The Australia-India Water Security Initiative Community Demonstration Project (AIWASI CDP) aims to improve water security and liveability conditions for two disadvantaged communities in Delhi. The initiative implements Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) pilot projects through participatory decision-making processes and joint accountability mechanisms. Women and girls from the communities lead this vision, helping set priorities and formulating plans. 

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles are at the core of AIWASI, entailing a thorough understanding of the different risks, opportunities, barriers and impacts faced by all sections of the society, including women, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.   

Why Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)? 

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is an approach to planning and designing urban areas to manage the water balance, enhance water quality and conserve and recycle water, ensuring that urban water management is sensitive to natural hydrological and ecological processes. WSUD solutions include decentralized nature-based sewage, stormwater treatment and reuse systems, community-based rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge systems and innovative circular solutions at WASH stations.

bennefits of wsud

Water Sensitive Cities (WSC) 

The Water Sensitive City (WSC) approach addresses social exclusion dimensions such as water scarcity, unequal distribution and rationing and unequal ownership rights over water systems. It also addresses poor water quality and the absence of sewage collection and treatment systems, and large distances to water sources in urban disadvantaged communities, especially in the face of climate change-driven shocks.  

The WSC vision is underpinned by three principles:  

  1. Cities need to be understood as catchments to provide resources at different scales in fit-for-purpose applications.
  2. Cities provide ecosystem services to integrate urban water management into the urban landscape, providing multiple benefits such as heat mitigation, ecological health and landscape amenity.
  3. Water conscious communities, where citizens value and are connected to their water environments and engage in water conscious behavior and water, planning and design professionals work collaboratively deliver water sensitive outcomes.