A framework to assess urban water resilience in developing countries like India: looking beyond water utilities and networked cities

ABSTRACT Many households in developing countries like India have adopted water-saving measures, but water availability in sufficient quantity, quality, and regularity has not been ensured due to network supply constraints, affordability of water through private vendors and the issue varies from area to area, within a city, based on the modalities of water supplies, socio-economic capabilities of households, local area regulations, political interests. However, with many of the cities of the developing world still far from the concept of homogeneous water supply systems under water utilities, only assessing and strengthening the water utilities will not suffice. Hence this study proposes and illustrates via a case study a new approach to urban water resilience, from the consumer end, or the households, as the basis of assessment, to address the various issues associated with water stress under various water supply sources. The framework has four broad themes, namely Urban Infrastructure and Land Use, Resources, Governance and Social capturing 32 indicators derived from the literature assessed by the Delphi technique involving subject experts. The framework thus evolved can be used to assess urban water resilience at the household level, especially in cities/communities with various water system modalities.