Interaction between water related informal processes and water management: the example of Hyderabad, India

This dissertation examines the interaction between informal processes and water management in the southern Indian megacity of Hyderabad. Informal processes constitute a significant part of the Indian economy and include small workshops, own-account workers and also different forms of informal housing. The research question driving this dissertation is, whether the diversity of informal processes is reflected in the modes of access to water supply and sanitation and whether a systematization of this access based on varying degrees and peculiarities of informality is possible. The study design and data collection combines qualitative measures such as expert interviews, surveys and observations in the field with the results of water and soil samples taken from different research areas.The dissertation provides an overview of the general water scenario in Hyderabad and then goes into more detail by presenting the data on water supply, sanitation and environmental impacts from several case studies which were selected for this research project. Depending on the processes and their degree of informality there is a large variety of arrangements. Informal networks and the conflict between the formal and the informal city form another part of the study. The dissertation concludes with propositions how to work towards a more equitable and sustainable way of managing water by bringing informal processes into the framework of formality. This would improve the access to water and sanitation of large parts of the society but also increase the compliance with environmental norms