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Water For People India Trust (hereafter referred to as Water For People India) is a public charitable trust registered in 2008 under the Indian Trust Act, 1882. The Trust is recognized as a charitable non-profit institution under Section 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1962. The organizational goal is to design and implement initiatives relating to improving the quality of life of those most in need by providing funding and training for water, sanitation and health and hygiene programs.
Water For People India’s key approach for access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation is ‘Everyone Forever’ approach that aligns to SDG 6 and the overarching partnership goal – SDG 17. The Everyone Forever model is a district centered approach that includes completing water systems, sanitation facilities in schools and clinics, and supporting the private sector to ensure that Everyone – even the hardest to reach household, school, and health clinic – gains access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Water For People India programs has implemented in 28 districts in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Assam. In all, nearly 1.5 million people have been reached through our intervention focusing on community drinking water and sanitation: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in public institutions and market-led approaches to sanitation. By 2023, Water for People India programs aim to directly benefit 2.7 million people.
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Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions of the Indian Sundarbans. The island faces recurring challenges from cyclones, tidal flooding, coastal erosion, saline water intrusion, and freshwater scarcity, which significantly affect drinking water security, agriculture, livelihoods, public health, and local ecosystems. Despite receiving high annual rainfall, limited groundwater recharge, saline aquifers, deteriorating ponds, and inadequate water infrastructure continue to constrain access to safe and reliable water. Women, children, and marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by these challenges.
To address these issues, Water For People India Trust, with support from Tata Trusts, is implementing the "Building Water Security and Climate Resilience in Sundarbans" project in 22 villages of 4 Gram Panchayats out of 9 Gram Panchayats of Sagar Block. The project aims to improve water security through groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, pond rejuvenation, water quality monitoring, mangrove restoration, embankment strengthening, climate resilient livelihoods, WASH, menstrual hygiene management, and strengthened community institutions.
To support evidence based planning and establish benchmark values for project monitoring and evaluation, Water For People India Trust intends to conduct a comprehensive baseline survey. The study will assess the existing status of water resources, water quality, WASH services, climate vulnerability, livelihoods, ecosystem conditions, and institutional capacity using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings will guide project implementation and provide the baseline for measuring project outcomes and impacts.
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Overall Objective
To conduct a comprehensive baseline survey to establish benchmark information on water security, climate vulnerability, WASH, livelihoods, ecosystem health, institutional capacity, and community resilience in the project area, providing an evidence base for effective project planning, implementation, monitoring, and impact evaluation.
Specific Objectives
- Assess the current status of water security by evaluating household access to safe drinking water, water availability, water use, reliability of water sources, and water quality.
- Assess water resources and water infrastructure, including groundwater, ponds, rainwater harvesting systems, recharge structures, and their functionality and sustainability.
- Assess the status of WASH and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in households, schools, Anganwadi Centres, and other public institutions.
- Assess climate vulnerability and ecosystem conditions, including the impacts of cyclones, flooding, salinity intrusion, coastal erosion, embankment conditions, and mangrove ecosystems on communities and livelihoods.
- Assess water resources irrigation, water quality, irrigation infrastructure, irrigation practices, and water-saving technologies.
- Assess agriculture and livelihood systems, including climate resilient agricultural practices, natural resource management, and livelihood vulnerabilities.
- Assess the existing capacity of local institutions, including Gram Panchayats, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Water User Groups (WUGs), SHGs, frontline workers, and other community institutions involved in water governance and climate resilience.
- Assess community awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to water conservation, safe water handling, sanitation, hygiene, climate adaptation, environmental protection, and identify gaps for Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions.
- Assess the functionality, inclusiveness, governance, and institutional strengthening needs of community-based organizations and local governance mechanisms to enhance community ownership and sustainability of project interventions.
- Establish baseline values for all project indicators and identify key gaps, priorities, and recommendations to support evidence based project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
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