In a rapidly urbanizing context of India, the water service delivery is crumbling at a rapid rate. Lack of access to safe, reliable and affordable water is a common phenomenon across the cities. Local authorities are failing to manage the rapid growth of cities, minimise its adverse effects, and provide basic services to citizens. Population growth will lead to inequitable access to basic water services, loss of natural water systems due to unplanned urban expansion. It is certain that climate change will adversely impact an already challenging situation as the frequent and intense droughts and floods will undermine the development prospects of urban dwellers.

H2O -T2S in urban fringe areas project aimed to understand how access to water, as a good and as a resource for livelihoods has changed during the urbanisation process in peri-urban spaces. Specifically, it will shed light on

• how institutions of water governance have changed over a period of time
• analyse the how access to water has changed with change in societal structure
• study how urban transformation has changed the livelihoods and water demands