10001623-Technical Assistance to implement gender-responsive solid waste management / circular economy and green public spaces in India

The project "Gender in Smart Cities / Resilient Urban Development: Gender and Digital Approaches as drivers for sustainable growth and recovery in Cities" (GRC) is implemented by GIZ in India on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), along with the political counterpart the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The project is being implemented in three partner cities in India: Guwahati in Assam, Kochi in Kerala and Faridabad in Haryana. The project GRC focuses on two municipal public services: solid waste management (SWM) / circular economy (CE), and safe and green public spaces.

Context India"s economic transformation is a story shaped mainly by its cities. Indian cities act as powerful hubs for sustainable growth by driving innovation, creating inclusive economies, and fostering collaboration to achieve development goals. They achieve this by developing smart urban policies, investing in green, climate-resilient infrastructure, improving public services, and using technology for better resource management. By strategically addressing urban challenges through integrated and interdisciplinary solutions, cities can achieve prosperity while minimizing environmental impact and enhancing the quality of life for their growing populations.

Objective In selected cities in India, women and girls benefit as users or providers from climate-resilient, municipal public service systems in the areas of solid waste management (SWM) / circular economy (CE) as well as from safe and green public spaces.

Approach 1) Improving the evidence base The project aims to improve the data and knowledge base for the provision of climate-resilient municipal public services. This is based on the following impact hypotheses: On the basis of strengthened cooperation between the actors relevant to service provision, the evidence base (knowledge and information base) will be improved and particularly with regard to gender responsiveness (esp. consideration of the needs of women and girls), environmental and resource protection and climate resilience (esp. use of the adaptation potential, e.g. through greening and reduction of illegal waste disposal in public spaces) of selected services.

2) Development of Practical Models The project aims to develop practical models in which women and girls benefit as users and providers from the improvement of climate-resilient, municipal public services in the partner cities. These practical, replicable approaches can include various elements such as standard operating procedures (SOPs), handouts, business models, training modules, etc. Within the framework of demonstration projects in partner cities in the areas of a) SWM / CE and b) greening and improving safety in green public spaces, innovative approaches to improve gender responsiveness, environmental and resource protection as well as climate resilience of selected services will be tested and validated.. On the basis of this implementation experience, scalable practical models / transfer packages should be developed and disseminated to other cities for further application and institutionalization as part of upscaling.

3) Strengthening capacities The project aims to strengthen and empower the relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the demonstration projects and practical models to ensure the improvement of climate-resilient municipal public services. The capacities of officials and experts of relevant institutions (esp. municipal corporations and state departments) as well as women in municipal public service provision (e.g. women's self-help groups or entrepreneurs) lead to both more informed decisions and the implementation of practice-oriented measures that sustainably improve climate resilience, gender responsiveness, environmental and resource protection of municipal public services.