Promoting Inclusive Participatory Design of Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Urban Informal Settlements: 4 Steps to Improve Project Design and Implementation

The decisions and practices of donors, funders, governments and policymakers around gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) strongly influence the success and sustainability of water and sanitation infrastructure projects. Our research and experience in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically Indonesia and Fiji, have shown us that participatory design can facilitate effective GESI practices in water and sanitation infrastructure projects in urban informal settlements.This policy brief supports donors, funders, governments and policymakers to facilitate the participatory design of water and sanitation infrastructure in an inclusive way. To this end, the policy brief provides concise guidance, recommendations, and links to additional resources.The policy brief complements the Reflecting on Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Toolkit we have designed to support water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practitioners to deliver inclusive and participatory design in water and sanitation infrastructure in urban informal settlements.