25 Years of Partnership with Karnataka: Evolving Model for Sustainable Urban Water Service Delivery

This publication reflects on the accomplishments, lessons learned and innovations in project design, scope, and operation and maintenance arrangements to improve urban water services in the Indian state of Karnataka supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ADB support to the State of Karnataka started in 1995, with the approval of the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Project, ADB’s first urban sector loan in India. Since then, ADB-supported programs have expanded across the state through three consecutive urban programs. Around 4 million urban residents have benefited from the programs. The interventions have evolved over time, marking an institutional transformation, adopting a programmatic and inclusive approach to ensure sustainable service delivery in urban Karnataka.