Project Name: Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN India)

Client: The Rockefeller Foundation

Taru is Rockefeller Foundation’s India country partner for the “Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network,” a major climate change initiative that focuses upon assessing Climate Change related risks in 40+ cities across four countries (India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam), and building climate change resilience to a changing, challenging urban environment. The initiative aims to catalyze attention, funding, and action in three primary areas: 1. Experimenting with and testing local approaches to building climate change resilience for institutions and systems serving poor and vulnerable communities, 2. Promoting, demonstrating, and disseminating knowledge about these and other viable approaches, 3. Increasing awareness among funders, practitioners, policy makers and business on the need to invest in building climate resilience.

Project Name: Urban Environmental Services Master Plan for Lucknow (1996-2021)

Client: WSO, ODA

The assignment encompassed developing, synthesizing and producing the Master Plan focused on improvements to water supply, sewerage and sanitation, surface water drainage and solid waste services with a view to improving the living conditions in the city and emphasized the situation of the urban poor and other vulnerable groups.

Project Name: WASH Alliance for Visioning Enhanced Sustainable Service at Scale (WAVESSS) in the State of Odisha

Client: UNICEF

The project aimed at establishing a process of self renewal and increasing collaboration, contributing towards, increased equity and use of safe sanitation facilities at household level through an improved policy and implementation of TSC. Improved water quality and water sources enhanced collaboration between departments in the area of Operation and Maintenance. The project also aims at improved water and sanitation access and hygiene education at the institutional level (schools and anganwadi centres) by enhanced collaboration between departments.

Project Name: Revision of Slum Infrastructure Development Guidelines for the KUSP Program

Client: DFID India

The project captured perceptions on policy, planning and design processes, technology, implementation and post-construction management through a mix of structured household surveys and qualitative discussions with a range of stakeholders.

Project Name: Rapid Assessment of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector (RWSS) and Development of Sector Vision, Policy and Action Plan for Bihar

Client: UNICEF

The experience of SRP and TSC implementation in 67 and 374 (pilot) districts respectively, have led to development of a new flexible approach for states to develop a Vision and Action plan, in line with principles of fiscal federalism, for RWSS sector customized to their situation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), drawn between states and GoI (RGNDWM), would be an enabling instrument for the states to access technical assistance and funding support. This Sector Assessment was defined as the first in a series of sequential actions in the State for preparation of a state strategy and finalisation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of India.

Project Name: Evaluation of DFID India’s Support to the Water and Sanitation Program- South Asia (WSP-SA)

Client: DFID UK

The project covered the assessment of the impact of such support on furthering Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Sector Reform in the country. It further drew lessons to inform DFID India’s future role in the Indian RWSS Sector and focused specially on Andhra Pradesh (AP), Kerala and Maharashtra.

Project Name: Goa Sustainable Cities

Client: International Gas Union (IGU), Tokyo

Taru participated, with other partners, in the scenario development and design of the Goa 2100 Model for Sustainable Cities for an international Urban Design Competition at the World Gas Conference in Tokyo. The project is one of the few attempts since the 1970s to develop an integrative theory of design that views cities as ecosystems that spans from the city neighborhood to the regional scale over a century-long time horizon with three goals of sufficiency and equity, efficiency and sustainability for well being of people, communities and eco-systems, using a minimal throughput of matter-energy-information with least impact on nature, society and future generations.

Project Name: Options for Inclusion of Civil Society Initiatives for a Urban Poverty Reduction and Municipal Reform Project in Northern Kolkata

Client: DFID India

The project was to encompass a social, economic and political analysis of the project area and delineation of formations and groupings, especially outside the government and NGO sectors that could form potential stakeholders. This included an assessment of capacities available within these formations and identified the key focus areas for future capacity building and institutional development.

Project Name: Study on Immunization Systems and Hepatitis B in Andhra Pradesh (AP)

Client: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The study forms the basis for an integrated immunisation project to be implemented in partnership with the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP).

Project Name: Sanitation Documentation at Kumbh Mela, Nashik

Client: WASH United

The overall objectives are to ensure that future melas will provide for healthy and hygienic sanitary/WASH conditions (i.e. avoid open defecation) and reduce pollution of the river and environment. The aim of the assessment is to develop recommendations about safe and effective WASH infrastructure – with a focus on sanitation systems – for upcoming melas and other mass events.Through the intervention, assessment and documentation was done of the existing or missing WASH infrastructure at the Kumbh Mela in Nashik, and potentially compare its user experience from previous melas along with a summary what worked and what doesn’t, to identify needs and areas for improvement. Taru also developing set of recommendations for the next mela, which would include aspects related to planning, implementation, operation and dismantling of sanitation systems at the mela, distribution of roles and responsibilities, minimum standards and services (technology, location of toilets), innovative solutions (critical assessment if they can work at scale), financial requirements and recommendation on accessibility, etc.

Project Name: Development of a Strategy for Care India in the Urban Environment (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh)

Client: CARE India

Taru assisted in Developing a Strategy for Urban Poverty Reduction in India. The assignment involved background studies and briefings on the various dimensions of urban poverty in the country and identification of select towns, especially in the neglected secondary urban areas, which presented an opportunity niche for interventions toward sustained urban poverty reduction.

Project Name: Evaluation of DFID India’s Support to the Water and Sanitation Program- South Asia (WSP-SA)

Client: DFID UK

The project covered the assessment of the impact of such support on furthering Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Sector Reform in the country. It further drew lessons to inform DFID India’s future role in the Indian RWSS Sector and focused specially on Andhra Pradesh (AP), Kerala and Maharashtra.

Project Name: Institutional Reform Study for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in Maharashtra

Client: DFID India

The assignment comprised of review of key resource management and institutional issues in the water resources and water supply sectors; analysis of finances and allocation systems at the State and district levels; design of participatory assessment mechanisms; development of a pragmatic and achievable vision; and, assistance in negotiation to further the reform process.

Project Name: Understanding Climate Change and Health Associations in India (UCHAI) Training Workshop

Client: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), USA.

The three-day workshop on ‘Understanding Climate Change and Health Associations in India’ (UCHAI) was held in New-Delhi, India. The initiative was supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), USA. The workshop was attended by experts, policy-makers, academicians, researchers, practitioners and students from renowned institutions across the country. The overall goal of the training workshop was to build capacity of early and mid-career academicians, researchers, practitioners and students towards climate-proofing of the human health sector in the country. The focus of the capacity building workshop was on three core frameworks in dealing with Climate and Health issues, that is, vulnerability, adaptation and co-benefits. The workshop also covered other essential aspects such as policy research, skill building and networking. The project continues as a vibrant community of practice connected through social media, webinars, conferences and collaborative endeavors.

Project Name: Technical Support Agency for Developing a Solid and Liquid Waste Management Model for Rural Sanitation in Rajasthan

Client: Water & Sanitation Program, World Bank

Partner Orgainsation(s): Ernst & Young, Indian Green Services, SKAT

The approach of the initiative was to implement integrated Solid & Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) methods that go beyond managing generated waste to preventing waste generation. Current resource flow uses excessive raw materials and generates piles of waste causing resource depletion. The initiative so far helped in evolving participatory process in the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on solid and liquid management using cutting edge waste audit tool, solution scoping, and business planning methods followed by grassroots level implementation.

Project Name: New Institutional Arrangements for Water and Environmental Sanitation Services in Gangtok

Client: AusAid

The project involved secondary reviews, stakeholder consultations, organisation of National and international exposure visits- leading to agreement on the principles for new institutional arrangements. Options were developed and detailed based on these. Taru further assisted the Government of Sikkim (GoS) in implementing the initial steps of the transition process, including the creation and capacity building of two Transition Cells and delineation of roles and responsibilities for transition at the GoS level.