The Maharashtra Urban WASH and Environmental Sanitation (ES) Coalition, launched in May 2021, is a state-level platform to enable and support safe and sustainable actions in urban WASH and ES across cities in Maharashtra. The initiatives under the Maharashtra Urban WASH-ES Coalition are supported by Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES) of All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), Mumbai and UNICEF Maharashtra. The Coalition facilitates the convergence of diverse stakeholders and provides a space for knowledge exchange and building an ecosystem to find sustainable solutions for safe and equitable management of sanitation, water and waste in urban areas.
The Secretariat Of The Maharashtra Urban WASH-ES Coalition works toward facilitating collaborations among governments, development organisations, civil society groups and subject experts towards the socio-economic development of the urban population and vulnerable groups, through a range of catalytic actions. By encouraging partnerships, it brings together resources and expertise to identify issues, find solutions, and drive collective change. The Secretariat stimulates joint planning and actions in support of the various departments of the Government of Maharashtra in implementing urban flagship projects and technical support in conceptualizing new flagship initiatives as required in WASH and ES. The Secretariat also engages in knowledge management and documentation of projects and activities of partner organisations in WASH and ES.
All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), Mumbai is one of the leading organisations working on urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Environmental Sanitation in various states of India with its more than 30 Centres, including Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, AIILSG, Mumbai has been actively working to support the Government of Maharashtra under its various initiatives in water, sanitation and solid waste management for the last few decades. The Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), Mumbai, anchored at AIILSG is established and supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India (GoI). It is established to undertake urban policy research and technical advisory services to the State and Local Governments and strengthen the capacities of municipal officials. To know more, visit the RCUES, Mumbai website.
The RCUES of AIILSG Mumbai in collaboration with UNICEF Maharashtra, conducted a stakeholder consultation with the government and other stakeholders in urban WASH to conduct a landscape analysis of WASH and Environmental Sanitation (ES) initiatives in urban Maharashtra and government departments involved, and to map organisations working in urban WASH and ES in Maharashtra.