Water Policy (May 2022)
Contextual knowledge co-production and capacity building for sanitation planning: experience from Kerala, India
Abstract
Small towns in the global South face huge infrastructure deficits in sanitation due to the lack of technical, institutional and financial capacity to establish treatment systems. This knowledge gap and capacity deficit are a socio-ecological challenge that requires knowledge co-production by both science and society. This work focuses on a transdisciplinary initiative on capacity building and knowledge co-production called CANALPY in Alleppey, a town located in the southern state of Kerala, India. The project recognises the need for data and knowledge for developing a fine-grained understanding of the sanitation situation in the town and also raises awareness about canal pollution to arrive at participatory solutions. This study analyses the drivers of co-production of knowledge with its enabling conditions as well as the challenges associated with it. The initiative has been instrumental in creating a space and platform for collaborations, dialogues and discussions on problems of sanitation, water quality and pollution. CANALPY has ensured the dissemination of findings among a larger audience and has inspired new thinking and action. It is also important to take into critical consideration the different practical, socio-political, institutional and competence-related challenges that impede the project's goal of knowledge sharing and capacity building. HIGHLIGHTS Capacity deficit in urban local bodies impedes sanitation service delivery, exacerbating environmental challenges.; The study explores CANALPY, a transdisciplinary initiative to address capacity and knowledge deficit.; The project led to the creation of a knowledge repository on the town and mechanisms for transferring them to decision makers.; Understanding enablers and challenges of the CANALPY initiative is critical to adapting the experience to other small towns.;
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