeconomicstatus.AstheCAGleadersfromNehruColonyshared,“Wehavetwosourcesofwater‐onefromborewellandonefrommunicipaltap.Throughwatersurveillancewerealisedthatthetapwaterwasgoodbut theborewellwaterwasnotgood.Nowwepracticepurificationmeasures likeusingalumandchlorinedropsandevenboilingwaterwhenneeded.”AsTarabenshares,“InBudhakhedathestringstiedtothewomentomakethemunderstandthehydrologicalcycleduringwatermanagementtrainingisstillthere inthewristof thewomen.Whileconductingthe turbiditytestduringthedrive,thewomendidbythemselvesastheydiditduringthetrainingalsoandknewthetest.ThesamehappenedinBorbandbastialso.”

In addition, technical trainings on health by Dr. Vikas Desai (project partner) and onwater loggingmanagementbyMr.JitendrafromRAWSIndia.

In early October 2016, the Bhopal team was liasioning with the Malaria Department of BhopalMunicipalCorporation toorganizeasessionwith themtoknowtheirstrategies tocombatvectorbornediseasesindifferentwards.Thisbecameabigchallengelatelywhentheofficial,whomtheywereinconversationwith,wasallocatedotherresponsibilitiesduringthelastminuteandtheyhadtoagaingothroughtheprocesswithadifferentofficial.

Byendofthemonth,increasedcollaborationwiththeCityMalariaDepartmentwasseenpostMHT’svectordrivewasfeaturedintheleadingdailynewspaper.TherelationshipwiththeDepartmentwasfurther strengthened when the officials came forward to partner with MHT to organize othercommunitylevelhealthcampaigns.MHTteamof4people(3CAGleadersand1staff)isnowworkingwiththedepartmenttospreadawarenessonthevectorbornediseasesacrossslumcommunities.Anauthorized letterhasonlybeen issued in thenameofMHT for formalizing thepartnership.MHTBhopalisalsoreceivinginvitationforthecity‐levelmeetings.

The other highlight was further collaboration with the Health Department. The Departmentconducted10awarenessworkshopsacrosscollegesinBhopalbetweenDecember1to10andMHTBhopalteamwascalledtopresenttheirexperiencewiththecommunitiesaswellastheDepartmentwiththestudents.Also,theDepartmenthasinvitedMHTtoconductalarge‐scalecampaigninSaketNagar (the area which has the highest Dengue incidences). 2 CAG leaders from Bag Sevaniyafacilitatedthecampaignthroughmobilizingthecommunities.

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ThecommunitiesinBhopalhaveaveryhighrecollectionofallthetechnicaltrainings.InfactintheCAGexperiencesharingworkshoporganisedinBhopalinJuly2017,mostCAGleadersrecollectedindetailwhatwassharedineachofthetrainingsrightfrombasicinformationlike“Denguemosquitoesaredaytimemosquitos”to“Needforsewagelinestobe15ftawayfromwaterlines”.

VikasiniFormation

Itwas also during these activities that the recognition of CAG leaders that could be looked upon asprospectiveVikasinistookplace.TheidentificationofVikasiniswasdonebythecommunitymobilizerswhoworkedcloselyatthegrassrootsandseetheprogressofthewomenasleadersandalsointakingcollectiveaction.Initially,aVikasinimeetof13memberswasorganizedinthemonthofNovember2016asthefirststepofformationandfromthenthestaffhasbeenenhancingtheirleadershipskillsintheVikasinimeetingsorganizedverysecondSaturday.

AstheVikasiniformationwasalsonotveryclearevenatthestafflevel,thecapacityoftheBhopalstaffwasbuilt fromtimetotime inacommoncapacitybuildingworkshoporganizedat theHeadofficetoenable the local teams in replicating theAhmedabadmodel. Though the initial identificationprocessstarted,butthiscapacitybuildingprocessstrengthenedtheVikasinidevelopmentaswellasworkingwiththegovernmentonslumissuesunderthevariousschemes/plans.EmphasisonstafftrainingswhichnotonlyfocusedontheprogrambutalsoontheMHTmodel,especiallyfortheemergingcitieslikeBhopal,wasprovidedgivenwhichaltogetherprovedveryhelpfulinprovidingguidancetothestaffonMHT’sapproach. To this Ekta says, “A key learning emerged from the refresher training inOctober atAhmedabad,thatwewereearlierorientedtowards largelyplanningstrategies forsolutions likeprovisionoftoiletsetcandnotfindingtheactualproblemofeachofthecommunity.Myperspectivehasnowtotallychanged.Weneedtoknowtheproblemsofthecommunityfirstandthenprovidetherelevantsolution,notapproachthecommunitywithapre‐assumedsolution.”

VulnerabilityAssessmentandResiliencePlanning

ItwasthisunderstandingthatdrovetheCBVATprocessinBhopal.InitiatedintwoslumsinNovember2016,thefirstresponsewasnotverypositiveasthecommunitiesinBhopalperceivedittobeatime‐takingprocessandwomenwerenotfindingmuchinterest.However,movingfurtherwiththesame,theylooked upon the same as realization of certain individual aswell as community level issues and thecorrelationbetweenthesame.Apartfromrealization,prioritizationoftheconcernsandtakingrelevantactions based on the samewas also learnt. As Taraben a community organiser fromBhopal shared,“EarlierwewerenotveryconfidentthattheCBVATexercisewillbeabletoresultasweexpected.Butnowaswe could observe the results of the exercise amongst the communities, therehas been a significantincrease in our confidence level in conducting the same….Initially notmanywomenwere coming butgraduallymoreandmorewomenstartedparticipating.TheygotinterestedandthisfurtherstrengthenedtheCAGformationprocess.”Ratneshben,anothercommunityorganisershares,“Aswomenstartedgettingdeeper into the discussions, they started relating it to their personal experiences. Then the interestgenerated. In factat times,wehad tostop thediscussions fromgoing into individualexperiences in theinterestoftimeandthewomenwouldwanttodiscussmore.” SapnabenfromBagSewaniashares,“Werealisedfromtheseprocessesespeciallythewebgame(rootinfluenceanalysis)howmostoftheproblemsaretheresultofourownactionsandwhatcanbedoneforthesame.NowIcanalsoteachmychildrenaboutthis.”TilldateinBhopal,20CAGshavesuccessfullyundertakentheirvulnerabilityassessmentsand18havealsodevelopedtheiractionplansbasedontheidentifiedvulnerabilities.

Community led surveillance systems:

1.Water testing Drive

2.Mosquito larvae detection by Child Doctors

3.Technical Training on Vector management

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BesidesthecommunitiesinBhopalalsoadaptedtothedailysurveillancemechanismsverypositively.AdolescentgirlsintheCAGsmainlytooktheleadinthis.Theircuriosityfurtherimprovedtheutilityoftheactivity.Forexample,inBagSewania,theyalsotestedthewaterqualityfromthewaterpurifieraspart of theweekly surveillance on their own, as one of thewater samples. Also though their watergenerallyappearedclean,thetestrevealedthattherewasmicrobialcontaminationinthesamethroughtheweeklytests.

Multi‐stakeholderengagement

Asdiscussedearlieroneofthekeyoutcomesoftheprojecthasbeentheengagementwiththehealthdepartment in Bhopal. In addition, during the project period, relationships were also furtherstrengthenedbetweentheCAGleadersandthewardcouncillors.AsSapnabenfromBagSewaniashares,“EarlierIwouldneverevenmeetthewardcouncillorortalktohim,butnowIaminconstantcontactwithhimandcangetmyworkdoneoverphoneonly”.

Theengagementprocessesfurtherstrengthenedwhenamulti‐stakeholderworkshopwasorganizedinJanuary2017.However,itwasnotduetotheworkshopbuttheprocessoftheworkshoporganisationthatledtotherealisationoftheimportanceoftheprocessesbythestaffandwomenleaders.AsEktabenshares, “Theworkshop helped in profilingMHT as a community based organisation at city‐level andprovideduswithanentrypointtotalktovariousstakeholders.Althougheveryonedidturnupasplanned,thatwasthebeginning.”

TheteamthenestablishedaworkingpartnershipwithRAWSIndiaontheissueofwater‐logging.RAWSorganizedtechnicalvisitstoinvestigatethesituationsofwaterloggingandwaterconservation,gavetwo‐daytrainingtoourstaff,andorganizedsanitationcampaignsinalltheslums.ThepartnershipwiththeorganizationwasfurtherelaboratedwithMr.JitendraParmar,technicalexpertfromtheorganization,whoprovidedtechnicalguidance,trainingandinputsaswellasfacilitatedcommunitylevelwatersupplyandwastemanagementsystemsinthreeslums.LearningfromthisexperienceBhopalteamalsoinvolvedthe localward councillor in the vermi‐compost unit establishment inBag Sewania‐2.Beginningwithsupportforonlypaintingoftheunit,therelationshipwasfurtherstrengthenedtobeinginvolvedintheSwachhBharatAbhiyan.

MHTBhopalalsostrengtheneditsrelationshipbybeingactivelyinvolvedwiththeBMC’sSwachhBharatAbhiyan‐Cleaningdrivesinalltheslums.ThiswasfurtherexpandedbyMHT’sinvolvementwithSanket(a local NGO) to undertake a survey on Gender Responsiveness of Public Toilets in Bhopal. Mainlyemerging through personal contacts‐ one leading to the other, the processes, however, gainedmomentumonlyduetothefocusonmulti‐stakeholderengagementaspartoftheGRPproject.

TechnologyDemonstrationandValidation

Bhopalwas also observed very active in demonstrating and validatingmost types of the technologysolutions both household and community level. It was majorly through the staff interests towardsinnovations,especiallyMs.Bhavna,Ektabenandtheteam’sunderstanding.TechnologiessuchasCoolAuto, green roof,mosquito traps/repellant plants and eco‐coolerwere first demonstrated inBhopal.Mosquitotraps,waterpurifiersandrepellantplantsweretakenupreallywellwith125womenadoptingatleastoneofthese.Aquapluswaterpurificationliquidandsprinklertapswerealsoadoptedbyover500women.However,CoolAuto,Eco‐coolerandGreenroofdidnotworkwellinBhopalcommunities.Themajorlearningsfromtheprocessarethat:

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a) Thereisaneedtohaveabuy‐inofthecommunityevenintheinitialphaseoftheproducttesting.Whathappenedincaseofcool‐autowasthatintheexcitementoftheinnovation,theproductwastriedwiththeauto‐driverforfree.Whiletheauto‐driverswerereallyinterestedintheproductsinceitwasforfreetheydidnotreallyinvestinthemaintenance.AsRatneshbenshares,“InCoolautoearliertherewasnocontributiontakenandsoearlierbeneficiariespassedwrongmessagesandsopeopledidnotagreesayingRexinewillbespoiltespeciallywhenaskedforcontribution;noneagreed.Howeverwelearntfromthisandforsolarroofpaintweinsistedoncontribution.Womenaresoempoweredthattheykeptcheckingthequantityofroofpaintusedandthecontributiontheymade,staffmadethemunderstandhowitactuallyworksandthenshewasfinewithit.”

b) IncaseofEco‐cooler,itwasrealisedthatwhiletheproductseemedaverygoodbestoutofwasteproduct,theproblemwasdoingitonscalewasnotpossible.Itrequiressimilarplasticwaterbottlesofalargenumberswhichisnotpossibletoget.Also,thetechnologywasmoresuitedforhomeswithtinwallswhichcanbeeasilycutthanthosewithbrickwallswhichcannotbealteredeasily.

a) Greenroofsisamorelocallyrelevantandacceptabletechnologyandonlyneededtobepromoted.However,theproblemwasofgettingthelocalexperts(mainlycommunitypeople)totrainothersonthesolution.Thecommunityhadmanyquestionsandintheabsenceofanytechnicalexperttoprovideanswerstothesame,itwasnotscaledup.

b) Aquapluswaterpurificationliquidandsprinklertapsarebothcompanymanufacturedproductsandjustneededadistributionsystem.Theywerethuswidelyadopted(althoughwerenotfreeandpaid)andhaveapotentialtobefurtherscaled.

Technology interventions‐ Eco cooler, water purifier, mosquito trap (demonstrated in all 18 slums) 

Pure It: liked by the communities, 2 HHs in Bag sewaniya and 1 in Jatkhedi adopted the solution. Nehru Colony residents are interested but cannot give money in one go. We are working out for a solution to this as the water quality is very bad and the residents are also exposed to it as part of water testing drive.  

Eco‐Cooler: temperature noted showed same as earlier (there may be a data collection issue). The thermometers have been installed again. The home where Eco cooler was installed had already an electricity cooler and thermometers have been installed in both the rooms to see the temperature difference. We are still looking for a HH where there is no cooler but due to immense heat, most of the HHs have electricity coolers. The price is coming out to be 1785 INR for a 3*3 window size. Finding bottles was a big challenge 

Mosquito trap: Neem oil one is getting very good feedback. Camphor fragrance is an issue at some places and hence they prefer All Out. So those communities are not using. The yeast one was not getting very good feedback due to unavailability of yeast powder.  

Sameenaben (Neither CAG/ CBO member) interacted with Madhuben while she sold energy products. She used edible soda in place of yeast and made a trap out of it. It gave very good results, many mosquitoes trapped and they had to change within 3 days. Good Night Fast card costed 5 Rs per day.  Communities said that it the fumes are suffocating and the mosquitoes also don’t die they only faint. The trap is costing 10‐15 Rs for 15 days. Health wise also good, easily made at home. Relatives also started using it and liking it too.  Changing the techniques and customization helped. Tulsi plants and camphor usage are very helpful 

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7.2.3   KEY  CITY  LEVEL  OUTCOMES  

Among all the project cities, Bhopal saw themaximum action at the community level. Therewere anumberof instancesof community‐initiatedaction. InBagSewania, theCAG leaders tookchargeandliasionedwiththewardcouncillortogetanewwatersupplysystemfordealingwiththeirwaterqualityproblemsaswellasroadpaving.InBorabandBastithecommunitytookinitiativeforgettingthedrainagelinesintheirareas.BudhakhedaCAGleaderstookleadingettingindividualwaterconnections.InRahulnagar, thecommunitynotonly initiatedaself‐cleaningdrivebutalsoakitchengarden for their localanganwadi.

Basedontheactionsemergingintheresilienceplansandwithprojectsupport,inDashmeshnagarandBagSewaniatheCAGshavealsoinstalledvermi‐compostunits.InBhadbadhaBastitheyestablishedawatersupplysystem.Thecommunitiesnotonlycontributedincashforestablishingoftheseunitsbuthavealsotakenresponsibilityformaintenance.

FurthertherelationshipwiththelocalgovernmentespeciallyBMC,SwachhBharatMission(GoMP),andMalaria Department has also been strengthened. Another city level outcome has been the increasedrapportwiththelocalmediawhichisnowproactivelywantingtocoverissuesrelatedtoslumsandtheirresiliencebuilding.

7.4   CASE  SLUMS  OF  BHOPAL  

7.4.1  RAHUL  NAGAR  (EMERGING  SLUM)  

RahulnagarisalargeslumlocatedintheSouthernpartofthecityofBhopalintheward28‐29ofZone2.LocatednearthefamousMaulanaAzadNationalInstituteoftechnology(MANIT),theslumishometoabout2,028familiesaspertheBhopalMunicipalCorporationfiguresincludedintheCEPTstudyonBSUPscheme. It is a notified slumdevelopedon aGovernment land andhas also been listed in theTownDirectoryaspartoftheDistrictCensusHandbookforBhopal,2011.

AspertheBhopalCityprofile2012developedbytheBhopalMunicipalCorporation,Rahulnagarwasalso one of the two slumswhichwere declared as open defecation free in the state. Through SlumsEnvironment Sanitation Initiative (SESI) in 2005, an initiative ofWaterAid India andBMC, AarambhimplementedasanitationprogrambeingthelocalNGOpartner.Theprogrambenefited142familiesinRahul Nagar through upgrading the water hygiene and sanitation infrastructure with maximumcommunityparticipation.CommunityWaterandSanitationCommitteesandself‐helpgroupsforwomenweresetup.RahulnagarwasalsoidentifiedasaredevelopmentsiteundertheBSUPschemeforin‐siturehabilitationofslumhouseholdsbyhousingreconstructionaspartoftheMadrasiColony.

Theslumisalignedwiththemainroadwhichiswellconnectedwiththecityandhaspavedroadswithin.Thetopographyoftheslumhasbeenthemajorconcernovertheyearswiththeslumlocatedonahillyterrainandhouseholdsspreadbothtowardstheuphillaswellasthedownhill.There isahugenalah(drain)passingthroughtheslumwhichgetsfloodedduringthemonsoonsandleadstowaterenteringintothehouseholdsespeciallythoselocatedtowardsthelowerside.Theslumalsolacksproperdrainageandhencethesituationbecomesverycriticalduringmonsoons.Therehavebeenmany incidencesofdengue,malariaandChikungunyaovertheyears.

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Thearealacksindividualwaterconnectionsandthecommunitymainlyreceiveswaterfromcommonstandpostslocatedatvariouslocationsintheslum.Adugwellisalsopresentinsidetheslumwhosewaterisgenerallyusedfordomesticpurposes.80%ofthehouseholdhaveindividualtoiletsandthereisalso one community toilet. Basic infrastructure like Private Health Centre, municipal school andAaganwadiaretherewithintheslum.AshaWorkersarealsoactivewithintheslum.Menmostlyworkaslaborerswhereaswomengenerallygo fordomestichelp.Thecommunity ismainlyofdaily labourershavingmigratedtoBhopalalmostmorethan15yearsback.Thegeneralsocialcohesionintheslumishigh.

MHTstartedworkinginRahulnagarduringtheyear2014throughitsenergyinterventionsunderProjectUjala wherein communities were trained on various methods of energy consumption and usage ofproducts thatareefficient inenergy toreduce theirmonthlyelectricitybills.Therewerealsoenergyauditorsworkingintheseslumsformeasuringenergyconsumptionthroughwattmetersvisitingdoortodooraswellasalsoadvisingtherelevantenergyproductbasedontheconsumptionpatternofthehouse.In addition, demonstrations on efficient energy products‐ ventilation sheet,were also undertaken inRahulnagar.

From the year 2015, MHT also engaged with the communities on the issue of climate change andresiliencebuilding.ItbeganwithanorientationontheGRPprojectinanareameeting.ThiswasfollowedbythehouselistingexerciseandmobilizingthewomentoformaCBO.AspartoftheCBOlistingprocessinApril2016,781memberswerelistedinRahulnagar.Beingalargeslum,threeCBOs,RahulnagarA,BandCwereformedtoeasethemobilizingprocessaswellasimplementinitiatives.

Intheinitialstages,theslumdidnothaveanactiveleadershipandalthough15womenwereidentifiedbythecommunityasCAGleaders,manydidnotparticipateinanymeetingortrainings.Thewomenwereinterested to come for themeetingsas they thought itwas awasteof time.Also thewomendidnotunderstandtheissueofclimatechangeastheycannotseeitsimpactsaswellasassociatelinkageswiththeirlives.Thestaffaswellastheactivememberscontinuedtocallthemformeetingsandalsowentdoorto door for ensuring their participation. Once they were convinced aftermultiple interactions, theygraduallystartedattendingmeetings/trainings.Pushplataben,Preetiben,Aarti,VimlaSharmaandSunitaVishwakarmahavebeentheemergingCAGleadersofthearea.

ThemajorchangecamethroughtheparticipationinthebasicclimatechangeorientationtraininginApril2016.Theuseofinnovativetoolslikeanimatedvideo‐shows,story‐tellingandpostersgatheredalotofinterestinthewomen.TheCAGleaderswereveryresponsivetothetrainingsessions.TherecallvaleofsnakeandladdergameandRamaben’sstorywasparticularlyhighinRahulnagar.

Therewasamajorrealizationabouttheimportanceofplantationsaftertheclimatechangetrainingandhow it could help combat heat stress. This idea was further reinforced during the plantation driveconductedinJune.Thereafter,self‐initiatedplantationdriveinRahulnagarbothatthehouseholdaswellasthecommunitylevel.TheCAGmembersofRahulnagar‐BalsoapproachedMHTtofigureoutoptionsforforplantingontheroad‐sideastheylearntthataspartofthetraining.MHTstaffthereafterfacilitatedseedlings/saplings from the government offices. In Rahulanagar‐A group CAGs took this plantationinitiativeintheopenspacenearatemplesituatedinthearea.Theyplantedfruitandvegetabletreesandhaveconverteditintoakindofcommunitykitchengarden.

InSeptember,Dr.KohlitrainedtheCAGsonvectorbornediseaseswheretheleaderssharedthattheybecameawareaboutthefactthatweindividualsourselvesmustberesponsibleformosquitopreventionandshouldnotdependontheGovernment.Followedbythetraining,avisittoRahulnagarwasmadeby

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Dr.Kohliandhisinputsontheunhygienicconditionsofthearea,madethewomenrealizeandtakeactionintermsofgettingtheareacleanedbymakingapplicationatthewardoffice.

RahulnagarB&Chadbeen facingahugeproblem in termsof solid‐wastemanagementandchockeddrains.Acloggeddraininthecommunitywasoverflowingresultinginmosquitobreedingandfoulodourallovertheplace.TheCAGmemberswerecontinuouslyaskingforsupportfromthestafftogetridofthisproblemandthereforeameetingwasconductedwiththememberstofacilitatesubmissionofapplicationtotheWardCouncilorinordertocleanandthereafterclosethedrain.Initiallythewomenwereafraidtogoaloneandsotheywereencouragedtogoasagroup.6/7CAGmembersfromRahulnagarthenwenttosubmittheapplication.Thesamewascleanedbutitgotchockedtimeandagainduetogarbagedisposalandseweragelineopeninginthedrain.SotheCAGmemberstookaninitiativetocleanthedrainagelinethemselves and fixed their turns for cleaning.During the same time that inRahulanagarC, thewardcouncilor visited the area and got the area cleanedbut someof the laneswereneglected.Hence theresidentofthoselanesdidnotparticipateinthemeetingcalledbytheWardCouncilorafterwards.Seeingthiskindofreaction,theWardCouncilorgotthoselanescleanedthenextday.TheCAGinRahulnagarChasalsoappliedforandgotindividualwaterconnections.

The vector surveillance drive conducted during the first week of October in the 7 slums includedRahulnagar.FourchilddoctorseachwithsupportfromtheCAGwomenofthearealedtheprocessinatotalof120householdsintheirrespectiveareas.Manyofthehouseholdswereresistanttoentryofthechildrenintheirpremises.TheythenseeksupportfromtheCAGleadersoftheirareaandcompletedtheiractivity.“Thename“ChildDoctors”itselfwasveryencouragingforthechildrenfromthecommunitytogivetheirbestinthetaskandcomeupwithresults”,mentionsEkta.Asaresultofthefour‐weeksurveillance,thenumberofhouseholdswithpresenceofmosquitolarvaedecreasedfrom13tozeroinRahulnagar.

The community‐based vulnerability assessment and surveillance process commenced in RahulnagarduringJanuaryaspartofthepilotforthetoolkitdeveloped.Earlierthewomenseemnotveryinterestedinthesessions, thenafterrelatingthecontinuousdiscussionswiththeirownlivestheirparticipationincreased.Forinstance,inRahulnagartheywereabletoeasilyrelatethattheincreaseintheamountofrainfallleadstoentryofwaterinsidetheirhouseswhichasaresultspoilsthecerealsstoredfortheyearwhichneverusedtohappenbefore.Also,earliertheywerenotseeingcleanlinessandwaterqualityasanimportantfactorinimpactingtheirhealth.However,aspartoftheCBVATtheyeasilyarticulatedthisandmadeapplicationsatthewardofficeforcleaningthecommunityandalsodemandingforgoodqualitywater.

DuringthesamemonthwatermanagementtrainingandwaterdrivewerealsoorganizedinRahulnagarwaterdriveforallthethreegroupstogether.CAGsearlierusedtosaythatthewaterqualityisgoodonlyand we need not test the same. When the water drive process was briefed to them, they found itinteresting.Fortheentireprocess fromsamplingtotesting,CAGswerepresentandtryingtoacquiremaximuminformation.Waterqualitywasactuallygoodasperthetests.TheinterestofalltheCAGswasretainedtilltheendandveryenthusiastictoknowthequalityofwaterandrelatedimplications.Thedrivealsocreatedahugedemandofwaterpurifiers,sprinklertapsandpurificationliquidintheslum.

Thecommunity‐basedresilienceactionplandevelopmentprocessbroughtforthheatstressvulnerabilityas a major issue in Rahulanagar A; water contamination, waste and mosquitoes in Rahulnagar B;mosquito andwater contamination in Rahulnagar C. Following this, solar reflectivewhite paintwasdemonstratedinhouseholdsofRahulnagarAwhichreceivedapositiveresponsefromthebeneficiaryin

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terms of reducing temperature. However, convincing them for the same was difficult especially forattaining10%contribution.Theywereconvincedonlyaftercontinuousinformationaboutitsbenefitsandhowitcanhelpbringtheelectricitybillsdown.InRahulnagarBandC,theyhadalreadyinitiatedactiononwastemanagementandwatercontaminationaswellasvectorsurveillance.TheCAGsmemberswanted tohaveadditionaldemonstrations formosquito repellants.They triedout tomakeanhome‐mademosquitorepellentfromneemoilandKapoor.Further,theyhavealsocommittedtocontinuewiththeirturnstokeeptheareaclean.Theyalsosharethatearlierwhentheysuetogoforthevectordrivewiththechilddoctorsthecommunitywasnotcooperating,butnowthecommunitiesmembershavealsorealisedtheimportanceofkeepingtheareamosquitofree.Theychangethewaterstoredeveryweekandalsousekerosenetokeepthelarvaeaway.Nowtheyareeducatingthefamiliesonwaterpurificationpractices.

AccordingtoTaraben,thelocalcommunityorganiser,“Todayalmost60to70percentoftheCAGleadersareveryactiveparticipatinginmeetings,trainingsandreadytotakeanyactionwithintheircommunities.Initiallytheywerereluctantbutaftertwomonthsofintensepersuasiontheystartedcomingformeetings.The Basic Climate Change trainingwas the game changer. The CBVAT also brought inmorewomen.Althoughinitiallyitneededalotoffacilitation,theygotmoreactivethroughtheprocess.Thedrivesandsurveillancealsoincreasedtheirunderstandingespeciallyonwaterquality.ThecommunitysawanincreaseinAquasureusage.TherewasalsoanimpactofDr’Kohli’strainingwhichledtocommunitybecomingmoreawareonkeepingtheareacleanaswellasvectormanagement.Thechilddoctorapproachworkedverywell.Saapsidigamealsohelpedgetcommunityinterestandunderstandingontheissue.”

7.4.2   BAGSEWANIYA  (EMERGING  SLUM)  

BagsewaniyaislocatedinWardno.52ofzone11andissituatedtowardstheSouthEastpartofthecitynearthefamousRamMandir.TheownershipofthelandlieswiththeGovernmentandisanotifiedslum.The density of population is medium with around 1000 families residing. Women mostly work asdomesticworkers,vegetableandfruitsvendorswhereas70%menworkaslabourers.

Thoughtherearehandpumpsandawell,butthecommunityismainlydependentonwatertankers,asthewaterreceivedfromhandpumpisredcoloredandthewaterlevelisverylow.Theborewellwaterpreviously was causing kidney stones but now the water supply and water quality is good in thecommunity.Residentsalsotraveltodistantplacestosatisfydomesticwaterfromhandpumpavailableinothercolony.EventhoughNarmadawaterisbeingsuppliedtothearea,itisnotregularandalsothequalityissometimespoor.RCCroadsarepresentwithintheslum.Wellconnectedwiththemainroad,waterloggingisamajoremergingproblemduetoopendrainsandpoorwastemanagement.

TheMadhyaPradeshVijCompanysupplieselectricitytotheentireareawith8‐9hoursloadsheddingespecially during summers.Many households have loose electric wires over their houseswhich is aseverethreattothelivesofthepeople.Therearetwogovernmentschoolswithinthesettlementandaprivate school at 2 km distance. The community has a government hospital, market place, temple,mosque,privateschool,aaganwadi,communityhall,openground.Thereisalsoaprivateclinicandanactive USHA healthworker. Settlement has an open drainage line and improperwastemanagementsystemwithindividualtoiletsinmostofthehouseholds.Therearemanyplantsinthecommunityandwomenhavetakenself‐initiativeofgreenroofswheretheyhavegrownvegetablesandalsogetrelieffromheat.

Technologists and Community Interaction for better water Management

1.Dr.Veena, IIPH

2.Theresa Frommen, Freie Universität Berlin

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In Bag Sewania too, the communitywomenwere not initially interested in coming formeeting andtrainings. However, Sapnaben, the CAG leader was convinced of wanting to work with MHT. ShesupportedRatneshben(thelocalcommunityorganiser)tomeetallthewomenindividuallyduringthehouseholdlistingexerciseandconvincedthewomentobepartoftheCBO.Butthewomenaskedonequestion, what will we get by being involved with MHT. They could not understand the need andimportanceofworkingtogetherandbringingaboutchange.ItrequiredalotofperseveranceonbehalfofRatneshbentoconvincethemtoparticipateinthemeetingsandtrainings.

Finallywhen inApril 2016, the basic climate change trainingwas conducted, thewomen got a littleinterested.AsDarshita‐ an adolescent CAG leader shares, “The ribbongame,which showedhowevenamongourselveswehavedifferenttypesofvulnerabilities impressedmea lot.”.Rekhaben,anotherCAGleader shares, “I learnt somethingwhich I could teachmy children. Theywere surprised that I knewsomethingwhichistaughtintheirtextbooks.”Afterthetraining,thewomenstartedtosowfruitseedsintheirvicinityaswellasalsoinplasticbottles.

AstheotherCAGtrainingswerebeingconducted,therewerecertainissueswhichwereorganizedandresolvedthroughcommunity‐levelvisitsandmeetings.Forinstance,therewasonlyonehandpumpinBagsewaniya‐Bwhichgenerallyprovidedyellowwaterandremaineddryduringsummers.Thetankerfacilitywasavailablebutthetankeronlycameat4:30inthemorningandthewomenhadtowakeupat3:30aminordertocollectwater.Soregularareameetingswereconductedtosolvethisissuebutnotenoughwomenwereparticipating.ItwasinoneofthemeetingsthatCAGleadersthemselvescalledtheCBOmembersandcollectedaround35women.Outofwhich,20womenwenttothewardofficeandmadeanapplicationforwaterconnection.Theofficialsensuredthattheywillprovidetheconnectionwithin30days.Theyfollowedupforthesameandgotitresolved.

Similarly,inBagsewaniya‐A,Sapnaben‐CAGleaderwascontinuouslyattendingMHTtrainings/meetingsandwassharingthewaterqualityproblems.MHTstaffwassuggestinghertomakeanapplicationtothewardofficewithothermembersofthecommunityandshedidthesame.Shemadeanapplicationfortheissueofwater‐qualityalong‐withsignaturesof50individualsfromthecommunity.However,everytimeshevisitedthewardoffice,shecouldnotmeetthewardcouncilor.Therefore,lastlysheconveyedthemessageattheofficethatifthisdoesnotgetresolved,shewillcomewithmediaandothercommunitymembers.SofinallytheWardCouncilorvisitedherareaandsawthesupportshewasgettingfromthecommunityandalsorealizedthattheproblemwasgenuine.Henceforth,theissuewasresolvedandthecommunityisnowreceivinggoodqualitywater.

ThevectordriveinBagSewaniawasalsoamajorsuccess,bringingdownthepresenceofmosquitolarvaedecreased from44 to 13. Five CAGmembers fromBagsewaniya also got involvedwith theMalariaDepartmentandconductedvectorsurveywiththeDepartmentintheidentifiedsettlementsin2016.In2017,theyalsofacilitatedadiseasesurveillancecamp(forsamplecollectionandtesting)intheirownlocalityincollaborationwiththeMalariadepartment.

Anotherbighighlightduring theprojectperiodwasof constructionof toilets inBagsewaniyaduringNovember after continuous follow up with the Government by the CAG members of the area. Theconstructionmaterialfor250toiletsreachedtheareabutonly60wereconstructedduringthattime,asthe target of the contractor for current fiscal year was fulfilled. However, the further toilets gotconstructedonlywhenthebudgetfortheyear2017‐18wassanctionedwithnewtargets.

Dakshitaalsotookleadinperformingthetestsaspartofthesurveillance.InBagsewaniyathoughthewaterqualitywasimprovedandthewaterappearedclean,therewasmicrobialcontaminationwhichwas

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knownthroughweeklywatertestsconductedaspartofthesurveillance.Sheeventestedthewaterfromthewaterpurifieraspartoftheweeklytestingprocessaspartoftheathomesample.

DuringtheCBVATprocessinBagsewaniya,theyweremostlysharingtheissuesrelatedtoheatstressanddifferenceinearlierandpresenttemperatures.TheresponsefromtheCAGleaderswasgoodastherehasbeen lotofrealizationandtheywereawareof thereal factsnow.For instance, theywereawarethatclimatechangeiscausebyhumaninterventions(earliertheyfeltitwasnatural)andalsoitwasfeltthatthey cannot do anything about it but now they know that they can atleast adapt to the conditions.Realizingthesame,thewomenhavealsostartedmakingmatsfromwastepolythenebags.

TheteamatBhopalorganizedfocusedareameetingonheatstresswithitslinkagestowaterscarcityandvector borne diseases during the starting of summers where safety from mosquitoes emerged inBagsewaniya.Tosolvethesame,home‐mademosquitotrapsweretried.CAGsreflectedthatthetrapswereveryeffectiveingettingridofmosquitoesinthearea.Theyalsoconfirmedaboutsavingmoneyasitwasmuchcheaperthantheincensesticks,coils,AllOutandothermosquitorepellantswhichtheyusedearlier.Also,therewerenohealthimpactsaswell.

Thereafter,healthtrainingfacilitatedbyDr.Vikasinducedhandwashingbehaviorandbroughtfocusonthemajorhealthissuesemergingduetodayactivities.Thewomenofboththeslumsreflectedamajorlearningintermsofhandwashingpractices.SensitizationcampaignandtrainingonwaterconservationwasalsoconductedduringMaybutdidnotreceiveveryhighrecallvalueamongstthesecommunities.Thecommunity‐basedresilienceactionplandevelopmentprocessbroughtforthissuesofwaterscarcity,wastemanagementandmosquitoesasthemajorissuesinBagsewaniya.

DuringthemonthofFebruary,aninterestingeventtookplacewhenregistrationofworkingwomenwasongoinginBagsewaniyaandtheofficialswerechargingmoneyforthisfreeservice.Sapnaben,Vikasinimembertookastepagainstthewrongandthreatenedtheofficertorecordvideooftakingbribeinformofdepositingfees.ThesamewasinformedbytheofficialstotheWardCouncilor.Thereafter,thecardswerepostedtotheirindividualhomesforfree.ThiswasonesuchinstancewhenSapnabenledsuchascenarioandstoodupforhercommunity.

TherelationshipwiththeWardCouncilorandBagsewaniyaCAGshasenormouslyincreasedinthelastoneyearwheretheissuessuchaswaterqualityandroadhavebeenresolved.Thecommunityleader‐Sapnabenalong‐withotherCAGshasalsoproposedtobuildagardenandshadenearthetemplealong‐with awater tanker facility for residents to rest and for children. According to her, thiswould alsoimprovetheaestheticsnearthetemple.TheCouncilorhaspromisedtotakethisintoconsiderationinthecomingmonths.

Sapnaben,DarshikabenandRekhabenhavebeentheemergingCAGleadersoftheareaandhavebeentakingleadinvariouscommunity‐levelprocessessuchaswaterqualityandsurveillance.AsSapnabenshares,“Ihadnevermetthewardcouncilloronetoonenorspokentohim.Iwasveryafraidinitially,butRatneshbenmotivatedmetospeaktohim.NowIamintouchwithhimoverthephoneandcangetworkdoneeasily.Justrecently,whentheywereaskingbribetogiveusregistration,Iconfrontedthemwithgoingpublicwiththeinformationandallourpeoplehavegotthecardswithoutgivinganymoney.”

InBagSewania2,initiallythewomenwerenotatallinterested.However,whenthecommunitywomenwereencouragedtotakesomeactiontogetthenearbyblockedcanalcleaned,theygotinterested.Itwasaninterestingprocess,asRatneshbenshares,“Firstwehavetogettheinformation,thenwehavetoshareitwiththecommunityandalsomotivatethemtotakeaction.”SowhentheBMCandthelocalirrigationdepartmentsweretossingtheballineachothercourtshedecidedtoexploreotheroptionsandlearnt

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abouttheCMhelpline.TheCagwomenwereencouragetolodgeacomplainttotheCMhelplinesinceitwasbeingmonitoredatthehighest levels.Thematterwasattendedtootemporarilybyremovingthegarbagebutnottakingitaway.ThewomencheckedwithRatneshbenbeforesigningtheservicecompleteregister and did not sign the same on her advice. The garbage was removed the next day and theconfidence of the women CAG members was restored on the process. Since then they have beenparticipatinginallmeetingsandtrainings.“Evenwhenthereisanemergencywatertankercoming,weaskourhusbandstofetchthewater.”sharetheCAGmemberofBagSewania2,DhanvantiYadav.

To bring a permanent solution to the garbage management, community‐level resilient solutioninvestmentshavebeenmadethroughtheGRPproject.Theyhaveinstalledavermi‐compostsystemtobemanagedbytheCAGthemselves inBagsewaniya2.This tookplacewithassistance fromMr. JitendraParmarwhoalsotrainedtheCAGsoftheareaabouthowthesystemoperatesandotherrelatedprocesses.Thewomenalsoshowedinterest ingettingsomelivelihoodfromthemanufacturedcompost.Womenalso came forward to organize training on livelihood through their own contribution if MHT couldfacilitateanexpert since theyhavestruggling toattain livelihoodopportunities.Thegroup is furthercollaboratingwiththelocalwardcouncillorfortrainingsupportandpaintingoftheunit.

8.  Implementation  in  Partner  Cities:  Bhubaneswar,  Kathmandu,  Dhaka 

8.1  CONTEXT  FOR  GRP  

Onthekeyparameterforassessmentofanyresilienceprojectisitsabilitytobescaledandtransferredbeyondtheprojectboundariesandtargetbeneficiaries.Whilefortechnologiesandphysicalsolutions,itisrelativelyeasytoassessthepotentialtoscale,thesameisverydifficultforprocess‐orientedsolutionsandinnovations.Addedtothistheverynotionofcommunity‐basedorcommunity‐ledindicatesacertainlevelof localorcontextspecificnatureof thesolution. Insuchcase itbecomesevenmoredifficult toassessthepotentialtoscale,aswhatsucceedinonecommunitymightnotsucceedinanothercommunity.

Theprojecthadenvisagedthischallengeatthedesignstageitselfandthenotionofscalewasdefinedatnot replicabilityof solutions implementedwithina communitybut the replicabilityof the conceptof“Community‐Based” and the “Processes forResilienceBuilding”.Theproject sought toderive certainprinciplesandprocessesforpromotingcommunity‐basedresiliencebuildinganddefinedscaleas the“possibilityofimplementingthosesimilarprinciplesandprocessesacrossmultiplegeographiesandbyagenciesother than thecore implementingactorMHT”. Thus, theproject implementationplanspreadacrossthreetypesofcities:

TypeA:Ahmedabad(India),which isanestablishedcityandwheremostprojectpilotswerecarriedoutbyMHT

TypeB: Bhopal, Jaipur and Ranchi (all in India), whichwere emerging cities andwhere thereplicationoftheprojectprocesseswastestedandthevalidatedbyMHT

Type C: Bhubhaneshwar (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Kathmandu (Nepal), which arecompletelynewcitiesandwherereplicationwassoughtbytransferring theproject learnings,principlesandprocessestoanotheractor(implementingagency)

This section next dealswith the experience of the project in transferring themodel in Type C cities(referredheretoaspartnercities)throughpartnerorganizations.Theparametersconsideredforreviewinthefirstyearofscalewere:a)Thetypeofcitiesandorganizationswhichwouldsuitbestforpotential

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scalingofsuchaproject;b)Thefacilitationprocessesrequiredfortransferabilityofthemodel;andc)Theadoptionandimplementationoftheprojectprinciplesandprocessesbythepartnerorganizations.

8.2  CONTEXT  FOR  THE  PARTNER  CITIES  

Oneofthekeyparametersfortheselectionofcitieswasthatthecitiesshouldhavearelativelyhighandincreasingslumpopulationandshouldbefacingatleasttwoofthefourclimaterisks(stresses)identifiedintheproject.ThesecondcriteriawastotestitbeyondtheIndiancontexttootherSouthAsiancities.Thethird was a logistical criteria of there being an existing relationship between the project team andorganizationsworkinginthecity.Keepingtheseinmind,theprojectidentifiedBhubhaneshwarinIndia;DhakainBangladesh;andKathmanduinNepalaspartnercities.Onhindsight,therealsoemergestheneedtohaveafourthcriteriaforfutureselection‐thegovernancestructureinthecities‐themodelwillbemore successfulwhere the government ismore pro towards the needs of the urban poor and ispositivetowardstheneedsofslumdwellers.

Beforemovingahead,itisimportanttounderstandwhereeachofthepartnercitiesstandontheabovecriteriaandabriefoverviewofthecities.

8.2.1     BHUBHANESHWAR  

Bhubhaneshwar,isthecapitalandlargestcityoftheStateofOdisha.Althoughanoldcityofreligiousandeconomic significance, the modern city of Bhubhaneshwar was formally established only in 1948.SituatedontheeasterncoastalongtheeasternghatsandwiththeMahanadiriverononeside,theDayaandKuakhairiverontheother,thecityalsoaffordsarichbiodiversityonitsboundary.Hometomanytemples,togetherwithKonark,PuriandtwincityCuttack,BhubhaneshwarisoneofeasternIndia’smostvisitedcities.

Themodern city falls under the BhubhaneshwarMunicipal Corporation, covering 135 sq kms and apopulationof8lakhs(837thousand).Dividedinto67wards,theBhubhaneshwarMunicipalCorporation,overseesandmanagesthecivicinfrastructureofthecityincludingdrainage,sewerage,sanitation,solidwastemanagementandstreetlighting.WatersupplyandseweragearehandledbythePublicHealthandEngineeringDepartment(StateBody)andElectricitysupplygovernedbutheCentralElectricitySupplyUtility of Odisha. Bhubhaneshwar Development Authority is responsible for statutory planning,developmentandbuildingregulations.

Anadministrative,education,tourismandinformationtechnologyhuboftheregion,BhubhneshwarhasemergedasthefastestgrowingcommercialhubofEasternIndiaandhasthehighestrateofemploymentgrowthamongtiertwocities inIndia.Thekeyemploymentdrivingsectors inthecityarerealestate,infrastructure, retail and hospitality, and retail. However traditional handicrafts, silver filigreework,appliquework,stoneandwoodcarvingsandpattapaintingalsocontributetotheeconomy.Inaddition,there are four industrial estates also around the city. There are around 22,000 vendors in the cityoperatingtheregulatedandunregulatedmarkets.

The city has a high number of slums (377) mostly unauthorised and rising fast due to increasingmigration from rural areas and neighbouring states. However, the state government and municipalcorporations have also taken some very pro‐active steps for improving infrastructure in the slums,providingbasicservicesandhousingandrecentlyisalsoembarkingonanambitiousprojecttoprovidelegallandrightstoslumdwellers.

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Thecityishighlysusceptibleto“veryhighdamagerisks”fromwindsandcyclonesaccordingtoUNDP.Floodsandwaterlyinginthelowlyingareasareacommonsiteduringmonsoons.Thecityalsofacesheatstresswithsouringtemperaturescoupledwithhighhumidity.Inaddition,slumcommunitiesalsofaceproblemsduetolackofwater,sanitationanddrainagefacilities.

8.2.2     DHAKA  

DhakaisthecapitalandlargestcityofBangladeshandwithapopulationof18.89million,itisalsooneofthelargestandthe4thmostdenselypopulatedcityintheworld.Dhakaisthechiefeconomic,politicalandculturalcentreofBangladesh.Asagrowingbusinesscentrethecityattractsalotoflabourersespeciallyin the textilemanufacturing sector alongwith leathergoods,vegetableoil, electronics and consumergoodsmanufacturing.Thepopulationofthecityisgrowingatanestimated4.2%peryear,mainlyduetoincreasedmigrationfromruralandcoastalareasandexpansionofcityboundaries.

EveryyearfourlakhtofivelakhpeoplemigratetoDhakacityofwhichmostarepoorandoftensettleinslums.Anestimated3.5millionpeople,40percentofthecity'spopulation,livesinslums.Theseslumstypically lackadequatehousing facilities,water supply,heath facilities, sanitation facilities,educationfacilities,waterdrainagefacilities,energysupply.

Dhaka City Corporation runs the affairs of the city. In 2011, itwas spilt into two‐DhakaNorth CityCorporationandDhakaSouthCityCorporationforensuringbettercivicfacilities.Intotalthecityhas130wardsand725mohallas.RAJUKisresponsible forcoordinatingurbandevelopment inGreaterDhakaarea.Therearemore than twodozengovernmentorganisationsunderdifferentministriesprovidingvarious services like power, water supply, transport, etc. Lack of coordination among them and thecentralisationofthepowersbytheGovernmentisamajorchallengetocitygovernance.

AsapartoftheBengalplains,thecityisboundedbytheBurigangariver,Turagriver,DhaleshwariRiverand Shitalakshya river. Recent changes in the climate, along with the pattern of infrastructuraldevelopmentinDhakamakethecitymorevulnerabletoclimaticdisastersespeciallyfloodingcausedbytorrentialrainfall,waterloggingandheatwaves.Urbanpoorparticularlytheslumdwellersarethemostvulnerabletothesewithoftententotwentyminutesofrainfallalsoleadingtowaterloggingandhomeswithtinroofandwallsandnoventilationbecomingheatchambersinsummers.

8.2.3  KATHMANDU  

KathmanduisthecapitalcityoftheFederalDemocraticRepublicofNepal.ItisthelargestmetropolisinNepalwithapopulationof1.5millioninthecityproperand3millioninitsurbanagglomerationacrosstheKathmanduValleyincludingLalitpur,Kirtipur,Madhyapur,Thimi,Bhaktapur.Thecitystandsatanelevationofapproximately4600feetabovesealevelincentralNepal.AnoldcitywithrichheritageandthegatewaytoNepaleseHimalayas,tourismistheimportantpartofthecity’seconomy.Besidesthecityisalsotheexporthubforhandicrafts,artworks,carpets,pashmina,paper,garments,carpets,etc.

ThereisnoofficialagglomerationofKathmanduandtheurbanareasaresplitbetweendifferentdistrictgovernmentunits.TheKathmanduValleyconsistsofthreedistricts,Kathmandu,LalitpurandBhaktapur.Thesedistrictscomprisefivemunicipalitiesand99VillageDevelopmentCommittees.MunicipalitiesarethesameadministrativelevelasVillageDevelopmentCommittees,butareconsideredurban,whereasVDCsarerural.Inaddition,in2011theGovernmentofNepalformedtheKathmanduValleyDevelopmentAuthority(KVDA)withtheobjectivesofre‐constructing,expandinganddevelopingthecitiesinaplanned

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way to provide necessary services and facilities to the people. Most of the urbanpopulationisconcentrated in the capitalKathmanduand its rapid growth has led to increasing pressureinKathmandu. At present, there are 63 slumand squatter settlements inKathmandu, andtheirpopulationisestimatedtobegrowingby25percentperyear. AccordingtoaGovernmentreport,itisestimatedthataround10percentoftheurbanpopulationlivesininformalsettlements.MostoftheslumssettlementsarelocatedinthecentreofthecityalongtheriverbanksofBagamati,Bishnumati,andManohara Rivers. Urban slums are typically characterised by the lack of access to improved water,improvedsanitation facilities, sufficient livingarea, structuralqualityanddurabilityofdwellingsandsecurityoftenure.Thegovernmentapproachtoslumdevelopmentisconstructingmulti‐storiedhousingasapartoftheresettlementprogrammeforpeoplelivingininformalsettlements.

In 2009, a modeling exercise was conducted by team of Nepali, American, British, Pakistani andBangladeshiexperts(NCVST,2009)usingtheemissionsscenariosintheIPCC'sspecialreport(2007).ThereportindicatesthatNepalwillseeanincreaseintemperaturesespeciallyandincreaseinextremehotdaysby55%by2060;extremelyhotnightsareexpectedtoincreaseby77%andprecipitationchanges,especiallyduringthemonsoon:fromadecreaseof14%toanincreaseof40%bythe2030sareexpected.

8.3  PARTNER  ORGANIZATIONS  OVERVIEW    

ConsideringthescopeoftheprojectitwasinitiallyconsideredtoidentifypartnerorganizationswhichhadasimilarorientationandscopeofworkasthatofMHT(theleadimplementingpartnerinTypeAandTypeBcities).However,itwasfoundthatveryfeworganizationsareworkingonthethemeofurbanclimateresilienceinthecontextofslumdwellerswithacommunity‐basedperspectiveintheSouthAsianregion.

DuringtheprojectdesignstagetheGRPteamhadorganisedtwoworkshopsoneinBhubhaneshwar(May2015)andanotherinDhaka(June2015)tointeractwithmultiplestakeholdersandidentifypartnersfortheproject.17In theseworkshops, itwas clear that therewasno one organisationwhich covered allaspects and a combination of 2‐3 organisations had to be worked out. Thus in Bhubhaneshwar acombination of two local organisations‐ one with a rights based approach (ROAD) and another atechnologysolutionbasedapproach(CORE)wereidentifiedaspartners.InDhaka,acombinationoftwoorganisations‐onewitha strongClimateChange researchapproach (ICCCAD)andonewith a stronggrassrootbasedapproachandpresenceinslums(NariMaitree)wereidentifiedaspartners.InNepal,agrassrootbasedorganisation(Saathi)wasidentifiedaspartner.Box4nextgivesabriefoverviewofthepartnerorganisationsandtheirexistingdevelopmentmodels.

Box4:PartnersExistingModels

ROAD:

ROADisawomen‐ledgrassrootsorganisationworkinginBhubhaneshwarandSambhalpurdistrictsof Odisha state (India). The core constituency of ROAD’s work are home based workers‐ thoseinvolved in stitching, embroidery, handloom, agarbatti and papadmaking.Mainly a rights‐basedorganisationROAD focushasbeenonorganisinghome‐basedworkers as a collective to demand

                                                                 

17 A similar workshop was also planned to be held in Kathmandu. Unfortunately, due to the devastating earthquake in the region in April 2015, the same could not be conducted. 

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betterwagesandsocialsecurityfortheirmembers.Since2014,theyhadbeguntotakeupconcernsofbasicservicesavailabilityforhome‐basedworkersthroughtheircontactwithMHTbuyingintothenotion of “My HomeMyWorkplace” and the need for better access to services for home basedworkerstoensurebetterproductivity.ROADhasbeenanactivenetworkmemberoftheGRPteammemberHomenetSouthAsia.ROAD’sworkinBhubhaneshwarhasbeenmainlyaroundtheKargilBasti,Jharnasahi,SaliasahiandSitanathanagar.Mostoftheseslumsareunauthorised,althoughthethreatofevictionislow.Typicaloccupationsinthesecommunitiesinclude:constructionworkers,home‐basedworkers(papad,agarbattimakers),dailywagelaborers,drivers,plumbers,masons,andvendors.Mostdwellingsare semi‐pucca, verydensely situated,poor ventilation.There is limitedaccesstobasicservices,althoughcommonwatersupplysystems(borewells)andcommontoiletsarethere.

CO‐OPERATIONFORRURALEXCELLENCE(CORE):

COREisagrassrootbasedorganisationworkinginBhubhaneshwarandCuttackdistrictsofOdishastate(India).Thefocusontheirworkhasbeentocreatewomen’sSelfHelpGroups(SHGs)mainlyaround savings and credit activities and provide them skill training and technology support forlivelihoodgeneration.Theorganisationdoesnothaveadirectclimatechangeadaptationfocusbuthas beenworking on promotion of sustainable technologies especially those related to bio‐massconservation.InBhubhaneshwar,CORE’sworkhasbeenmainlyinRaghunathNagar,ShastriNagar,SatyaNagar,Barabari&SukaViharsub‐settlementsofalargeBSUP(BasicServicesforUrbanPoor)projectclustersituatedtowardsthesouthernedgeofthecity.Allthesettlementsareapproximately35yearsold.Theresidentsofthesesettlementsenjoyalargerdegreeoflegitimacyastheyhavebeengivenleaseholdswithrestrictedsalerightsforvariedperiodsrangingfrom10to90yearsandhasverylessillegalconstruction.Residentsweregivena600squarefeetplot(20feetx30feet),alongwithfinancialassistanceofupto₹1.7lakhasloan.Allhouseshaveindividualwaterconnectionsandindividualtoilets.

InternationalCentreforClimateChangeandDevelopment(ICCCAD):

ICCCAD is a global Centre of Excellence on Climate Change and Development research based inIndependentUniversityofBangladesh.ICCCADaimstobuildandleadanetworkofSouthernbasedpartner institutes, together educating the world about Climate Change and Development andincreasing capacity in the South. The organization focuses on research and capacity building ofdifferentstakeholdersandhadbeenfacilitatingtheCommunityBasedAdaption(CBA)forumforthelastdecadeandisalsothenodalagencyforACCCRNprojectinBangladesh.Theirfocusofworkingdirectlywithslumcommunityhasbeenlimited“foracquiringinformationforresearchpurposeanddisseminationofnewknowledgeamongrelevantstakeholdersandpolicymakers”18.

                                                                 

18 Oct to Nov 2017 quarterly report submitted by ICCCAD to Awas Sewa 

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NARIMAITREE:

NariMaitree,isagrassrootbasedwomen‐ledorganisationworkinginDhaka(Bangladesh).Ithaslong experience empoweringwomen in slumswho are considered underprivileged group in thesociety by enhancing their socio‐economic condition. The focus of thework has beenmainly on“savingsandcreditactivitiesandnotdirectlyforclimatechangeadaptation”.19NariMaitree’sclimate resilience work has been focused on two slums‐Kalyanpur Pora Bosti having 2500householdsandMirpurJheelparBostihaving800households.Bothofthesewereestablishedaroundthreedecadesbackandareongovernment land.Mainlyconsistingofgarmentworkers,rickshawpullers,domesticservantsanddailywagelabourers,thecommunitiesarelivinginhousesmadewithbamboopools,bamboofinch,tinandcorrugatedironsheets.Theslumsareverydenselypopulatedwithhardlyanyspacebetweentwohomesandalsolackinallbasicservices.Additionallytheyfaceahigh problem of water logging and increasing temperatures. Both the slums have a high risk ofeviction(onehasactuallygotacourtstayordertopreventeviction).Therewerecommunity‐basedorganisationspriortotheprojectbuttheyweremostlymaledominated.

SAATHI:

Saathi is also an active network member of Homenet South Asia. They have been working onpromotingtherightsofhome‐basedworkersinNepal.Theircorefocushasbeenonorganisinghome‐basedworkerscollectivestodemandbetterwagesandsocial security. Inaddition, theyalsohelpwomenregisterashome‐basedworkerswiththegovernmentauthorityaswellasfocusongenderissuesofhealthanddomesticviolence.InworkfocusesonBagmatizoneofLalitpur.AspartoftheresilienceprojecttheyhavefocusedonBhakhapur(620hhs)andGodavarislums(215hhs),bothofwhicharesituatedinprivatelandsontheriverbankandalthoughnotifiedasslumsfaceahighthreatofeviction.Therearesomeamountofbasicservicesavailableintheformoftoilets,butwatersupply,garbagemanagement, drainage and electricity, are still amatter of concern. Both the slums faceproblemsofwaterscarcityaswellasflooding.SaathihasalreadyinitiatedCBOformationinthearea(mainlythroughhome‐basedworkers)priortothecommencementoftheClimateChangeactivity.However,theCBOswerenotactivelyfunctioning.

The GRP team member, Center for Environment Education (CEE) facilitated the processes inBhubhaneshwar,whileanothermemberAwasSewa facilitatedtheprocess inDhakaandKathmandu.Additionally,HomenetSouthAsiaanotherteammemberalsofacilitatedtheprocessesinBhubhaneshwarandKathmandu.

8.2 EVOLUTION  OF  GRP  PROGRAM   IN  PARTNER  CITIES    

8.2.1   BHUBHANESHWAR  

CEE,aGRPteammember,hadasmallofficeinBhubhaneshwarin2015.TheinitialplanningphaseoftheprojectwasthusleadbytheminMay2015,throughtheorganisationofthemulti‐stakeholderworkshop.

                                                                 

19 Oct to Nov 2017 quarterly report submitted by ICCCAD to Awas Sewa 

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TheworkshopbroughtvariouslocalNGOs,academics,governmentofficialsaswellastechnicalexpertswho provided their inputs on the climate risks and ongoing initiatives in Bhubhaneshwar and thepossible scope of the project. Based on the workshop, it was suggested that since there is no oneorganisationworking on climate change resilience in slums of Bhubhaneshwar, it would be good toexploreworkingwithmultipleorganisations.BothROADandCOREhadparticipatedintheworkshopandshowedtheirinteresttopartnerwithMHTfortestingtheprojecttoolsandprocessesintheirareas.Itwasthoughtbesttoworkwithbothorganisations,sincetheyprovidedanoptiontoalsounderstandwhattypeoforganisationsandcommunitiesthemodelcanbebetterreplicated.ROADhadanexpertiseinhigherlevelofcommunitymobilizationworkandworkedmoreinunauthorisedslums;whereasCOREhadarelativelymorefocusontechnologyandskillpromotionandwasworkinginslumswithahighertenuresecurityandlegality.Asthedialoguebeganwithboththeorganisations,ROADactuallyalsotookleadandundertookfocusedgroupdiscussionswith11slumcommunitiesinthecitytounderstandtheissuebetterinGRPsolutionsdevelopmentphaseitself.

The actual implementation of the project, with both partners, started in July 2016. A three‐ dayorientationtrainingontheprojectwasorganisedbyMHTatAhmedabad inJune2016, inwhichbothROADandCOREteamsparticipated.ThetrainingincludedsharingofMHT’scoresocialcapitalbuildingmodel‐theCBO/CAGdevelopmentprocessesandtheCBO/CAGtrainingmodulesandbasicorientationonClimateChangeandtheGRPproject.Asexposurevisitwasalsoorganised toestablishedslums inAhmedabadtobetterunderstandtheprocessontheground.Basedonthis,aninitial6monthactionplanwasdevelopedwhichincludedthefollowingactivities:a)Identificationofslumpocketsandinitialneedassessmentintheidentifiedslums:includingslumprofiling,andhouseholdlistingfortheCommunityBased Organisation (CBO); b) Formation of the CBO and facilitating area (CBO)Meetings and VideoShows;andc)TrainingoflocalwomenandyouthleadersoftheCAGsonCollectiveactionandPromotionofCommunityActionGroups(CAGs).

Following this, both the organisations identified 5 slum pockets each covering approximately 3000households.Theinitialprocessincludedconductingareasmeetings,undertakinghouseholdlistingandinitialorientationtrainingofthecommunityleadersontheprojectconceptandCBOmodel.Bytheendof December in each slum, around 6 area (CBO)meetings, 2 to 3 video shows on the need for CAG,formationof10CAGsandtrainingson the first twoCAGmodules(includingtopicsrelated toprojectconcept,needforcollectiveactionandCBO/CAGstructure)wascompletedinallslums.ROADhadalsocompletedthethirdmoduleonurbangovernancebythen.Thisphasewasparticularlyriddenwithdelaysduetolanguagebarrierandfestiveseasons.MostmaterialhadtobetranslatedtoOriyalanguagesincetheyweretobeuseddirectlywiththecommunityorbefacilitatedbyverygrassrootstaff.However,mostactivitieswentasper the initialplan.The roleofCEE (Mr.Bhibhu)wasvery crucial in thisphase toprovidehandholdingsupporttoboththeteams.CEEalsorecruitedanadditionalstaff(Ms.Bhibhahari)tosupporttheproject.

In January 2017,MHT‐GRP coordinator Srishti visited Bhubhaneshwar, and conducted a training oftrainers programme on the Basic Climate Change module to 16 staff and key leaders from bothorganisations.Thistrainingledtoaspurtintheenergyofbothorganisations,asonecouldseetherestoftheCBO/CAGtrainingmodulesaswellasthebasicCCtrainingmodulebeingundertakenforallareasbytheendofMarch2017.Boththetypeoftrainings,thoseforCBO/CAGdevelopmentandthebasicclimatechangemodule,wheremainlyfacilitatedfortheCAGleadersbythestaffofCOREandROAD.ItwasalsointhisphasethattheexposurevisittoBhubhaneshwarMunicipalCorporationfortheCAGleaderswasorganised aspart of the3rd CBO/CAGmodule onurbangovernance.During thisperiod, regular CAG

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meetingcontinued,andvideoshowsrelatedtoClimateChangewereorganisedatthecommunitylevelbytheROADandCOREstaffmembers.

InMarch2017,ROADandCOREteamsalsoparticipatedintheCommunity‐BasedResilienceAcademy(CBRA)organisedbyMHTatAhmedabad.FollowingthisCEEfacilitators(KinjalandBhibhu)felttheneedforaroundofrefreshertrainingforbothCOREandROADespeciallyonthesocialcapitalaspectsandtheneedtolookatthisnotasaprojectbutamovement.A2dayworkshopwasthusfacilitatedbytheCEEteamforboththeorganisationsinApril2017.ThiswasfollowedbyanotherTrainingofTrainers(ToT)programme for CBVAT by MHT team in the same month. A different approach was followed inBhubhaneshwarthanthatoftheTypeAandBcities,whereinalongwiththestaff,twoleadersfromeachCAGwerealso trainedon theprocess.Thiswasundertaken for tworeasons‐1)To identifypotentialVikasinileadersfromwithinthecommunitywhichcouldfacilitatetheprocessinalltheslums;and2)TocreatemoreawarenessamongtheCAGmemberstowardstheprocess(itwas learnt fromtheprojectexperiencethatoftenCAGsthinkofitinitiallyasawasteoftimeandonlyinthelaterstagedotheygaininterest and aremore articulate). The strategy change was well received in Bhubhaneshwar with aquickeridentificationoftheVikasinileaders,asalsotheCBVATprocesswascompletedwellintimeallslumsbyJune2017.Itwasalsointhisphasethattheorganisationsfocusedonusingthesnakeandladdergame;andthemobilevanitoolforbettercommunication.Theweatherandwatersurveillancekitwasalsoinstalledin2slumsduringthisphase.

DuringthisphaseafewtechnologieswerealsotestedinBhubhaneshwar.MHTmadeapresentationofallpossibletechnologiestoboththeorganisations,fromwhichthetwoteamsselectedtechnologiestheythoughtmore suited the community needs. Demonstrations where then done accordingly. This wasinteresting,asinCOREareasthefocuswasmoreongettingcommunitycontributionandundertakingindividualhouseholddemonstrations;whileinROADareasthefocuswasondemonstrationsincommonareas.AlsoCOREpickeduponemoresolution“CoolAuto”(whichhasnotbeensosuccessfulinothercities)astheyhavealargerconstituencyofautorickshawdriversintheirareas.

InendofJune,anothervisitwasmadebyMHTtodemonstratetheCommunityBasedResilienceActionPlan(CBRAP)process.TheexercisewasfacilitatedbyMHTandCEEseparatelyforthetwoorganisations(2CAGseach)asithadtobedoneinthelocalarea.WithsomesupportfromCEEteam,bothROADandCOREwereabletofacilitatetheactionplandevelopmentintheotherareasinthecomingtwomonths.Postthat,theorganisationshavebeencontinuingthecreateawarenessandfacilitatecommunityactionontheissue.ROADalsoproposedandfacilitatedatechnicaltrainingondisastermanagement(organisedbythemontheirownwithjustfinancialsupportfromMHT)fortheircommunities.

8.2.2   DHAKA  

Asapartofourinitialexplorationprocess,MHThadundertaken4FocusGroupDiscussionsin2slumsofDhaka(Twowithmenandtwowithwomen’sgroups).AstakeholderconsultationwasalsofacilitatedinDhakainJune2015,togetaninitialfeedbackonthemodelanditreplicabilityintheregion.Basedonthefeedbackreceived,Dhakawasincludedintheprojectproposal.Itwasalsointhisconsultationthattheneedtoundertakeafeasibilitystudywasidentified.Itwasalsodiscussedthatweneedtofocusonaveryspecificregionofthecitysoastobeabletodemonstratetheresultsbetter.FollowingthisMHTdeveloped an informal partnership with International Center for Climate Change and Development(ICCCAD),Bangladesh(whichhadplayedakeyroleinthestakeholderconsultationandfacilitatingthe

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focusgroupdiscussions).ICCCADteammember(MrSarder)participatedintheGRPlaunchworkshoporganisedinNewDelhiinFebruary2016.MHTGRPteammembers(Ms.DharmisthaandMs.Bhavana)participatedintheCBA‐10programmeorganisedbyICCCADinDhaka.

Afteralotoftimegap(mainlyduetooperationalreasonswiththeGRPfundingteam),inJanuary2017,ourpartnerAwasSEWAformallycollaboratedwithICCCADtotakeforwardthemodelinDhaka.Itwasalso left to ICCCADto identifythe implementingpartnerNon‐GovernmentalOrganisation(NGO)‐onewhichworkswithwomen’smicro‐financegroupsoronewhichworksonWaterManagementand/orHousingissuesinslumsofDhaka.Intheinitialmonths,ICCCADpreparedadraftreportontheexistingresearchandknowledgefromurbanresilienceandurbangovernmentperspectiveinDhaka.ICCCADalsoidentifiedNariMaitreeastheirfieldpartner.

InMarch2017,twopersonsfromICCCADandonepersonfromNariMaitreeattendedtheCBRA‐2017whichwasheldatAhmedabad.Intheirwords,“Thattrainingworkshopshowcasedthepractices,successand challenge stories of the project implemented in different parts of India. The team from Dhaka,Bangladeshcouldlearnaboutvarioustoolsandtechniquesfortheprojectactivity……Thelearningfromtheworkshopmainlyhighlighted thathowwomenbuild theircommunity ledclimateresilienceactionplan,implementsuchplanwiththehelpofthegovernmentandotherstakeholdersinIndia.Thereisaneedoflongtermengagementofanorganizationtoformwomenactiongroups,buildindividualmembers’capacitytoidentifytheirownrealproblems,causesofproblems,identifylowcostsolutions,developmicrolevelactionplanandgetnecessarycooperationfromrelevantexpertsandgovernmentinstitutions”.

Basedondiscussionona listof slumsand initial fieldvisit ICCCADwithstaffofNariMaitree, jointlyselectedtwoslums.OnesiteisHajiRoad,JhilparBasti,Ptolno.6,7&8,inWardno.7,Mirpur‐2inDNCC.Anothersite isKalyanpurPorabosti,WardNo.11,Mirpur.Criteriaofselectionof theslums included;interestexpressedbyslumdwellerstoinvolvewiththeprojectandbesetwithproblemsofwaterlogging,shortageofdrinkingwater&electricity,prevalenceofdiseaseandavailability&willingnesstodosomeunpaidworks.SarderShafiqulAlamandTasfiaTasnimfromICCCADandMs.Bina fromNariMaitreevisitedboththeslumsandconductedtwosmallGroupDiscussionsanddidseveralinterviewswithlocalpeopleforgatheringinformation.Sluminformationwasthencollectedtodevelopslumprofilesfortwoslums,basedontheMHTformat,asalsomoreinformationwascollectedaspartofinitialfieldassessmentbyICCCAD.InitiallyitwasenvisagedtocoverthreeslumsofthecapitalcityDhaka.Butgiventhehighpopulationdensity,congestionandplantargethouseholdsthenumberofslumswasreducedtotwo.

BetweenApriltoJune2017,6CBOmeetingswereconductedwithwomenmemberstogivethemcanoverviewof the concept (therewasa special focusonbasic servicesandhousingaspects alongwithclimate risks). Following this thehousehold listingprocesswas initiated.A totalof300womenhavebecome CBOmembers, 200 from Kalyanpur Pora Bosti and 100 fromMirpur Jheelpar Bosti. In themeetings the slum dwellers expressed their grievances of slum dwelling. Their top demandwas fordecent housing with water supply, sanitation, electricity and other facilities. Eventually, discussioncenteredtheissueofclimatechangeimpactsontheslumdwellersandworkingoutwaysandmeanstoadapttotheimpacts.

After3meetings,theCBOmemberschosetheirleadersfortheCAG.Finally,3CAGswereformedbyendofJune2017.‐eachhaving16womenand4children(boysandgirls)fromprimaryandsecondaryschoolsasmembers.OneCAGformedintheJhilparBostinamedthemselvesas“Ekota”inthemeeting.TheothertwoCAGsformedinKalyanpurPorabostinamedthemselvesas“Golap”and“Shapla”.Duringthemeeting,CAGmembers have selected their President andVice Presidentwithin the group. Therewere a fewnumberofalterationinthenameoftheCAGmembersbecause“Selectingafewnamesfromsomegroups

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isonecrucialdecision.Theslumsheredoesn’thaveknowledgeonthistypeofactivities.Duetosomepoliticalreasonsintheslums,thenameoftheactualdutybearerswerealteredinsomecases.”

In July2017,a two‐day trainingonClimateChange foreachCAGwasorganizedbyNariMaitreeandfacilitatedbySarderShafiqulAlamandTasfiaTasnimofICCCAD.ThistrainingwasgivenbasedontheMHTdevelopedbasicclimatechangeandCBVATmodulewhichwascustomisedbyICCCADtomeetthelocalsituation.ICCCADalsofolloweditupwithanotheronedaytraininginOctober2017whichincludedaspectsofCBRAPandcommunityaction.Followingthistheteam,alsousedthetranslatedSnakeandLadderGameandvideoshowsinthecommunitiestobuildmassawarenessontheissueofclimatechangeanditsimpactonthelinesofslumdwellers.

AcustomisedversionoftheCBVATandCBRAPexerciseswasalsousedinbothslumstofacilitatethecommunity‐basedvulnerabilityassessmentandresilienceplanningexercise,engagingtheCAGmembers.Thiswasdone,“usingMHTdeveloped“rootcauseanalysis”toolsandPRAtechniques…..Thevulnerabilityassessment followed by solution identification and development of resilience plans. The solutionidentificationexercisehasbeenconducted throughengagingCAGmembersandused toolsofMHT.TheadaptivecapacityindicatorshavebeensharedwiththeCAGmemberstoidentifypossiblesolutionstoreducetheirvulnerability.”

SomeoftheactivitiesweredelayedsomeduetotheincessantmonsoonsinDhaka,asalsotheneedtotranslateallmaterialinBengali.TheCBO/CAGmoduleshavethusnotbeencompletedthere.SomeotherchallengesfacedalsoincludedinfluenceoflocalleadersinCAG‐demotivatingwomentoparticipateaswellasthetimecommitmentofthedailywageearnerwomenforthetrainingprogrammes.

ICCCADteamalsooutlinedthedraftpolicybriefbasedontheliterature,resourcesandtheinitiallearningwhileworkingintheslumanditwassharedamongdifferenturbanclimatechangeexperts,academiciansandrelevantstakeholdersforgettingtheirinputsandfeedbackonit.Themajorfindingsfromthedraftpolicy brief has also been presented in the ICCCAD organized flagship event called “Second AnnualNationalConferenceonUrbanResiliencetoClimateChange”.Therewere30representativesfromtheslumsandtwoparticipantsfromAwaasSewaalongwithmanyotherparticipantsincludinggovernmentofficials,mayors,NGOs,academiciansandjournalists.Participantsofthesessionappreciatedtheprojectanditspolicyfindingsandprovidednecessarycommentsandsuggestionswhichhavebeeninputshavebeenincorporatedinthefinalpolicybrief.

8.2.3   KATHMANDU  

In2015,whentheGRPprojectwasinitssolutionsdevelopmentphase,MHThadalreadydevelopedaninformal partnership with Saathi through Homenet South Asia. In April 2015 itself a training wasorganizedforSaathiteamonMHTcoremodelsofsocialcapitalbuildingforenablingbasicservicesfortheurbanpoor.MHThadplannedtobuildonthispartnershipaspartoftheGRPprojecttoincorporatearesilienceperspectiveinthewater,sanitationandhousingportfolioofSaathithatMHTwassupportingtobuild.Unfortunately, thingsgotoutof lineduethedevastatingearthquakeinKathmanduinendofApril2015.

Postthat,sincefocusofallworkinNepalwasrehabilitation,thedialogueonresiliencewasonlyresumedinearly2017,whenAwaasSewaenteredintoaformalagreementwithSaathifortestingandvalidatingtheMHT‐GRPmodelintheirregion.Followingthis,threepeoplefromSaathi(twostaffandonewomenleader)participatedintheCBRAinAhmedabadinMarch2017.TheCBRAwasinawayanintroduction

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totheteamontheconceptonclimatechangeandresiliencebuildinginadditiontoexposingthemtothetoolsandprocessesbeingusedbyMHT.

SinceApril2017,SaathithenbegunapplicationoftheseintheirworkinKathmanduandLalitpur.Beingalready strong on the communitymobilizing aspects, Saathi did not adopt all the CBO/CAG trainingmodulesofMHT.However,Saathididundertakeslumprofilingandhouseholdlistingactivity.Area(CBO)meetingswerealsoconductedandinMay2017,twoCAGswereformed.Therewasjustonetrainingoncollectiveactionfor25CAGmembersorganizedwhichSaathiconductedusingtheirownmodule.

ThekeyprocesstheyadoptedwasthebasicclimatechangetrainingmoduledevelopedbyMHT.SinceSaathihadnopriorexperienceofworkingontheissue,theyusedmoreorlessthesamemodulewithsomecustomizationtosuitthelocalcontextforconductingthetrainingof56ofthe60CAGleaders.Thiswasfollowedby10videoshowsonclimatechange‐althoughlanguageofthevideowasanissueastheywerenotavailableinNepali.

InJuly2017,SaathialongwithMHTalsoorganizedamulti‐stakeholdereventinKathmandu,inwhichmore than25participants fromcivil society, governmentandresearchgroupsparticipated.TheGRPmodelwasshared in thisworkshopandmanyorganizationsexpressed interest in learningabout thesame.SaathialsoadoptedtheMHTmodelofgettingwomenleadersfromslumonthepaneltosharetheirconcernsrelatedtoclimatechange.

TwoGRPteammembers(Ms.EktaSahuandMs.RadhaSoni)thenvisitedKathmanduandconductedaTrainingofTrainers(ToT)ontheCBVATandCBRAPprocessonsimilarlinesasthatofBhubhaneshwar(staffwithwomenleaders).Afterthetraining,theprocesswasfacilitatedbySaathistaffinboththeCAG,whichundertooktheirvulnerabilityassessmentasalsopreparedtheactionplans.However,apartfromlanguage,therewasanotherchallengefacedhereastheCBRAPmoduleparticularlyhadahighfocusonheatstress,whichdidnotemergeasmuchofaproblemintheseslums.

9. REFLECTIONS  AND KEY LEARNINGS 

9.1   LESSONS  FROM THE    COMMUNITY  RESILIENCE  PROGRAM  

9.1.1 ENTRYINTONEWCOMMUNITIESREQUIRESPERCEPTIONSOFLEGITIMACY,TRUST,ANDINCENTIVESONTHEPARTOFCOMMUNITYWOMENTOPARTNER,WHICHCANONLYBEBUILTOVERTIMEWITHMULTIPLEENGAGEMENTS

InanestablishedcitylikeAhmedabad,whereMHThasbeenworkingonslumimprovementforthelast20 years, the organization enjoys credibility and trust amongst poor communities, sometimes evenamongst ‘emergingcommunities’where ithasnotworkeddirectly.TheVikasininetworkandelectedcouncillorsplayacrucialroleinupholdingthisreputationoftheorganizationbyconnectingcommunitiesinneedtoMHT.Forexample,inSilverPark,anemergingslumidentifiedforinterventionundertheGRPprogram,Nafisaben,theelectedcouncilloroftheward(andexVikasinimember)playedakeyroleininitiatingthepartnershipbetweenMHTandthecommunity.Insuchinstances,MHThastobuildontheexistingrelationships;someleveloftrustalreadyexists.

In communitieswhereMHT’swork is ‘unknown’, trustbuilding isa longdrawnprocess.MHT’s fieldcoordinatorsandspearheadteamsconductmultiplevisitsintheareatomeetwithindividualsandgroupstostarttalkingtothemaboutMHT,andhowitcansupporttheminbringingimprovementsintotheirarea. Initially MHT’s field team is often met with scepticism. To gain the community’s trust, MHT’sspearhead teams often emphasize their own poor backgrounds. They can empathize with the

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communities and are able to relate with the communities’ experiences. Krishnaben, an experiencedspearheadteammemberchargedwithmobilizingcommunityinBalapeerNoTekrosays:

“Ididn'tevenknowthatthiscommunityexisted.WhenIreachedthere,Istartedaskingaround.TheAnganwadi(governmentsupporteddaycareinpoorcommunities)isagoodplacetostartgenerally. People were not very receptive at the start. No‐one really wanted to talk aboutcommunity issues.Weare finehere theywould say.Wedon't need anything fromyou. I keptmakingrepeatedvisits.Iemphasizedmybackground;thatialsocomefromasimilarcommunity,fromapoorupbringing.SlowlypeopleopenedupandaskedmetogoandmeetNandaben,oneofthelocalwomenleaders.Nandabenwasdeterminedthateverythingwasok!Shejustpointedto theneed for individual toilets.However theentireplacewas filthy! Itwasas if theydidn'tmaketheconnectionbetweensanitationandhealth!Therewasworkcutoutforus!.

Evidence from Bhopal points to similar experiences of field teams meeting with contempt andsometimes‐evenabuse.Ektaben,CityCoordinatorshares:

“Our field teams were initially being looked upon as a money‐making agencies and thecommunitywomenoftenshoutedat themforwastingtheir time.Theyoften facedabuse fromthecommunity”

AsTarabenthelocalcommunityorganisershares,

“Agreatchallengeisbuildingtrustamongthecommunitiesespeciallyforwaterandsanitationservices.WehavebeenconductingsurveysregardingstatusofwatsanintheGRPareasandtryingtomakethemunderstandthathowMHTwillfacilitateapplicationsforthesamebutmostofthecommunitiesfeelthatwearelikeotherorganizationswhojustmakepromisesandwouldnotbeabletodeliveranything.Anotherchallengeofworkinginslumsisthatmostofthewomenareworkingintheareasotheactivitieshavetobeconductedeitherveryearlyinthemorningorduringlateevenings.” 

MHT’sprogrammanagersandseniorfieldofficerssharethatthismistrustamongstcommunitiesisnotnew. Poor communities areoftenpromised improvements that theynever get; local contractors andmiddlemenoftencheatthem;sotheyoftenviewsuchengagementsasa‘wasteoftime’.MHT’sfieldstaffistrainedtodealwithsuchhostilityandbuildtrustovertime.Sheetal,afieldworkerfromBhopalshareshowMHTslowlystartedgainingcommunity’ssupport:

“Initially, thewomenwerenotatall interestedinourinitiative.Wehadtokeepinvitingthemformeetings by going door to door, but they simply avoided and ignored us. Gradually, theystarted attending meetings, just because we were so persistent. Once in the meetings, theyrealizedthatweweretalkingsenseandsomethingsubstantialwasgoingon.Thentheystartedattendingon a regularbasis.We conducted interactiveactivities that created a goodbondingwith the women. Once they understood our approach, they started opening up about theirissues”.

AnotherstrategythatMHToftenemploystobuildtrustandcredibilityisfacilitatingfieldvisitsandpeerexchanges.ThisisparticularlyeffectiveincitieslikeAhmedabad,whereMHThasimplementedprojectsatallscales.MHTfacilitatesvisitsforwomenfromemergingcommunitiestothesesites,wheretheyarealsoabletotalktowomenleaders.SuchpeerexchangesgivegrassrootswomenanopportunitytoseeforthemselvestheactionsthatMHThasdelivered.Theyareabletovisualizehowtheircommunitycouldalsochange.

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9.1.2 CONTINUED PARTICIPATION BY HIGHLY DISENFRANCHISED WOMEN INMARGINALIZEDCOMMUNITIESREQUIRESSTRATEGIESTOPROMOTEINDIVIDUALAND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT, SOLVE TANGIBLE PROBLEMS, AND BUILDRECOGNITION/IDENTITYWITHINCOMMUNITY

Most grassroots programs and initiatives in India by NGOs as well as the government emphasizeinvolvementofcommunitiesinplanning,implementingandmonitoringspecificdevelopmentprograms.However, the ‘participation’ofcommunitiesindecision‐makingisoftenlimitedtothedurationof the‘externally funded’ program. Once the program ends, the framework for participation also ends.Continued participation of communities in decisions concerning their lives and well‐being requiresdevelopment of empowered change agents within the community. MHT’s experience in Ahmedabadoffersstrongevidencetosupportthisclaim.SomeoftheearliestinterventioncommunitieswhereMHTworkedmore than15yearsback continue to show leadership.CBO leaders in several of theseearlyintervention communities have remained actively engaged in development activities in their slum(withoutactivesupportfromMHT).MHT’sroleforthesecommunitieshaschangedfromafacilitator/service provider to that of an advisor. TheVikasini platformoffers a space for slum level leaders toconnect with leaders from other communities and also remain abreast with latest planning/ policydevelopments at city level. GulshanBano, CAGmember from Babalablabi Nagar shares how she hasremainedactiveincommunitydevelopmentandisnownurturingnewleadership:

“OurCBOwas registered in September 1999. Improvements under slumnetworking programwere over by 2001.However I remain engagedwithmht and regularly came for themonthlyvikasini meetings. There is so much to learn! They inform us about different governmentschemes/ programs that we can benefit from. In the last 10 years, our CBO has led severalinitiatives.Wegottoiletsconstructedinnewhouseholdsthatjoinedthecommunity;weworkedwithAMCtoinitiatedoor‐to‐doorwastecollection.Ihavetakenaleadineducatingwomenandchildren in the community. Currently I am groomingmy teenage daughter to get involved incommunityaffairs”.

Toensurecontinuedparticipationinemergingslums,MHTengageswomenin‘actionorientedactivities’.MHTbreaksdown thedevelopment process into a series of short‐termactions (like organizing areameetings, learninghowto fill forms,usingpublic transport tovisitgovernmentoffices,establishingaconnectwiththeelectedrepresentativesetc.).Theseactionscreateopportunitiesforwomentogooutofhome,meet other people, expand their knowledge. The feeling of self‐worth, of being productive, ofcontributingtowardschangeisabigpersonal incentiveforwomentoremainengagedintheprocess.Sonalben,CAGmemberfromBalapeerNoTekro,anemergingcommunityinAhmedabadshares:

“Iwascaughtupindomesticwork.Everydaywheneveryoneleft forwork/school, Iendedupfeelinglonelyandbored.Evenafterfinishingmydailychoresiwasleftwithacoupleofhourson hand. I used to while away that time doing nothing much. Now that I have startedparticipating in areameetings inmyarea I feel I amusingmy timewell.OnedayKrishnabentookmetoAMCoffices,showedmehowtofill forms. Ihavefacilitatedgasconnectionsinmycommunity.IhaverealizedthatevenIcancontributetobringimprovementsinmycommunity”.

Toensureparticipationofyoungergirlsandboys,MHThadtoadoptdifferentstrategiesfocusingontheirinterests and aspirations. For example adolescent girls in Ahmedabad were trained as sanitationreporters.Theyusedmobilephonestotaglocationswithgarbagedumps,waterlogging,sewageoverflowandreportedtheseincidentsonthegovernmentscomplaintsregistrationplatform.The“ChildDoctors”strategy for instituting community surveillancewas another effectiveway to capture the interest ofyoung children. The title of ‘Doctor’ itself gave them a sense of pride and recognition amongst the

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community.Therecognitionoftheirworkbyelectedcouncillorsfurtherincreasedtheirconfidencetoremainactiveintheirwork.

Graduallycommunitiesstartrealizingtheimportanceofcollectiveactionandaneffectiveleadership.ThecaseofBagSewaniya‐BinBhopaloffersinsightsintothiscommunitycollectivizationandempowermentprocess. The slum had a canal flowing next to the community, which was extremely polluted, andpotentiallyahealthhazard.Duringearliermeetings thewomenraised the issueseveral timeswithasense of helplessness. MHT advised them to call the Chief Minister’s Helpline Number to lodge acomplaint. After a few days, the city’s Sanitary Inspector visited the slum. He put some medicine/chemicaltreatmentinthecanal,whichwashardlyofanyuse.Butheinsistedthatthecommunitysignedtheofficialpapersagreeingthattheproblemhasbeenaddressed.ThecommunityleadersreturnedtoMHTseekingadviceonhowtomovefurther.Theywereinformedthattheyshouldnotsignunlesstheproblemisgenuinelyresolved.Therewasalotofbackandforthbetweenthecommunityandthelocalgovernmentforthenextcoupleofmonths.Butthecanalwasfinallycleaned.Thisfirstvictoryprovidedabigboostforthecommunity.ThewomenwhohadtakenanactiveroleinthismatterwerenominatedintotheCAG,whichbecamemoreengagedandactivewitheachaction.

9.1.3 LEADERSHIP WORKS BEST WHEN IT IS DEVELOPED AND INTERACTS AT ANDPROMOTESCOORDINATEDACTIONATTHESLUM,COMMUNITYANDCITYLEVEL.

The leadershipdevelopmentmodelofMHT isbasedona three‐stepprocess.FirstMHTorganizesallfamiliesinacommunityintoamembershipgroupcalledtheCommunityBasedOrganizations(CBO).

MHTorganizessensitizationcampaigns,hostsareameetingswithCBOmemberstoidentifyneedsandaspirations of the community. CBOmembers are then encouraged to identifywomen leaders amongthemselves asmembers of the Community Action Group (CAG). The CAG, comprising 10‐12womenleadersactsastheexecutivecommitteeoftheCBOmembersandleadsactionontheirbehalf.Thisisthesecondstep.MHTbuildsandnurturesthisleadershipinslumsbyinvolvingtheminimplementationofprograms.OveryearstheCAGmembersbecomehighlyknowledgeableabouttheircommunities,aswellastheirrightsascitizens.Theyareabletoindependentlyworkwithgovernmentandserviceproviderstobringimprovementsintheircommunities.MHT’sleadershipdevelopmentmodelfurtheroffersthesecommunity leaders opportunity to move beyond driving change in their own communities tostrengtheningtheirinfluenceonurbandevelopmentplansandpoliciesaspartoftheVikasiniforum.Thisisthefinalstepintheprocess.Vikasinimembersrepresentthecollectivevoicesofpoorandwomeninmulti‐stakeholderdialoguesandworkshops.TheyalsoworkwithMHTaspartofthespearheadteamtolead the mobilization process in new communities. They train and mentor CAG members in thesecommunities andensure that the community level institutions created in slums remain engagedandactive.InAhmedabad,fewVikasinimembershavealsojoinedmainstreampoliticsaspartyleadersandelectedcouncilors.

Thisladderofleadershipoffersopportunitiestoengagewiththegovernmentatdifferentlevels.Ateachlevelintheleadershipprocess,thewomenseearoleforthemselves.CollectivisingallslumfamiliesintoaCBOallowsMHTtoengagewiththecommunityasawholeandinformtheresidentsabouttheirrightsandhowtoexercisethe.FromtimetotimeCBOmemberscometogetherforcampaigns.Thisisastrategyfor‘showofstrength’helpsthemrallysupportfortheircause.TheCAGmembershaveamoredefinedrole.Theyengagewithareacouncillorstoimplementlocalimprovements.TheVikasinileadersoperateatthecityleveltoengagewithandinfluencedecision‐making.InAhmedabad,wheretheVikasiniiswell

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established,Vikasinimembersareofteninvitedtobepartofworkinggroupsandcommitteesconstitutedby the government. A fewVikasinimembers have also joined political parties and continue toworktowardsimprovingthelivesofthepoorinthecapacityofelectedrepresentatives.

InAhmedabad,effectiveleadershipatalllevelsandastrongworkingrelationshipwithAMCcontributedtotheGRPprogramseeingveryactivegovernmentengagementandcoordinatedactionatvariouslevels.CAGmembersfromSilverParksharehowtheleadershipmodelworksonground:

“Weareabletogoandtalktoourlocalcounciloronourownaboutissuesinourcommunity.Ifshe(thecouncillor) isunabletoresolveany issue locally,sheasksus toengagewith theAMCtechnical staff (zonal engineers/ deputy municipal commissioners etc.). Here Meenaben andUrvashiben support (members of MHT’s field team). Sometimes, they have to ask Bhartiben(programmanager,Ahmedabad)tomakeourcasetoseniorofficers.”

Leadership development is a challenging and time‐consuming effort. For example, in Bhopal, wherewomeninpoorcommunitiesevenrefusedtocomeoutoftheirhomestoattendmeetings,MHThadtobeverypatientandpersistentwithitsefforts.Despitechallenges,theGRPprogramhasbeenacatalystintheprocess.Thereisenoughevidenceofanemergingleadership.Atthecommunitylevel,CAGmembersareincreasinglyengagingwithexternalactorssuchasASHAandAnganwadiworkers(outreachworkersunderStateGovernmentsHealthandWomenandChildDevelopmentDepartments),electedcouncillors,andtechnicalpartners.

There also have been significant efforts towards encouraging community leaders to expand theirinvolvement to other areas in the city. For example after the success of community level vectorsurveillancedrives,theBhopalDistrictMalariaOffice(UndertheState’sHealthDepartment)invitedMHTtohelpsupportsimilareffortsinotherareasofthedistrict.Thelocalteaminvolvedcommunitywomenin this campaign. CAG leaders worked hand in hand with government workers officials during thecampaign.SeniorGovernmentofficersrecognizedandapplaudedtheirwork.Thecampaignofferedthemanopportunitytobepartofalargermission,thatofa‘Vector‐freeBhopal’andslowlybuildarecognitionatthecitylevel.

9.1.4 EMPOWERING WOMEN TO ADVOCATE IN A NON‐CONFRONTATIONAL ANDCOLLABORATIVEMANNER INCREASESMUNICIPALSUPPORTTOADDRESSTHESENEEDS

MHThasbeenworkingwithcommunitiestoimprovesanitationconditionsandlivingenvironmentsinslumsformorethan20years.Thisrequiressignificantinvestmentinpublicinfrastructure,andhencegovernmentsupportforsuchinitiativesisvital.

InAhmedabad,AMChasahistoryofextendingbasicinfrastructureinslums.Thoughinsomeareasittakesmuchlonger(upto8to10years)toreachservicesformultiplereasons.Sometimesthelandsareunderdisputeorthecommunitiesarelocatedondifficultterrain,whichposestechnicalchallengestolayinfrastructure.Communitieslocatedintheperipheryorcommunallysensitiveareasalsofinditdifficulttoaccessservices.Evenintheseareas,MHT’scorestrategyisnottopromoteinsurgentactivism,buttoempowerwomenfromtheseunderservedcommunitiestocollaboratewiththeinstitutionalpowers,sothat a two‐way collaboration can be facilitated. MHT trains and mentors women to patiently andpersistently work with elected representatives and technical staff of AMC, to influence budgets, tocollaborativelyfindsolutionstodifficultproblems.

RajivNagar(established)andSilverPark(emerging)arebothexamplesofcommunities,whichhadbeen

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devoidofservicesforaverylongtime.MHTsupportedtheminthisendeavourundertheGRPprogram.SilverParkisacommunitylocatedinSarkhejarea.ItbeingprimarilyaMuslimarea,therewasagreaterresentmentamongpeople.TheydidnottrusttheAMCtodeliver.Thecommunitywastiredofthefalsepromisesandshort‐termimprovementsthatoftenhappenedaroundlocalelectioncycles.Severalgroupshadstagedralliesandprotestsatdifferenttimestomaketheirvoicesheard.WhenMHTstartedworkinginthearea,itmobilizedwomentoengagewithAMCasinformedcitizens,demandtheirrightsandworkwiththeirelectedrepresentativesforimprovements.RehmatBen,aleaderfromSilverParkshares:

“Our community had been devoid of services for a very long time.We were tired of makingcomplaints!Frustratedwiththeresponsefromgovernmentafewmenfromthecommunitythendecidedtoorganizeaviolentprotest.Theyorganizedarallytothegovernmentofficeandbrokeglasswindows/vandalizedpublicproperty.Weknewthatthisisnottherightway,butsincewesawnootheralternative,wejoinedin!Thiswasaboutthreetofouryearsago,beforeweknewofmhtanditswork.

SincewestartedworkingwithmhtandMinaben(spearheadteammember)wehaveunderstoodhow we can work collaboratively with the government. Now we don't get swayed away bypromisesthatthepoliticiansmakebeforeelections.Insteadweworkwithourelectedcouncillorthroughouttheyeartobringimprovementsinourarea.Wefeelthatthisapproach,ofworkingcollaboratively,peacefully,patiently,isthebestasithasbroughtaboutrealchange.”

Similarly In Bhopal, CAG leaders were able to rally municipal support by engaging with them in aprofessional,non‐confrontationalmanner.TarabenshareshowwomenfromRahulNagarhaveensuredregularwastecollectionfromtheircommunity:

“AfterattendingMHT’sleadershiptrainingandthespecializedtrainingonvectorsurveillanceby Dr. Kohli, cag leaders from Rahulnagar were motivated to work towards cleanliness andimprovedhygieneconditionsintheircommunity.Theynowknewthelinkbetweenunsanitaryconditionsand infectiousdiseases.Theystartedbyengagingwith safaikaramcharis (sanitaryworkers)assignedtocleantheirarea.Theymonitored theirworkanddemandedthat theydotheir job well. However this didn't lead to much change on ground. Then they submitted awrittenapplicationcomplainingaboutthissituationtothewardofficeofRahulnagar.Thismadeanimpactandthegarbagedumpsaroundtheirslumwerepromptlycleaned.Toensurethatthearea remains consistently garbage‐free and clean they continued their engagement with thesafai karmacharis. The community as awhole also decided to raise some contribution to paytheseworkersfortheirefforts.”

MHT’s work also points to the fact that though women are the most marginalized, mobilizing andempoweringthemtotakecharge(asagainstmen)hasbenefits.Sincemostwomeninthissocio‐economicstratumarenotemployedfull‐time,theyhavetimetopersistentlylobbyfortheircause.Womenalsoaretraditionallymorepatientandpersistent.Sonalben,aCAGleaderfromBalapirNoTekrosays:

“Earlier mostly men used to approach the government with complaints. They had to gorepeatedly, leaving theirwork.They lost their cool sometimes.Mhtmobilizedwomen to takecharge and taught us how to approach the elected councillors, seek their support in makingcomplaintstoAMC,gettingactiononground”.

TheCAGmembersalsogainmotivationandConfidencethroughthisprocess.AsEktabenshares,

“CAGmembersareparticipatingenthusiasticallyinthemalariadrivewiththehealthdepartment.Itwasencouraging to see their participation both in the drive as well as raising objection against the open‐defecationfreedeclarationaregoingtobetheprospectiveVikasinisforBhopal.”

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However,thereistheneedforamediator,especiallywhenitcomestobringingdevelopmenttothelastmile,AsEktabenshares,

“Compiling the legaldocuments for submission toavail rayscheme isachallenge for theother3slums(apart from Ambedkar Nagar) as most of the residents are reluctant (Shantinagar) or do not haveadequate documents. Continuousmeetingswith the nodal officer‐Mr. Chaturvedi is being organized tosolvetheissues.”

9.1.5 RESILIENCE IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS REQUIRES COORDINATED ACTIONAMONGSTMANYLOCALACTORSOVERTIME,WITHLEADERSHIPTHATISNOTTOOCONCENTRATED AMONGST A FEW MEMBERS OF THE SLUM COMMUNITY ANDWHICHISMAINTAINEDOVERTIME.

Inthelast20years,MHThasworkedinmorethan800communitiesandorganizedwomenintoCBOsand CAGs. Typically,MHT’s experience suggests that 2‐3women leaders actively take charge of thecommunity improvementprocess.Otherwomensupport these leaders in their initiativesbutarenotthemselvesactivelyengagedintheprocess.Having1or2asthefaceofthecommunityworksasastrategyinprogramsthatrequiregovernmentengagementandaction.

GRPprogramwas fundamentallydifferent thanMHT’s otherprograms in that sense. Community ledresilienceplanning requireswomen towork togetherand findsolutions to their collectiveproblems.Somesolutionsrequiregovernmentsupport,whileothersrequirecoordinatedactionfromwithinthecommunity.Hence,theGRPprogramwasdesignedtoengagemanylocalactorsandempowerthemtoleaddifferentaspectsoftheprogram.AdolescentgirlsweremademembersofCAGs.Theybroughtyoungenergy and new ideas into the meetings. They were also receptive to, and interested in technicalknowledge andprocesses. Since the younggirlswere alsomore familiarwithusing technology, theyfounddifferentwaystoengagewiththegovernment.InAhmedabad,forexampletheyrecordedtheirobservations on digital platforms, used AMC’s complaints portals to register complaints, and usedmediumslikecommunityradiotomaketheirvoicesheardtoalargeraudience.Similarlyyoungchildrenandyouthweretrainedtoconductsurveillancedrivesandmonitortheprogressinthecommunity.TheCBVATandCBRAPprocessesalsomandatedparticipationfrommorenumberofwomenandpromotedawidespreadleadership.

Thoughthisstrategyofinvolvingalargergroupofwomen/girlsconsistentlyoveraperiodoftimehasnotbeenverysuccessfulinallcommunities,resultsofthiscoordinatedactionareevidentinafewslums.InRajivNagar,BhanuBen,CAGmemberandanexperiencedVikasinimemberinvolvedmorenumberofcommunitywomeninvariousinitiatives.

“Weensuredthatat least10‐11womenareengagedintheprocessthroughout.Theyattendedall trainings and also participated in CBVAT and CBRAP processes. We were also able toinculcateacultureofregularclimatesurveillanceinthecommunity”.Thisensuredacollectiveconsciousnessinthecommunityonissuesaffectingthem”.

InBabaLablalbiNagar,encouragingtheparticipationofyounggirlsincommunityaffairshaslentanewvigortotheCAG,comprisedofagingwomenwhoarenowbeginningtofacehealthissuesandslowdowntheirinvolvementinthecommunitydevelopmentprocess.

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9.1.6 SYSTEMATIC, REPEATED, AND INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATION TOOLS ARENECESSARYTOENABLESCIENTIFICANDFUTURISTICTHINKINGINCOMMUNITIESWHOSEMEMBERSAREUSEDTOTHINKINGSHORT‐TERM

MHT’sworkbeforetheGRPprogramhaslargelyfocusedondeliveringtangiblechangeintheshort‐term(2‐3 years). This included enabling access to water and sanitation infrastructure, legal electricityconnections, loans for incremental home improvements etc. Mobilizing communities around theirimmediate needs and requirements largely entails communicating information (either on accessinggovernmentschemeandprocesses,orspecificsofloanproductsetc.)Therealreadyisanevidentdemandsothereisoftennoneedtocreate‘communityinterest’.HenceMHThasprimarilyreliedonareameetingsandclassroomstyletrainingstodeliverthesemessages.Howevertotriggerandsustaincommunities’interestinmacrolevelconceptsof‘globalwarming’and‘climatechange’MHThadtogetcreative.

Thefirstsetsofcommunicationtoolsweredevelopedtoeducatethecommunityonclimatechange,itsreasons and its impacts. MHT conducted video shows in local languages and engaged women ininteractivegamesthathelpedwomenunderstandandregisterlong‐termimpactsofclimatechange,andunderstandconceptsofvulnerabilityandresilience.Urvashiben,Seniorfieldofficershares:

“We showed them (the communities) different kind of videos regarding climate change andcalamitiesandinformedthemaboutitsimpactsandtheactionstheycantake.Throughthegameof snake and ladder, we explained them the important of savings and investing in resilienceaction.”

Muskaan, a young girl of 16 years, resident of Baba Lablabi Nagar also shares how the interactiveactivities during the climate change training helped her understand her own and other women’svulnerabilities:

“I rememberoneparticularactivity thatweparticipated in. Itwasagame inwhichwehad totieeithergreen,orange,orredcoloredribbonsbasedonthe facilitieswehaveinourhouse. Ihadmostlygreenandafeworange.Buttherewereotherwomenwithmostlyredribbons.Thattellsusthatarenotaswelloffasweare.Wehavetogoandtalktothemabouttheirissues,andhelpresolvethemasacommunity”

Thechallengealsowastosustaintheinterestofcommunitiesoveralongperiodoftime.MHTwithitscommunicationpartnerCEEandVikasinimembersplannedacalendarofoutreachactivitiesandactionsfortheentireyear.Thelinkwithcommunitieswaskeptactiveusingmultiplemediaplatformssuchasmobile‐vani,community‐leveldrives,displayofposters,distributionofpamphlets,folkmediaetc.

Ektaben,CityCoordinatorofBhopalshareshowthisstrategyhelped:

“Connectivity needs to be maintained between various activities to garner and sustain theinterestofthecommunity.Thatiswhattheprogramwasabletodo.Thecommunity’smemoryandinterestonclimateissueswasunabletofadeaseachoftheactivitywaslinkedtotheother,andthestaffcontinuouslykeptthemengagedusingvariousinteractivetools.”

UnlikeMHT’sotherprograms,whicharelargelyfocusedonservicedelivery,theGRPprogramalsohadakey component of behaviour change. The surveillance drives led by the ‘child doctors’ proved veryeffective intriggeringbehaviourchangeatboth the individualandthecommunity level.Throughthedrives, MHT was able to develop collectiveconsciousness amongst community members on theireverydaypracticesandbehaviours.The‘childdoctor’strategyencouragedchildrenandyouthtobecomecommunitychampionsandleadersandpromotecollectiveactioninthecommunity.GulshanBano,CAGmemberfromBabalablabiNagartalksabouthowthedriveshavemadepeoplemoreconsciousoftheireaterstorageandhandingpractices:

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“Thedriveswereverysuccessfulindrivingbehaviourchange.Peoplecleantheirtanksregularly.WehaveestablishedaworkingrelationshipwiththegovernmentASHAhealthworker.Wehaveasked her to distribute chlorine tablets to purify water to households on a regular basis.Similarlysincethevectordrive,wehavebeenpayingcloserattentiontodisposalofgarbageandmaintainingcleanliness inthecommunity.Wenowcontact theAMCtoget foggingdone/onaregularbasis.”

Folkmediaalsoprovedtobeaveryeffectivetool,especiallyinAhmedabadtoencouragecommunitiestomakeresilientinvestments.

WhilesomestaffatMHTviewedthecommunicationactivitiesas‘repetitive’and‘timeconsuming’,thefull benefits of repeated engagements became evidentmuch later in the program.Ratneshben, FieldOfficerfromBhopalsays:

“The repetition of the same concepts through various on ground activities helped thecommunities understand and assimilate these complex ideas. The effectiveness of these toolswas clearly seenwhen community leaders themselves approached us for validating potentialtechnology solutions and showed willingness to invest in them. Some communities likeBagsewaniyaplanedvegetable/fruittreesintheircommunities,andstartedeffortstominimizeandreuseplasticwastes.”

9.1.7 COMMUNITY’S CONTINUED INTEREST IN RESILIENCE PLANNING REQUIRESDELIVERYOFMOREIMMEDIATETANGIBLEACTIONSORBENEFITS

MHTrecognizesthattoincreaseresilience,itisimportanttohavealong‐termapproachthatincorporatesstrategiesforknowledgegeneration,triggeringbehaviourchange,andpromotingcommunityledaction.MHT’s experience suggests that to mobilize communities around climate change and sustain theirinterestinlongtermresilientplanning,itisoftenessentialtoservetheirimmediateinterest.

In Ahmedabad, MHT has ensured sustained progress over the last two decades by adopting anincremental andphasedapproach in itswork. It directspublic (and sometimesprivate) funds intoacommunitytoimprovetheircurrentlivingconditions,andthenbuildingonitscredibilityandabilitytodeliver results, expands across the 'share of people's day to day' pain through multiple initiatives.Bhartiben,ProgramManager,Ahmedabadbelieves that in an established citywhereMHThas a longhistoryofdeliveringslumimprovementprograms,thereisexpectationamongstcommunitiestodelivertangibleoutcomes.

“We have observed that in communities, where access to basic infrastructure is still lacking,addressingthatiscritical.Thereisfrustration/angerinthecommunitiesregardingthestateofaffairs.Ourworkhelpsthemlessentheirday‐to‐daypain”.

CommunityleadersinAhmedabadsharethesamesentiment.BhanuBen,CAGmember,RajivNagarhasbeenworking for thepast10yearstogethercommunityconnected to thecity’sdrainageandwatersupplynetwork.Sheshares

“Initiallywhenistartedconducingareameetingsaroundclimatechange,inallmeetingswomenwouldenquireaboutwhen thedrainage linewouldbe completed?Oneyear into theprogramthe work for drainage line started. Once the change was visible, they took more interest inparticipatory planning processes like CBRAP. These processes offered them a space to cometogetheranddecidecollectiveactionthatthecommunitywantstotakenext.”

KrishnaBen,SpearheadTeamMember,sharesherexperienceofworkinginBalapirNoTekro:

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“Themost successful interventions in the communitywere those that offered the communitysolutions to their immediate problems. The community had severe sewage backflow issuesleading to very unsanitary conditions and inundation during monsoon months. The drains,whichwerecloggedforyears,havenowbeencleaned.SeveralfamiliesmovedtoLPGcylindersforcookingfrompollutingcookstoves.Ithinkthatisprogressintherightdirection.”

WhiletheAhmedabadstafftookanapproachofdeliveringontheimmediateneedsofthecommunitywhilesimultaneouslybuildingtheirinterestinlong‐termresilienceplanning,inBhopal,thedeliveryoftangibleoutcomeswasintegratedintotheresilienceprogram.Thetangibleoutcomescameintheformof community‐led‐improvements that were identified during the CBRAP process. For example, theBagSewaniyacommunitycametogethertoaddresswastemanagementissuesintheirareaandinstalledacompostingstructure intheircommunitywithMHT’ssupport.TheCAGhasstartedsegregating thewasteandcompostingthewetwaste.Similarly,inBhadbadhaBasti,wherethecommunityexpressedtheneed for improved water supply, MHT supported the installation of a water supply system. Thecommunityalsocontributedtowardsinvestinginthesystem,whichisnowfullyfunctional.

9.1.8 COMMUNITY‐LEDDATACOLLECTIONLEADSTOANINCREASEDUNDERSTANDINGWITHIN THE COMMUNITIES ON THEIR OWN VULNERABILITIES AND ISSUESAFFECTINGTHEM,THEREBYLEADINGTOMORERESILIENTACTIONS

Instituting community based surveillance, especially in communities that have a high level oforganizationandleadershiphasprovedtobeaveryeffectivestrategyinAhmedabad.Thereisevidencethatrealtimecollectionandmonitoringofclimatedatahastriggeredabehaviorchangeincommunitiestowardsmakingmoreinformeddecisions,andempoweredthemwithknowledgetodemandimprovedgovernmentservices.Bhanuben,AViksainimemberhadaweathermonitoringstationinstalledinherhouse in Rajiv Nagar. She used to note the temperature and humidity every day and share withcommunity.Thecommunityalsogotintoahabitofcheckingweatherforecastsinnewspapersortheirmobilephones.SheshareshowthispracticehelpedthecommunitypersuadeAMCtotaketimelyactiononinfrastructureimprovementintheircommunity:

“ItwasGanpati time this year (aroundAugust/ September), andAMChaddugup all roads ofour community as the drainage lineworkwas in process. Theworkwas alreadydelayed.Weweremonitoringtheworkandaskingtheconstructionworkerstospeedup.AnAMCofficerwasalsopresentatthesite.Asusualtheykeptsayingthatitwouldgetdoneinaweek,andwehadnothingtoworry.Justthen4‐5peoplecameforwardandsaid:no,no!Whywouldn'tweworry?Wesawtheweatherforecastinthenews.Itisexpectedtoraininthenextfewdays.Ifyoudon'tfinishyourwork,ourroadswillgetwaterloggedagainandallyoureffortswillbelost!TheAMCofficerwasseeminglysurprisedwithourknowledgeonweatherforecasts.Henoddedhisheadinagreement,andhadtoconcedetowhatweweresaying!

Inthesamecommunity,theadoptionofwaterfiltersgreatlyincreasedafterthecommunityparticipatedinconductingwater‐testingdrives.

“Wehaddoneseveraltrainingsearlieronuseofwaterfilters,butnoonewaswillingtoadoptit.Whenweconductedwatertesting,communitywomenrealizedthequalityofwatertheyaredrinkingwasquitebad.Weexplainedhowdrinkingsuchwaterresultsinhealthproblemslikekidneystones, stomach illnessesetc.After thesedrives,people came forwardon theirown tobuywaterfilters.”

InSilverPark,theCAGleaderssharedthewatertestingresultstoadvocatewithAMCforimprovedwaterquality.

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“Waterqualityreallyimproved.MadinabenusedtotaketheresultsofthewaterqualitytoAMC,toNafisaben,thecouncillor.Currentlyweget\waterfromAMCsuppliedtankers.Weareraisingcommunitycontributiontogetawaterlinelaidinthecommunity.”

Evidence from Bhopal also points to the importance of community‐led data collection in triggeringbehaviourchange.IncommunitieslikeBagSewaniya,RahulNagar,andJatkhedi,regularwaterqualityand vector surveillance drives have led to visible changes.Women leaders fromRahulNagar ralliedmunicipalsupporttogettheareacleaned.Jatkhedihadfacedregularqualityissuesandhadcomplainedaboutthesamefromtimetotime.Thewatertestingdriveinthecommunityyieldedresultsshowingverypoorwaterquality.Nowthecommunityhadscientificevidencetobacktheirclaim.TheyshowedthetestresultsintheirWardOfficeandsubmittedanapplicationtoresolvetheissue.TheWardCouncillorsoonvisitedthecommunity(forthefirsttimeever)addresscommunitylevelissues.TheCAGmembersgothimtofixthedefuncthand‐pump.TheCAGiscontinuingtoworktogetherwiththewardcouncilloronwaterqualityandothercommunityimprovementinitiativesinJaatkhedi.

9.1.9 DEMONSTRATION OF TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, COUPLED WITH FACILITATEDENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS ENHANCESTHE DEVELOPMENT OF MUTUALLY AGREEABLE SOLUTIONS TO RESILIENCEPROBLEMS.

Facilitatingco‐creationoftechnologywascentraltotheGRPprogram.Fielddemonstrationsofrelevanttechnologies and solutionshelpbuild theconfidenceof the communities regarding the solutionsandinducebehaviorchangestherebyincreasingadoptionrates.ground‐leveltechnicalsupportwillfurtherincreasethepossibilityofadoption.Duringthecourseoftheprogram,MHTdemonstrated21typesofclimateresilientsolutionsatthehousehold‐levelreachingoutto2,453familiesacrossthecities.Further,5community‐levelresilientsolutionswereimplementedreachingoutto4,425individuals.MHThadalsoplannedtoconducttechnologyfairsinselectcities,buttheshortenedtimeframeoftheprogramdidnotallow that. MHT realised that in addition to demonstration projects, it is important to facilitateinteractionsbetweentechnicalexpertsandcommunities.Forexample,MHTfacilitatedthefieldvisitofDr.Kohli,anepidemiologist toBhopal, tospeak tocommunity leadersabout larvaebreedingand thesciencebehindvector‐bornediseases.MHTfacilitatedhisvisittoslumcommunitiesforhimtoviewthelivingenvironmentinslumsanddevelopappropriatecontentforthetrainings.MHTteamalsoworkedwithhimtodevelopsimplifiedmessagesthatthecommunity isabletounderstand.Attheendof thetraining,mostwomenreportedgainingnewknowledge(thatDengueisalsocausedbymosquitos,thatmosquitoscanonlybreedinwateretc.)andanincreasedinterestindealingwithvectorbornediseasesintheirslum.AsEktabenfromBhopalshared,“Itmakes such a hugedifference whenwomenhave anunderstanding of the technicalities of an issue and a technical expert visits areas and interactswiththemdirectly.”

MHThadasimilarexperienceduringthewatermanagementtraining thatwas facilitatedbyTheresaFormmenfromFUB,whereMHTalsoworkedwithTheresatotranslatethetrainingmaterialinHindi.

Theresa alsoworked independentlywith the communities in Jaipuron an action researchproject todevelopwatermanagementsolutions.InaprojectreflectionmeetingTheresasharedhowsometimesitwaschallengingtoworkwiththecommunitiesbecausetheyoftenhaddifferentexpectationsfromher.Asatechnicalresearcher,sheadoptedamorescientificapproachtoherwork,whereherfirsttaskwastogetenoughevidencetoarticulatetheproblem.Thismeantalotoftimespentondatacollectionfromthefield.Butthecommunitiesdidn'tfullyunderstandthisapproach.Theywouldoftengetimpatientanddemandimmediatesolutionstotheirproblems.ThispointstoMHT’scrucialroleinsuchprogramsthat

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bringtogetheradiverserangeofstakeholders;thatofclearlycommunicatingtheprocesses,managingexpectationsandhelpingthemunderstandeachother’sperspective.

9.1.10 SUCCESSFUL PRO‐POOR TECHNOLOGIES SHOULD BE COST‐EFFECTIVE,COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE, CULTURALLY APPEALING,WITH PROPER SERVICESPROVIDEDALONGWITHTHEPURCHASE

Inthelastcoupleofyears,MHThaspilotedandtestedarangeoftechnologiesandinnovations,especiallyintheenergysector.Theseincludebuildinginnovationsandproductsthatreduceheatstress,bringinnatural light and ventilation, and help reduce energy consumption, therebymaking dwellingsmoreenergyefficient.UndertheGRPprogram,MHTwidenedthisportfoliotoincludeproductsandsystemsthatpromotemorejudicioususeofwater,reducefloodingandinundation,andsafeguardfoodsecurityandhealth.Thetypesoftechnologiesdemonstratedcouldbecategorizedinthreecategories:innovations(byMHTorproductinnovators),market‐based,andcommunity‐emerged/homegrownsolutions.

BothinAhmedabadandBhopal,market‐based,commerciallyavailable, lowcostsolutionssuchastapwater filters, purification liquids, and sprinkler taps saw a higher rate of adoption. In Bhopal, thecommunityshowedalotofinterestinwaterpurificationliquids,especiallyafterthewaterdrives.Morethan300householdspurchasedthesepurificationliquids.Similarly,235+familiesinBhopal,and396familiesinAhmedabadinvestedinthesprinklertaps.However,whileinvestinginproductswithacosthigherthanacoupleofthousandrupees,‘perceivedvalue’becameacriticalfactor.Forexample,oneofthesolutionsthatMHTdemonstratedwasaCarbonbasedwaterfilter.Howevermostfamiliesperceivedit as inferior to the RO systems that require electricity (popular amongst middle‐higher incomehouseholds).MHT found itdifficult to sell itatMarketprices.Thesolutionwasmoreacceptableatasubsidizedrate.

Otherthanmakingmarket‐basedtechnologiesavailable,MHTalsoworkedwithproductinnovatorstovalidatenewtechnologiesandmaketheseavailabletothepoor.However,MHThasmetwith limitedsuccess in terms of reaching scale. MHT has met withmoderate success with the mod‐roof systemdevelopedbyRe‐MaterialsinAhmedabad.Currently,sincethecompanyisinitsincubationphase,itisofferingtheroofsystematasubsidizedrate.MHTalsooffersloanstohelppoorhouseholdsmakethisinvestment.Meenaben, a Vikasinimember in Ahmedabadwho has installed the system at her placeshares “It is durable, looks nice, and considerably reduces the indoor temperature. It is just like aconcreteroof!”

Bijalben,Director,MHTbelievesitisoftennottruethatthepoorwillinvestinthecheapestofalternatives.“Infact,giventhelimitedresourcestheywillinvestonlyiftheproductisaspirational,affordable,userfriendly,andeasilyaccessible.”

Theacceptanceofmodroofisatestamenttothat.Duringthelasttwoyears,80familiesinAhmedabadhaveinvestedinthemodroof.MostofthesefamilieshavemonthlyincomesaboveRs.15,000,whichputstheminahigherbracketamongstthoselivinginslums.Thecommunity‐emerged/home‐grownsolutionsthatweredemonstratedincludedterracegardening,landscapingwithnativeplants,mosquitotrapsetc.Some families in both Ahmadabad and Bhopal adopted these solutions. Solutions like rainwaterharvesting,communitybasedwatersupplysystems,andvermicompostingthatrequireahigheramountof investmentwere also demonstrated on a pilot basis. These solutions/services require specializedknowledge.MHTlinkedcommunitieswiththeseexpertstorolloutthesolutions.Whethercommunitiescontinueusing/maintainingthesesolutionsisyettobeseen.MHTbelievesscalingthesewillrequirefirstamarkettobedevelopedfortheseservices.ApolicypushfromGovernmentmightenablethat.

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Another important aspect of demonstrating pro‐poor solutionswas to link communities to availablegovernment subsidies for infrastructure. Inseveral slums inAhmedabadMHT facilitatedgovernmentsupported infrastructure improvementsand interventionssuchastoiletsand improvedwatersupplyanddrainageconnections.

9.2   KEY  LEARNINGS  ABOUT  SUCCESSFUL  REPLICATION  OF  THE  MODEL  ACROSS  CITIES/GEOGRAPHIES  

IN  SOUTH  ASIA  

9.1.11 PARTNERWITHORGANIZATIONSCOMMITTEDTOBUILDINGGRASSROOTSSOCIALCAPITAL EVEN IF THEY LACK CLIMATE CHANGE OR RESILIENCE EXPERTISE.CLIMATERESILIENCE‐BUILDINGPROCESSESCANBETAUGHT.

Oneofthekeyexperiencesoftheprojectisthatitispossibletotransfertheprinciplesandprocessesacrossgeographies,bypartneringwithandtrainingorganizationsthathaveagrassrootsorientation.

AllorganizationsthatMHTpartneredwithtoreplicateandscaletheresilience‐buildingmodelhaveanexpertiseincommunitymobilizationandadvocacy.Onlyoneorganization,(ICCCAD),hasanexpertiseinClimateChange.Withinashortperiodoftwoyears,allorganizationshavebeenabletoincorporatetheresilienceperspectiveintotheircoreworktoalargeextent.MHTwasabletoextendahigher‐levelofhandholdingsupporttoBhubhaneshwar(anIndiancity)ascomparedtoDhakaorKathmandu.ButbothNariMaitree(Dhaka)andSaathi(Kathmandu)havebeenabletodevelopagoodunderstandingof theprogramevenwith the limited technicalsupport fromICCCADandMHT. Table3nexthighlights thestatusofreplicationofprojectactivitiesandoutputsbythepartnerorganisations inthegivenperiodbetweenJune2016toDecember2017forBhubhaneshwarandbetweenJanuary2017andDecember2017forDhakaandKathmandu

Table3:ReplicationofActivitiesandOutputsbyPartners

Sr.No.

Activities ROAD,Bhubaneswar

CORE,Bhubaneswar

Saathi,KathmanduNepal

NariMaitree&ICCD,Dhaka,Bangladesh

CBO/CAGFormation 1 SlumsReached/CBO

Formation5 5 2 2

2 SlumProfilesCompleted 5 5 2 23 CBOHHListing

Completed1500 1500 835 1500

4 CAGFormation 5 5 2 35 CAGTrainingson

CollectiveAction20 25 1 3

6 NumberofCAGmemberstrained

702 805 25 60

7 RegularCAGMeetings 85 55 4

ClimatechangeAwareness

8 VideoShowsonClimateChange

60 10

9 PromotionofClimateSaathis

60 60 60 30

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11 OrientationTrainingonClimateRisks

3 3 2 1

12 CommunitylevelGames 11 5 113 RiskAssessmentcum

CBVATAdministrationTrainingforlocalcadre

2 2 2

14 SlumLevelVulnerabilityAssessmentExercises

25 50 2

15 DevelopmentofResiliencePlansforCAGs

5 5 2

FieldDemonstration‐IndividualSolutions

10 0

16 WaterConnections 0 0

17 IndividualToilets 9 0

18 RoofPainting 10 10 19 Rainwaterharvesting

system0 0

20 ModRoof 0 0 21 Airlite 4 0 22 CoolAuto 0 2 23 PaddleAuto 0 0 24 ThermocolRoof 0 25 Ventilationsheet 1 0 26 Solarcooler 0 0 27 Waterpurifier 7 28 SprinkillerTap 20 5 29 Greenroofing 35 30 MosqutoNet 7 0 31 Ecofemme 20 20 FieldDemonstration‐Drives 0 32 Plantation 80 33 Vector 10 34 WaterTesting 12 35 PolicyBrief 1

Mr.SarderfromICCCADobserves,

“NariMaitree had earlier neverworked on climate change. ICCCAD gave them orientation onclimatechangeissuesandalsojointlygavetrainingtolocalpeople.Theyfoundthemhtmodelvery interesting as such types of models are not used generally. We had to only do somemodifications to suit our communities like that of land tenure issues…. Now with minimumguidancefromICCCAD,NariMaitreecandevelopsuchtypeofCCARrelatednewprojectconceptsandproposalstoraisefundforimplementation”MrSantoshfromNepalalsohadasimilarview,“bothourmodelsaresame,mobilizingwomenintogroups(cags)andconductingtrainingandawarenessforempowerment.Butinthismodel,wegottolearnaboutaspectsofclimatechangeespeciallyinthelivesoftheurbanslumsdwellers.Thetoolsdevelopedarebasedoncommunity

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and isveryeffectiveas it iseasy for community tounderstand.Alsomost tools justhad tobetranslated as the conditions are same in India and Nepal.” ICCCAD project reports furtherhighlightsthat,“theparticipatoryclimatechangemoduleissowelldesignedthatitcanbeeasilyreplicatedtoothercitiesof thecountry. ICCCADpartner,NariMaitreehasbeenusingthemhtdevelopedmoduleintheirdifferentfieldlevelactivities.”

Alsoorganizationswereabletoestablishaconnectbetweentheirworkandtheresilienceperspective.AsMrSureshfromROADshared,“through this programmewehavebeenable tounderstand the linkbetweenhome‐basedworkandclimatechangeandthisisveryimportant.”ForSaathi,thiswasthefirstprojectontheissueofClimateChangeandintheJanuary2017staffmeetingtheybriefedeveryoneandhavenowdecidedtoincludeaclimatechangeperspectiveinalltheirprojects.

9.1.12 TRANSFER OF RESILIENCE‐BUILDING PROCESSES ISMORE EFFECTIVE IF ‘STAFFTRAINING’ AND ‘APPLICATION OF LEARNING IN COMMUNITIES’ RUNS INPARALLELANDREINFORCESEACHOTHER.

Anotherlearningfromtheprojecthasalsobeenthatwhileonedoesneedtotrainorganizationstaffonthe issue, the “learning by doing” approach works much faster with staff too. Staffs particularly ofgrassroots organisations are able to learnmuch faster if they are simultaneously involved in projectimplementation.AsCoreExecutiveDirectorMrAnjanJenashares,

“Today core staff has more knowledge of the issue than many highly qualified developmentprofessionals.”MrSureshfromroadobservedthat,“thebestpart is thatwehavebeenabletofacilitatemanyofthetrainingsourselveswithminimumsupportfrommhtovertime”.MrSarderfromICCCADsharesthat,“throughthisprojectandcollaboratingwithICCCAD,fivestaffsofNariMaitreedevelopedtheirindividualcapacity.Alotofcapacitiesofmonitoringofficer,fieldofficerandsupervisorhavebeendevelopedbyfacilitatingthetrainings.”

Additionally,eveninthisshortspanofonetotwoyears,weareabletoseeimpactsonthecommunityinthesecities.InBhubhaneshwar,manyCAGs(Barabari,Sukavihar,Satyanagar,Saliasahi,Sitanath,MahivirSahi,KargilBasti)frombothROADandCOREareastookactionafterthetrainingonurbangovernancestructure.Theyhavestartedgivingapplicationstocorporatorsforgarbagedisposal,applicationtoPHEDfor water supply, etc. “The exposure visit to the municipal corporation was especially wasespeciallyuseful.”SharesSureshfromROAD.ParticularlyinMahavirSahi,theCAGleaderssharedthattheywereearlieronlycomplainingtothelocalcounciloraboutthewaterissue,butpostthetrainingtheyrealizedthatthesubjectisdealtwiththePHED.TheythensubmittedanapplicationtothePHEDandalsofollowedupmoreproactivelyasaCAGgroup.Theresultwasthatthepeopleactuallymanagedtogetanadditional water tank cum stand post in the area. In another incident in Kargil Basti, people weregenerallyusing thehandpump (ground)water fordrinkingbut after the community‐led surveillancesystemwassetup,theyrealizedthatthequalityofthemunicipalsupplywasbetterandtheirgroundwaterwasactuallyverycontaminated.Theyhavenowstartedusingmunicipalsupplywaterandhavealso initiated action for getting better municipal water supply connections in their area. This is animportantchangegiventhetimeframeoftheproject,asgenerallysuchlevelofchangeisseenonlyafteryearsofmobilization.TheROADteamclearlyfeelsthatthisistheimpactoftheULBGovernancestructuretraining,theexposurevisitandthesurveillancesystem.

SimilarknowledgeenhancementresultshavebeenseeneveninDhakaasSardershares,

“Rightnowthecommunitywomenareverymuchinterestedtoplanmoreandmoreonclimatechange adaptation issues and they are trying to assess their vulnerability themselves. Slum

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womencagleaderscanalsotrainalsootherpeoplenow.Nowwomenhavebecomevocalwithoutaskingmalepartners.Theurbanresilienceworkshopsharingwasnewforthewomen,buttheyparticipatedveryactivelyinthesame.”

Box5nexthighlightsthecaseofaCAGleaderfromMirpurinDhaka,whichshowshowsuchprocessescanbetransferredtranscendingculturalandsocialbarriersandacrossvariousgeographies.

Box5:AStoryofJotsnaBegum,KallyanpurSlum(Porabosti),Mirpur,Dhaka

Ms.JotsnaBegum,aged35yearslivesinKallyanpurPorabosti,MirpurDhakaforlast27years.In2017,Ms.JotsnabecameamemberofCBOofGRPProjectsupportedbyAwaasSewaPvt.Ltdtobuildhercapacityonnewknowledgesothatshecanreducehervulnerability.FormtheCBOmembers, shewas later electedas amemberofCommunityActionGroup (CAG).As aCAGmember,sheparticipatedalltrainingsessionsarrangedbyICCCADandNariMaitreeandalsoparticipatedtolearndifferentmodulesofMHT.Shemostlylikedthevideo,snakeladdergameandfocusgroupdiscussion.Shefoundthemodulesareveryrelevanttounderstandclimatechangerelatedhazards, impacts,causesofvulnerabilityandwhatneedstobedonesuchasadaptationoptionstoreducethevulnerability.NowsherealizedclimatechangeisthemainreasonbehindherfamilymovingtoDhakaearlier.Whyherfamily’slivelihoodandwellbeingareaffectedbytherisingtemperatureandincreasedtorrentialrainfall,whichcauseswaterlogginganddifferentwaterandvectorborneillness.Shealsorealizedthatthewastewaterinthesurroundingdrainsandlowareasbecomesthebirthplaceofmosquitoesandotherinsects.Whenshelearnedthatthisaremainlyclimateinduceddisastersandlikelytoincreaseinthefuture,shebecameawareofthesituation.Nowshehasasoundknowledgeofclimatechangeandvulnerabilitywhichneedadaptationactionstomakeherfamilyresilient.Ifshecanawareherfamilyandherneighborsaboutdrinkingsafewater,keepingtheirsurroundingscleanandhelpeachotherduringwaterloggingandheavyrainfall,negativehealthimpactswillreduceandtheirlivelihoodwellbeingswillbeenhanced.Shestatedthat,theyneedtoassessclimatechangevulnerability,identifyadaptationoptionstoreducetheirvulnerabilityandmakingtheirfamilymoreresilient.Thistypeofwomenempowermentcapacitybuildingtrainingsneedtocontinueforalongerperiodoftime.

9.1.13 THEREISANEVIDENTDEMANDFORPARTICIPATORYTOOLSANDPROCESSTHATPROMOTECOMMUNITYLEDRESILIENCEACTION,HOWEVERTHESETOOLSNEEDTO BE CUSTOMIZED AND TRANSLATED TO LOCAL LANGUAGE TO SUIT LOCALSOCIALANDCLIMATECONTEXT.

Itwasevidentthatthereisademandfromgrassrootsorganizationsforparticipatorytoolsandprocesses,especiallyforawarenessbuildingandtrainingontheissueofurbangovernance,climatechangeaswellas forvulnerabilityassessment.The toolsdevelopedbyMHTweremuchappreciated.AsAnjan fromCOREstates,

“Thesubjectcontentandmethodwasveryunique.”ICCCADinoneofitsreportshasmentioned,“in themht climatechangemodule, differentparticipatory toolsand techniqueswereused tobuildthecapacityoftheslumpeoplebyprovidingthemknowledgeandtrainingontheclimatechange adaptation and resilience. ICCCAD and Nari Maitree never used earlier such type ofmodule to identity climate change related problems. They used different participatorytechniques like focus group discussion (fgd), ranking matrix preparation, participatoryvulnerability assessment and identify adaptation actions through larger group exercise.Herewefoundthemhtdevelopedtoolsandmodulesaresimpleandeffective.Thecagmembersherefound the videos and different games more user friendly and engaging. Those help the slum

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community for better understanding the climate change related problems and adaptationsolutions.These “learningbydoing”activitiesmake themmorecapable andempowered.Thislearningprocedurealsohelpedthemdevelopingtheirleadershipcapacity.”

ThemostpopulartoolwasthesnakeandladdergamebuttheCBVATandCBRAPtoolkitswerealsoused.ThepartnersinDhakaforexampleusedtheadaptivecapacitytoolsasameansforactionplanningandraisingawarenessoftheneedforcommunitiestoengagewithlocalgovernment.

Inthemulti‐stakeholdereventinKathmanduaswellastheUrbanresilienceworkshopinDhaka,otherplayers also showed interest in the model. As Santosh shared, “Even during multi‐stakeholdermeeting, when the model was shared, some people were interested to replicate in othercommunities.”Sarderemphasisis,

“Your model is very relevant and should be tested more and more in Bangladesh…little bitmodification…theempowermentandcapacitybuildingofwomen(themostvulnerable) is themost unique aspect of the project…now their thinking has changed…they have startedunderstandingthefuturecondition…andtheyneedaccess,resourcesandneedtothinktoreducetheirvulnerabilitybythemselvesandhowtonetwork…basicclimatechangemoduleandCBVATmoduleandthesnakeandladdergamewasmostusefulaswasthelivelihoodimpactbydisastersmatrix..Whenurbanconferencewasorganized inNovembermanynewpeoplewerealsonowinterested to learn about themhtmodel here. Butwe needmore time and resources for thesame.”

Howeversomeoftheprocesscouldnotbefullyreplicatedinallcities.Forexample,thetrainingmoduleon ‘engaging with government’ that introduces the concept of local government and its role and issupplementedbyfieldvisitstomunicipalofficeswasverywellreceivedinBhubaneswar.ThelocalNGO,ROADsawalotofvalueinMHT’sapproachofworkingwiththegovernmenttosolvecommunityissues.TheybegantomoreactivelyengagewiththelocalgovernmentinBhubaneswar,andlaterintheprogram,alsoorganizeda technical trainingondisastermanagement (an issueof concern forBhubhaneshwarwhichispronetocyclones)inpartnershipwithlocalgovernmentofficials.

ThepartnerorganizationsinbothDhakaandKathmandualsorecognizedthevalueofthisgovernancetraining.HoweverthiswouldrequireMHTtofirstunderstandthelocalgovernanceprocessesinthesetwo countries and then customize the training to suite that context. Unfortunately, the limited timedurationdidnotpermitMHTtodevelopthismoduleandimpartthetraining.However,ICCCADwaskeentotaketheideaof‘workingwiththegovernment’furtherandsharedhowtheyplantofurtherengagewithlocalgovernmentofficialsanddutybearers.

Similarly,thetrainingtoolswouldhavetobemodifiedtosuitetheclimatecontext.Forexample,Nepaldoesn't face ‘heatstress’.Fortrainingpurposes,MHTpresentedhowcommunities inAhmedabadaredealingwithheatstressbyadoptingdifferenttechnologysolutions.ThoughMHThadclarifiedthatthe‘processes and tools’ are to replicate, not necessarily the technology solutions, the communities inKathmanducouldnotrelatetosomeofthesolutionspresented.MHTemphasizedthatthelocalpartnerswouldhavetoadaptthetrainingmaterialtosuitetherequirementsoftheircommunities.Toenablethis,MHTsharedoriginalcopiesofthematerials(whereverpossible)forthepartnerstocustomize.

Anotherverycriticalchallengewasthatoflanguage.Asmostofthetoolsweremeanttobeuseddirectlywiththecommunityandbygrassrootlevelstaff,itwasveryimportanttotranslatetheminlocallanguage.EvenwithinIndia,MHThadtotranslateallmaterialtoOriyabeforeitcouldbeusedinBhubaneswar.

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9.1.14 THE TRANSFER PROCESS IS TIME‐INTENSIVE, AND REQUIRES SERIOUSCOMMITMENT FROM THE LEAD ORGANIZATION IN THE FORM OF CONTINUEDHANDHOLDINGASWELLASFINANCIALSUPPORT.

Thetransferprocessbeganwithaparticipatoryorientationworkshop,theCommunityBasedResilienceAcademy(CBRA)whichwasorganizedinAhmedabad.Herethepartnerorganizationsgotahands‐onexperienceof various tools andprocesses.MHT then followed thisupwith sharingof tools and stafftrainings.

WhileMHTwasabletotransferindividualtoolsandprocess,thesuccessoftransferabilityofthewholemodel and its application in a new context still needs to be assessed. Thiswould require continuedinvolvementofMHTinthetransferprocess(evenafterthecompletionoftheprogram),bothintermsoftimeandfinancialcommitment.AnjanfromCOREshares,

“Youneedtocommitaminimum3yearsinitiallyforanysuchprojecttotakeofffromthegroundandbecomesustainable.IthinkinBhubhaneshwarweneedtoreachouttoatleastdoublethenumber we did currently to create a visible mass especially if we are to reach the stage ofvikasiniwhereinthecommunitywomentakechargeintheirownhandsaswehaveseenincaseofMHT’sworkinAhmedabad.”

EvenICCCADsharedsimilarconcerns,althoughtheyarepositivethat,

“Wewillalsoestablish link for theseissueswithrelevant localgovernment,but there ismoreworktobedoneonthisandthereneedsmoretime.Butthegroupofpeoplenowareinterestedastheyhaveunderstoodthe importance…..wewillcontinuetheprocesswithNariMaitreebutmhtshouldalsodosomepolicyadvocacyforfundraising….WearealsoexploringpossibilitiestoworkwithBRACtofurtherscalethemodel.”

Otherthantimeandfinancialresourcesthetransferalsorequiresahigherlevelofhandholdingsupport.WhileMHTcouldprovidethesameinBhubhaneshwarthroughmultipleexchangevisitsandthesupportofCEE,theresourcesfordoingthesameinDhakaandKathmanduwerelimited.Sardarhighlights,”thereshouldhavebeensomefollowuptrainingsaftersixmonths…additionalifafewcagleaderscanhavetheexposureitwillalsobegood…”

InDhakatheissuewasresolvedtoquiteanextentbecauseofthepartnershipwithICCCAD.Sincetheywerealreadyworkingonclimateissues,theycouldprovidethenecessarytechnicalsupport.ItneedstobenotedherethatICCCADisauniqueinthatway.Eventhoughitisanacademicinstitution,ithasveryhighlevelsofcommitmenttocommunity‐basedadaptationprocessesandgrassrootworks.Itneedstobe seen how the model would replicate is the technical agency facilitating the transfer is not socommunity‐oriented.

9.3   KEY  LEARNINGS  ABOUT  ORGANIZATIONAL  DEVELOPMENT  

9.1.15 GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF SHAREDLEARNINGANDCONSTANTLYTRANSFORMTHEMSELVESTOREMAINEFFECTIVEANDEFFICIENTINCHANGINGENVIRONMENTS.

TheGRPprogrampresentsanexampleofhoworganizationscanfosteracultureofsharedlearningbyforgingnewpartnershipsandadapttonewwaysofworking.

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In2014,DharmisthaChauhan,aGender&ClimateExpert,andaStrategicAdvisortoMHTencouragedtheorganizationtoincorporateaclimateresilienceperspectiveintoitswork.Laterthatyear,theGlobalResilience Challenge was announced that invited proposals from organizations across the globe todemonstratetransformativeresiliencesolutions.MHTtookthisanopportunitytodevelopnewexpertiseinthefieldof‘climatechangeresilience’.BijalBhatt,Director,MHTsays

“MHTwas open to looking at itswork froma new climate change lens.Thoughwehadneverworkedinthisareabefore,wewereconfidentthatwewillbeabletoadaptanddeliverresilienceoutcomesbecauseofourstrongexperienceingrassrootswork.”

MHTwonthechallenge.DharmisthadesignedandledtheprogramonbehalfofMHT.MichaelElliott,PrincipalInvestigator,M&EpositionedtheideaofMHTasa‘LearningOrganization’atthefirstpartnersmeet in March 2016. He emphasized the ‘system thinking’ approach and concept of ‘regenerativelearning’ that focuses on an organizations capacity to create new knowledge in addition to ‘survivallearning’thatisoftennecessaryforanorganization.Thisemphasisonco‐creatingnewknowledgewascentraltoprogramdesign.

MostofMHT’sexistingstaffhadanexpertiseingrassrootswork(communityprocessesandgovernmentliasoning). To complement this core expertise, a new 'knowledge team' was created within theorganization to work with partner organizations on developing (and evaluating) new tools andprocesses. The team also included researchers and IT specialists to integrate new technology andrigorousM&Eprocessesintotheworkingoftheorganization.Inadditiontoinstitutingtheknowledgeteam,MHTengagedconsultantstoleadotheraspectsoftheprogram(likecommunicationandadvocacy).MHTalsodesignedan‘internsandfellows’programtogiveyoungresearchersanopportunitytolearnfromandcontributetotheprogram.Thenewteambroughtanewvigourtotheorganization.AnotherareawheretheprogrampushedMHTtoadoptnewwaysofdoingbusinesswas‘partneringwithexternalorganizationsata largescale’9.1.16.Before theGRPprogram,MHThadworkedwithexternalactors,experts, and researchers, albeit not at such a large scale. Also, these external researchers/ serviceproviderswereoftenviewedas‘consultants’andnotpartners.TheirrelationshipwithMHTwasoften‘deliverybased’.Forprogramsthatrequiredamoreintensecollaboration,MHTlargelypartneredwithorganizationswithintheSEWAfamily.Insomeways,theGRPprogramMHT(anorganizationfoundbySEWAbasedonGandhianprinciplesofvolunteerism)tomovetowardsprofessionalism.

Butmostofall,theGRPprogramrequiredMHTtoreflectandre‐examineitsrolewhenworkingwiththecommunities.TheprogrampositionedMHTasa facilitator for learning,andanenabler for long‐termbehaviourchange.Thiswasastepupfromhowmoststaffviewedtheirrole,thatof'informationbearers'and ' leading delivery of short term action'. In the beginning, the staff (especially in Ahmedabad)struggled to adapt to a new approach of doing things."The program is too focused onmeetings,trainingsandcommunicationactivities.Thecommunitytrustsustodelivertangibleoutcomes.Theywill getbored soon!"wasanoften‐citedconcern.Ittooksometimeforthestafftovaluethisnewapproachandunderstandhowitbenefitstheorganisationevenwhenworkingonshort‐term action. Bhartiben, Program Manager, Ahmedabad who agrees to herinitialreluctance to thisapproachsays

“Long‐termperspectiveofresiliencebuildinghasreallyhelpeduslookatourworkdifferently.Thereisanemphasisonco‐creatingnewknowledge,whichwasearliernotasprominentinourwork.Wehaverealised that it is important thatcommunitiesunderstand ‘why’s’behindwhatwe are doing. We have also created so many new training tools which will benefit all ourprogram”.

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Theprogramalsopiquedtheinterestofstaffbasedinothercities(likeDelhi)whichwerenotpartoftheinterventioncities.Bijalbensays:

“The push to transfer these processes even in those cities came from the middle levelmanagement.Thisistestimonytothefactthatwewereabletotranscendthelearning(beyondtheproject)andacrosstheorganizationatleasttosomeextent.”

While the GRP program was successful in churning a creative process, changing the culture of anorganization takes time.Bijalbenbelieves that therearechallenges thatwillneed tobeaddressed tosustain some of the changes beyond the program period. Getting consistent funding to continue tosupportadditionalstaffisaconcern.Alsoseveralofthetoolsandprocessesweresuccessfullypiloted,butscalingandinstitutionalizingthemwillrequireagreatdealofeffortandtime.

9.1.16 COMPLEXPROJECTSREQUIREMOREEFFECTIVEPROCESSOFPARTNERINGWITHOTHER STAKEHOLDERS FOR CO‐CREATION OF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS ANDTOOLS.

Fostering multi‐stakeholder partnerships was central to the design of the program. The range of‘partners’ in the GRP included sub grantees, technology providers, consultants, and advisors to theprogram,climate/ technicalexperts, governmentactors,and thecommunitiesspreadacrossmultiplegeographies.AsDharmithasay,itwasacomplexprogram:“In the past,MHThad ledmanymulti‐sectoral projects,manymulti‐partner projects andmanymulti‐city projects; however undergrpwehadallofthesetogether,withmhtinthelead”.TheprogramrequiredMHTtoputinplacemore efficient processes to ‘manage’ these partnerships, and MHT struggled in this area. Severalpartnershipsearlierenvisagedintheproposaldidnotcometofruitionbecauseofdisagreementsoverroles,responsibilities,paymentsand/ordifferenceinworkethics.Theprocessofnegotiationtofinalizecontracts/ legal agreements with partners took a long time. Putting in place systems for financialtransferstopartnersinothercountries(NepalandBangladesh)alsoprovedchallenging.Streamliningallthesecontractualrequirementsateawaytimefrommorestrategictasks.Dharmisthabelievestherewereseverallearningsfromtheexperience.

“MHT has to be smarter and strategic about who to partner with, and how… Externalstakeholdersdefinitelyaddvaluetotheprograms.Butwehavetodistinguishbetweenthemastowhowouldbeavaluablepartner, andwhowecouldengageasa consultant todeliveronagiven task.We realized that amongst all partners identified during the proposal stage, only afeworganizationswerecommittedtoworkingwithustodevelopanddesigntheprogram.Theseorganizations showed a deep interest in the program and remained engaged and activethroughout.Theyalsosubmittedtheirbudgetsontimeandmaintainedalineofcommunicationwith us. These are the qualities that qualify them as partners. We could engage otherorganizationsasconsultantsforlimitedinvolvement.”

Italsoprovedchallenging forMHTtoget timelydeliverables frompartners.MHTrealized thatwhile(someof)thetechnicalpartnerswereskilledatgivingtrainingstostaffandcommunities,andsharingtheir learning in meetings and workshops, converting these findings to training modules/ reports(writtendeliverables)provedtobedifficult.Theprogramalsosawconsultantsleavinghalf‐way.OtherMHTstaffhadtotaketimeoutfromtheirtaskstooftencompletethem.Reflectingonthematter, theseniorleadershipbelieves“everymulti‐partnerproject requires somebufferbudget tobe keptaside so that if we do not get desired outcomes from partners, we can allocate resourcesaccordingly.”

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Otherthanthepartners(subgrantees)andconsultantswithwhomMHTenteredintofinancialcontracts,the program also saw participation of several other stakeholders including government actors/advisors/productsuppliers/Vikasinimembersetc.

Aspartoftheprogramdesign,MHTputinplacethe‘multi‐stakeholderprocesses’tobringthesevariedactorsonacommonplatformfromtimetotimetoframeworksandtoolstofacilitatecross‐transferofknowledge.During the course of theprogramMHT facilitatedmulti‐stakeholderworkshops across 4cities.Howeversustainingthesepartnershipsbeyondtheprojectperiodposedachallenge.Inthelastpartnersmeeton June22,2017, the team reflectedonhow thesemulti‐stakeholdergroupscouldbeinstituted.TheteamagreedthatitwouldrequireapermanentresourceatMHTtokeepthesealliancesactiveandengaged.Itwouldalsorequireadditionalfundingtosustaintheseprocesses.CEEsharedhowthey have institutionalized such partnership for sustainable transport. Michael Elliott cited anotherexample,thatof“HealthyPlacesGroup”inAtlantaaspotentialmodelsforMHTtoconsider.

9.1.17 FOCUS ON COMMUNICATION (BETWEEN INTERNAL STAFF AND GRP PARTNERS,WITHTHECOMMUNITY,ANDWITHEXTERNALSTAKEHOLDERS)ISESSENTIAL.

Beingamulti‐stakeholderproject,theGRPprogramrequiredMHTstafftoformandmanagemeaningfulrelationships with different levels of stakeholders. Effective communication hence was vital to thesuccessoftheprogram.MHTputinplaceprocessestofostercommunicationbetweeninternalstaff,withpartners,withcommunities,aswellasotherexternalstakeholders.

Communicationbetweeninternalstaffandpartners

TheGRPprograminvolvedwidespreadstaffmembers,distributedacrossmultiplecities,someworkingonfield,othersstationedatMHTheadoffice(aspartofheadquartersaspartofprogrammanagementandknowledgeteams).Itwashenceimportanttoputinplacespacesandopportunitiestobringtheteamtogetherforreflectionandlearning.Monthlyreviewmeetingswereorganizedeachmonthtoensurethattheinternalstaffisuptospeedwithallaspectsoftheprogramatalltimes.Thesemeetingswereattendedbytheteamleader,thegrantmanager,programmanagers(eachinchargeofimplementingtheprograminagivencity),aswellasthefinanceteam.Similarlypartners’meetswereorganizedevery6monthstosharetheprogress/learningsandchangecoursewhererequired.Theprogramalsoputinplacesystemsofdocumentingfindingsatregularintervals.Theseincludedtelephonicinterviewswithfieldteamsandtrainersandrecordingnotesandcasestudiesfromthefield,documentingminutesfromallmeetingsandworkshopsetc.Thesesystemshowevercouldnotbesustainedafterafewmonths.

Theregularmeetingsprovedeffectivetotalkabouttargetsandactivities.Therewasalsoagoodbitofdocumentation of actions and processes. However, the team generally struggled with ‘reflectivecommunication’.Teammembersstruggledtoarticulatetheirstruggles/challengesortheirmotivations,convictionbehindcertainactions.Theprojectalsoexperiencedsomecommunicationlapsesbecauseoffrequentchangingofstaff/orstaffnotbeingconsistentavailableforallmeetings.ASaresult,whilethestaffwasawareofpartsoftheprogram,nooneelse,otherthantheprojectleadcouldarticulateandmakemeaningoftheprojectasawhole.

Communicationwithcommunity

GRPprogramwasverysuccessfulindemonstratingnewandcreativewaysofcommunicatingwiththecommunity.9.1.6.TheprogramalsopromptedMHTtoreflectonalltheircommunity‐trainingmodulesandhowtomakethemmorerelevantandinteractive.

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CommunicationwithExternalstakeholders

Bijalben,DirectorMHTsaysthattheGRPprogramhasallowedMHTtodrasticallywidenitsoutreachtoexternalstakeholders

“Communication has reached a new level under the GRP program earlier we were largelycommunicatingtoourdonorsandreliedonprojectreports/impactassessmentsforthesame.Mostofthecommunicationwasalsooutsourced.”

Aspartoftheprogram,theteamdocumentedvariousprocesses/tools/trainingmodules,whichcanbeagreatresourceforotherorganizationsimplementingsimilarprograms.MHTstartedamonthlyemailertosharethefindingandlearningswithexternalstakeholders(includingdonors,researchinstitutes,thinktanksetc.)Theprogramwasalsoabletogeneratesignificantmediainterestinallinterventioncities.ThishasledtomorepeoplebecomingawareofMHT’swork.

9.1.18 EFFICIENCIESOFOPERATIONSBECOMEMOREIMPORTANTFORLARGEPROJECTS.

Typicallyinthepast,mostofMHT’sprogramswerebasedinasinglecity.Alsotheprogramswereclearlyconfinedtoaparticularsector(likewater&sanitation,energy,orlandrightsetc.).MHT’soperationalstructurehadhenceevolvedtosuitetheserequirements.MHT’sprogrammanagersleadspecificsectors.InadditiontheyareinchargeofmanagingallofMHT’sworkinoneormorecities.Forexample,BhavnaMeheriya, one of the programmanagers handles the energy portfolio. She alsomanages the overallfunctioning of the office in Bhopal. Similarly Bindiya, who leads community organizing and traininginitiatives in theorganization is also in chargeof theoffice in Jaipur.This structure required limitedcoordination amongst them. Despite achieving scale, MHT had also been slow to adapt to newtechnologies that would enable the organization to effectively manage its work or allow easierengagementinternally/withcommunities.

LargeandcomplexprogramssuchasGRP,whicharecross‐sectoralandimplementedacrossgeographiesmade it essential for MHT to put in place robust systems for internal operations and programmanagement.MHTembracedtechnologyandhiredafulltimeITpersononitsstafftoleaddevelopmentof IT tools andprocesses forbetter inter‐organizational coordination and informeddecisionmaking.MHTalsoinvestedinnewservers(includinganewcloudserver),andputinplaceafilemanagementsystemthatwouldallowtheteamtoorganizealltheworkatoneplacewhileallowingeveryonetoaccessitwhenneeded.TheGRPprogramalsogavetheorganizationanimpetustomoreseriouslylookat‘data’andhowitcouldsupportmanagerialdecisionswithinanorganization.Undertheprogram,MHTinitiatedthe process of developing management information systems (MIS) and Geographical InformationSystems(GIS)tocreatespatialdatabasesofMHT’swork.

Duringthesametime,MHTengagedanorganizationaldevelopmentconsultanttobuildthecapacitiesoftheprogramteamandthefinanceteamtomoreeffectivelymanagetheirwork.

On one hand the program pushed MHT to enhance/ augment its systems and improve operationalcapacitieswithintheorganization,andontheotheritalsotestedthelevelofpreparednessofMHTtoefficientlymanagelargeprogramsundertightdeadlines.Thereweretimeswhenthestaffstruggledtomeetdeadlines,paymentsweredelayed,toomuchtimewentintoapprovalofbillsandpaymentsetc.BijalBhattfeelsthatimplementingaprogramofthisscaleinlessthanatwoyearperiodsometimestookatollonthestaff

“Inretrospect, theprogramdesignwastooambitious. Itpackedtoomanyintenseactivities inshortperiodoftime.Hencesometimesitfeltwewerejustrushing,aslightlyslowerpacecould

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havegivenusmoretimetoreflect,learnfromourmistakes,whichwasthepurposeoftakingupthischallengingprogram.”

9.1.19 KNOWLEDGECREATIONANDPRACTICEWORKBESTWHENTHEYINTERACTWITH,ANDINFORMEACHOTHER

TheGRPprogram aimed to build a culture of evidence‐based actions.Hence itwas critical to createavenues forconsistentcommunicationbetweentheresearch/knowledgeteamandtheprogramstaffthatwasimplementingtheprogramincommunities.Themonthlyreviewmeetingsandcriticalreflectionworkshopsallowedtheknowledgeteamandtheprogramteamtointeractwitheachotherandsharetheirconcernsandconstantlyimprove/improvisetheprogram.Forexample,theideatoconductdrivesincommunitiesemergedfromoneofthesereflectionmeetings.

TheM&E research for the program also designed to reinforce this interaction between practice andresearch.Itincludedbothaformativeandsummativeevaluationtoensurethatreal‐timefeedbackfromground enables any necessary course corrections that are required. Before the GRP program, M&Eresearchwaslargelyfocussedonimpactassessmentfordonors,whichwasoftenoutsourcedtoathird‐partyorganization.Programstaffwasrarely involved inresearchdesignornewknowledgecreation.MichaelElliottbelievesthatoneofthekeysuccessesoftheprogramisthatithasbeenabletochangetheperceptionsaboutresearchintheorganization.

MHT has been a learning‐organization since its inception, primarily by valuing internalreflectionsonprojectsandcross‐teamsharingofthosereflections.However,withitsshifttomoreresearch‐based evaluations, the organization has increasingly focused on both formative andsummativeevaluation,therebysystematizingitsreflectionsandcreatingsystemsforcapturingthese reflections. Consequently, MHT’s capacity to learn from its own program work hasincreasedsubstantially.

Bijaladds,“Itisevidentnowthatprogramstaffistakinginitiativeonitsowntogetinvolvedinresearch/evidencebaseddatacollection.”Butshebelievestheultimategoaloftranscendingresearchdowntothelevelofprogrammanagers/middlemanagementwasnotfullyrealized.Foralargepartoftheprogram,theprogramteamfollowedinstructions.“Timewas limited.Theattitudetoquestionwhywearedoingwhatwearedoingcamemuchlater”.

9.1.20 NEW KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNINGS FROM INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS HAS TO BEINTEGRATED WITH ORGANIZATIONS’ MAINSTREAM PROCESSES TO YIELDSUSTAINEDRESULTS.

OnekeylearningfromtheGRPprogramwasthatnewprocessestaketimetoinstitutionalize.Mostdonor‐funded programs have an individual time‐limit (not more than 3 years), but ‘mission‐driven’organizations likeMHTcan integrate theknowledgeand learnings fromindividualprograms into it'smainstreamprocesses.MHThadlimitedsuccessinthismatter.TheGRPprogramintroducednewwaysof doing things all across the spectrum ofMHT’s work (From data collection processes, communityengagement, operations and systems, communication, to research). Some process innovatons werereadilyacceptedandscaledallacrosstheorganization.UsingICTtoolsfordatacollectionhasbecomesecondnature.ResearchisbecomingintegraltoMHT’sprograms(ofacertainscale).Theorganizationplans to make basic climate change training module an integral part of the CBO training process.Community surveillance models (the seasonal vector and water drives) as well as the communityresilienceplanningprocess(CBRAP)havealsogeneratedenoughinterestbothamongstthecommunitiesaswellasprogramstafftobeincludedaspartofMHT’scoreprocesses(ifnotfully,insomemodified

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fashion). MHT is also taking the research on ‘heat stress’ further with new funding from SELCOFoundationandwithnewpartnerssuchasTERI,UniversityofChicagoandNRDC.

AnotherimportantlearningfromtheGRPprogramwasthecrucialroleofVikasinisas'bridgebuilders'(betweenthecommunityandMHT),(andbetweencommunityandgovernment).Sinceaftertheprogram,MHTislookingattheVikasiniplatforminamorestrategicfashion(howcanMHTinvestintheirfurthercapacitybuilding,streamliningtheirroles,compensation,relationshipwithMHTetc.)AlltheseinstancespointtoMHT’scommitmenttoimbibingnewlearningandintegratingitacrossprograms.

However,notallprocessintroducedunderGRPwereacceptedwithequalenthusiasm.AdoptionofMISandGISsystemshasbeenslow.Sincetheseareresourceintensiveprocesses,theorganizationseemsnotfullyconvincedabouttakingthemfurtherintheircurrentavatar.

10. CONCLUSIONS

Theprojectaimedtocreateandimplementresilienceplanstoaddressfourmajorclimaterisks‐‐heatstress,flashfloods,acutewatershortagesandvectorbornediseases‐‐in100slumcommunitiesin7citiesofSouthAsia.TheseincludeAhmedabad,Jaipur,Bhopal,Ranchi,Bhubaneshwar(India),Kathmandu(Nepal)andDhaka(Bangladesh).Thekeystrategywastotackletheinstitutional,informationandknowledgebarriersinbuildingcapacitiesofslumcommunitiesandcitygovernmentsforassessingvulnerabilitiesandrisksofClimateChangeonpoorpopulations.TheprojectaddressedthisbybuildingthesocialcapitalofslumcommunitiesbyorganisingthemintoCommunity‐BasedOrganisations (CBOs);promotingcriticalpartnershipsbetween technicalexperts, localgovernmentsandlow‐incomecommunities;developingtoolsandprocessfortransferofscientificknowledgeandparticipatoryriskassessments;andworkingwithcommunitiesandpartnersjointlytowardsdesigningandimplementingresiliencetechnicalsolutions.Theprojecthasdirectlyimpactedthelivesofmorethan25,000poorfamilieslivinginurbanslumsinthe7citiesbycreatingtheircapacitiestodealwithclimaterisksandvulnerability.

OurTheory of Changehasbeen that “If theurbanpoorareprovidedwith the requisiteknowledge toundertakevulnerabilityandriskassessmentsandequippedwithavailableresilient‐technologies,theywillbeabletodeviseandimplementlocallyrelevantandpro‐poorclimateresilientsolutions.Ifthepoorareempoweredtoimplementtheirownresilienceplans,theywillbeabletobetter influenceclimateresilientcityplanningandensurethateffectiveurbanadaptationpracticesareinplace.”

Theevaluationofthisinterventionconsistsofaquantitativeimpactanalysis(reportedinaseparatereport)andthisembeddedcaseanalysis,whichcapturetheunderlyingstakeholderdynamicsandkeylearningsforreplicationofthismodelinthefuture.Theembeddedcasenotdetailstheprocessesrealitiesandoutcomesatthelevelofcityand at settlement interventions. This report employs project records and reports as well as key informantinterviewsincludingthosefromcommunityleadersandgrassrootimplementationstaff.Thereportfocusesontheprocessandimplementationintwoprojectcities(includingsixslumcommunities);threepartnercities(includingfiveNGOpartners)andonegrassrootorganisation(theprojectleadMHT).

Thekeylearningsemergingfromtheprojecthavealsothusbeensummarizedbasedontheabove.

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTCOMMUNITYENGAGEMENTFORRESILIENCE

Entryintonewcommunitiesrequiresperceptionsoflegitimacy,trust,andincentivesonthepartofcommunitywomentopartner,whichcanonlybebuiltovertimewithmultipleengagements.

Continuedparticipationbyhighlydisenfranchisedwomeninmarginalizedcommunitiesrequiresstrategiestopromoteindividualandcommunityempowerment,solvetangibleproblems,andbuildrecognition/identitywithincommunity

Leadershipworksbestwhen it isdevelopedand interactsatandpromotescoordinatedactionat theslum,community&citylevel

Empoweringwomentoadvocateinanon‐confrontational/collaborativemannerincreasesmunicipalsupporttoaddresstheseneeds

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Resilience in informal settlements requires coordinated action amongstmany local actors over time,withleadership that is not too concentrated amongst a few members of the slum community and which ismaintainedovertime.

Systematic, repeated, and innovative communication tools are necessary to enable scientific and futuristicthinkingincommunitieswhosemembersareusedtothinkingshort‐term

Community’scontinuedinterestinresilienceplanningrequiresdeliveryofmoreimmediatetangibleactionsorbenefits

Community‐led data collection leads to an increased understandingwithin the communities on their ownvulnerabilitiesandissuesaffectingthem,therebyleadingtomoreresilientactions

Successfulpro‐poortechnologiesshouldbecost‐effective:commerciallyavailable,culturallyappealing,withproperservicesprovidedalongwiththepurchase

Facilitating interactions between communities and technical experts enhances the capacity of both tocommunicateclearlyanddevelopmutuallyagreeablesolutionstoresilienceproblems

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTSUCCESSFULREPLICATION

Processescanbereplicatedbyorganizationswhichhaveagrassrootsorientationeventhoughtheymightnothaveaclimatechangeorresilienceexpertise

Transferabilitycanoccuramongthestaffandincommunityactionsimultaneouslyalthoughthecommunityaspectneedsmoretime

Thereisademandforsuchtoolsandprocessesalthoughtheyneedtobecustomizedtosuitlocalsocialandclimatecontextas wellasbetranslatedinlocallanguage

Thetransferabilityrequirestime,handholdingsupportandfinancialresourcecommitment

KEYLEARNINGSABOUTORGANIZATIONALDEVELOPMENT

Focusoncommunication(betweeninternalstaffandtechnicalpartners,withthecommunity,andwithexternalstakeholders)isessential

Theoryofchangeaboutthecommunityalsoappliestostaffandinternaloperations:‘Knowledgehastobeco‐created’

Complex projects requiremore effective process of partneringwith other stakeholders and co‐creation ofknowledgeproductsandtools

Integrating learning and processes fromGRPs inMHT’smainstreamwork and build and expand on thoseprocesses

Efficienciesofoperationsbecomemoreimportantforlargeprojects Knowledgecreationandpracticeworkbestwhentheyinteract,informeachother

Wehopethatthisreportwouldserveasanimportantlearningdocumentfororganisationswhichsharesimilarconcernsandprinciplesandareworkingforbuildingresilienceofpoorcommunitiesandwomen.

 

0 

 

ANNEX

 1: B

RIEF OVER

VIEW OF PROJECT CITIES 

CITY 

Characteristic Features 

Location 

(Latitude and 

Longitude) 

Height (m

etres 

above sea level) 

City 

Population (As 

per 2011 

census) 

Slum details 

(No. of slum 

clusters, slum 

households, and 

population) 

Dam

age risk from winds and cyclones & 

susceptibility to earthquakes

i  

Key Clim

ate risk 

 

Annual Average Tem

perature, Annual Tem

p. 

Range, 

Average Annual Precipitation (AP) 

& 

Increase in M

aximum Tem

pii . (Annual 

Average) over a decade (↑

MT) 

AHMED

ABAD 

Largest City of Gujarat, located in central 

part of it. It is situated

 at the bank of river 

Sabarmati. It is an industrial base for 

sectors such as chem

icals, textiles, drugs 

and pharmaceuticals and agro and food 

processing industries. 

22° 58' N

 

72° 58E 

53 m

 

6,352,254 

 

Slum‐ 834 

HHs ‐ 262,551 

P‐ 1.31 million 

 

Moderate dam

age risk 

Seismic zone III 

Water Logging and Heat Stress

iii 

Average‐ 28°C 

Range‐ 13°C‐ 41°Civ 

AP‐ 1,017m

m 

↑MT‐ .30oC 

BHOPALv 

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is a 

city of historical, economical and as well as 

political im

portance. Cotton, electrical 

goods, jewelry and chem

ical industries are 

prominent in old city. There are tw

o lakes 

in city. The Upper Lake drains into the 

Kolar River 

23°16' N

 

77°36' E 

427 m 

1,795,648vi 

Slum‐ 380 

HHs‐ 183989 

P‐ 936066 

Moderate dam

age risk 

Seismic zone III 

A large number of slums are on, or 

close to, nallah or riverbanks. M

any 

slums have steep slopes, rock outcrops 

and high water table. 

66%

 of households depend on public 

stand posts, boreholes, wells, springs 

etc for drinking water

 iv 

Average ‐25 °C 

Range‐ 11°C‐41°Cvii  

AP‐ 1146 mm 

↑MT‐ .27 °C 

BHUBANESWA

Rviii  

Capital city of Orissa. Largest city of the 

state, and has become the center of 

economic and religious importance in the 

region. Lies southwest of the Mahanadi 

River. The city is bounded

 by the Daya 

River to the south and the Kuakhai River to 

20°27' N

 

85°84' E 

45 m

 

 

837,737 

 

Slum‐ 377 

HHs‐ NA 

P‐ 309962ix 

Very High dam

age risk 

Seismic zone III 

Floods and waterlogging low‐lying areas 

have become common due to 

unplanned

 growth

x . 

Average‐ 27.4

oC 

Range‐ 12oC ‐43oc. 

AP‐1542 mm 

↑MT‐ .16 °C 

1   

the east. It has Kanjia Lake in the Northern 

outskirts. 

JAIPUR 

Capital and largest city of Rajasthan. 

26°55’ N

 

75°49’ E 

1417 m

 

3,073,350xi. 

Slums‐ 211 

HHs‐59476 

P‐6,88,430xii  

High dam

age risk 

Seismic zone IV 

Average‐ 36 0C 

Range‐ 15 0C ‐ 38°Cxiii  

AP‐ 600 m

m 

↑MT‐ .16 °C 

RANCHI 

The Capital City of the new

ly form

ed 

Jharkhand State, w

hich is known for its rich 

deposits of minerals, water falls, rivers, 

stream

s, lakes, dam

s and forests. 

23.35°N 

85.23° E 

651 m 

 

1,073,440 

 

Slums‐ NA 

HHs – 64,406 

(calculated, 

5/HH) 

P‐Roughly 

322,032xiv  

Moderate dam

age risk 

Seismic zone II 

Average‐ 23.8 

Range‐ 10 °C‐ 27°C

xv 

AP‐ 1530m

m 

↑MT‐ .22 ° C

 

DHAKA

 Capital city of Bangladesh and the tenth 

largest city in the world. D

haka Serves as 

the national economic hub. 

This city historically has attracted

 and is 

attracting millions of peo

ples for jobs. The 

annual per capita income of Dhaka is 

estimated

 at $500 which is higher than

 

national average. 

It stands on the east bank of the Buriganga 

River. 

23° 42’ N

, 

90° 22’ E 

4 m 

14,543,124xvi  

Slums‐NA 

HHs‐NA 

P‐3.5 m

illionxvii  

Increasing air and water pollution 

emanating from traffic congestion and 

industrial waste are serious problems 

affecting public health and the quality 

of life in the city. 

Average‐ 26 °C 

Range‐ 14°C‐ 34°Cxviii 

AP‐ 2,123m

m 

↑MT‐ .11 ° C

 

2   

KATM

ANDU 

The capital and largest municipality of 

Nepal. 

27° 42’ N

, 

85° 20’ E 

1,400 m

 

1,740,977 

Slums‐137 

HHs‐6,985 

P‐ 31,463xix  

Kathmandu is a natural disaster‐prone 

city. N

epal itself is ranked fourth at risk 

country for climate change.xx  

Average‐ 18°C Range‐ 4°C‐ 26°Cxxi  

AP‐ 1,407m

m 

↑MT‐ .48 oC 

 

0 

 

i http://web.archive.org/web/20060519100611/http://www.undp.org.in/dmweb/hazardprofile.pdf ii http://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/ iii http://www.seachangecop.org/sites/default/files/documents/2013%2012%20IIED%20‐%20Urban%20Climate%20Resilience.pdf iv http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=74624&cityname=Ahmedabad‐Gujar?t‐India&units=metric v http://mhupa‐ray.gov.in/wp‐content/uploads/2012/08/bhopal‐city‐profile.pdf vi http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/302‐bhopal.html vii http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=76624&cityname=Bhopal‐Madhya‐Pradesh‐India viii http://utbenchmark.in/UsersidePages/CityProfile.aspx?City=2 ix http://www.ajms.co.in/sites/ajms/index.php/ajms/article/view/830 x http://web.archive.org/web/20060519100611/http://www.undp.org.in/dmweb/hazardprofile.pdf xi http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/77‐jaipur.html xii https://terraurban.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/status‐and‐opportunities‐of‐development‐for‐urban‐poorslums‐dwellers‐in‐jaipur‐city‐2/ xiii http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=17924&cityname=Bhubaneswar‐‐United‐States‐of‐America xiv http://jnnurm.nic.in/wp‐content/uploads/2010/12/Ranchi_BSUP.pdf xv http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=590752&cityname=Ranchi‐Jharkhand‐India xvi http://www.citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh‐dhaka.php xvii http://www.citiesalliance.org/node/420 xviii http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=32914&cityname=Dhaka‐Dhaka‐Bangladesh xix http://un.org.np/oneun/undaf/slum xx http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=76258 xxi http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=45444&cityname=Kathmandu‐‐United‐States‐of‐America http://www.crdf.org.in/cue/saic/wp‐content/uploads/2014/05/26CUEWP‐26_City‐Profile‐Ahmedabad.pdf  

                                                                 

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