Integrated governance for equitable water access in informal settlements in Indian cities

Informal settlements across the Global South face acute challenges in accessing safe and adequate drinking water, undermining both public health and urban equity. This study investigates the governance dimensions of water service provision in Hyderabad, India, focusing on disparities in access among slum communities. Through a mixed-methods approach involving household surveys, stakeholder interviews, and water quality assessments across 34 slum areas, the research identifies critical gaps in existing decision-making frameworks. Findings reveal that while technical aspects are routinely considered, socio-health, institutional, and economic dimensions are often neglected, leading to uneven service delivery. The study proposes a S.I.T.E. (Social, Institutional, Technical, Economic) valuation framework to guide integrated and participatory water governance. By emphasizing bottom-up engagement and context-specific planning, this framework aligns with the goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 and 11, offering a pathway to enhance habitability and resilience in informal urban settlements. The findings offer transferable insights for policymakers and urban planners seeking to enhance water equity and resilience in other rapidly urbanizing contexts. This study builds upon the author’s earlier theoretical contribution to water governance in informal settlements, specifically the development of the S.I.T.E. (Societal-Institutional-Technical-Economic) valuation framework (Palakodeti, 2020). While the previous work focused on conceptual foundations, the current research extends the framework through empirical fieldwork and application across slum areas in Hyderabad, India.