Introduction and background to the WHiRL project
Project background Focused on rural water supply and water resources –water resources issues are increasingly impacting upon services for the poor –the RWS sector is often poorly represented in water resources decision making A joint Indian, South African & European project supported by the UK DFID’s Knowledge and Research (KaR) programme
Who’s involved? Research team IndiaAccion Fraterna, Anantapur Dr AJ James BAIF, Pune South AfricaAssociation for Water and Rural Development (AWARD) EuropeNatural Resources Institute (NRI) Water Resources Management Ltd. University of Leeds IRC International Water and Sanitation Center
Project objectives Project purpose Better … solutions for integrated water resources management (IWRM)…that promote improved access of the poor to water supplies for basic and productive uses. Outputs Reviews, and analysis of policy and institutional conditions Findings from action research, pilots and workshops Tools and guidelines
Research approach Poverty focus Multi-disciplinary Multiple partnerships Adding to existing initiatives Focused on making information widely accessible South-south collaboration River basin/ macro-watershed view Research across scales from household to state
The focus countries India - Watershed development South Africa - Catchment management
Website at