This document is the overall summary and synthesis of the first impact study of initiatives supported by UN-HABITAT’s Water and Sanitation Trust Fund (WSTF).The WSTF, which was established in 2003, aims to leverage new investment and ideas to expand the water and sanitation (WATSAN) service coverage for poor urban dwellers and help build momentum for achieving the MDGs. Its strategic plan for 2008 - 2012 envisions three key outcomes: • Increased institutional capacity in partner countries for pro-poor water and sanitation initiatives and policies with focus on gender equity, renewable energy and efficiency and environmental sustainability;• Increased flow of investment into water and sanitation sector catalysed by WSTF interventions; • Improved MDG monitoring mechanisms in place in partner countries, with improved benchmarking of water and sanitation service providers. The UN-HABITATWater, Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch (WSIB) seeks to maximise the impact of projects funded by the WSTF, and this impact study is the first of a series of impact assessments which will be undertaken over the next five years.

This impact assessment identifies how the water and sanitation initiatives implemented under the Water Sanitation and Infrastructure Branch of UN-HABITAT, have strategically mainstreamed gender aspects in its various initiatives and to identify achievements and impact, challenges, lessons learned and provide recommendations.This gender thematic study is one out three impact studies supported by the WSTF. The other two are Kenya and Nepal Country Impact Assessments. Together these three constitute the first in a series, intended to assist the WSIB in its future plans for regular assessments of its WATSAN initiatives during the coming five years. The study has looked at global, regional and country activities. The country programmes reviewed are implemented in Ethiopia, Ghana,Kenya and Nigeria in Africa; India,LaoPDR, Nepal and Vietnam in Asia and Nicaragua in the Latin America and Caribbean region

This document is an internal Kenya country impact study of initiatives supported THE UN-HABITAT Water and Sanitation Trust Fund (WSTF). The objective of the WSTF, established in 2003, was to bring in new investment and ideas, expand service coverage for poor urban dwellers and help build momentum for achieving the MDGs.The impact study reviewed the overall strategy of the WSTF, examined the Kenya country context and the UN-HABITAT country strategy, and undertook an impact study of specific projects. Information was gathered from project documents, interviews with key stakeholders including project beneficiaries, and field visits.

This document is an internal Nepal country impact study of initiatives supported by UN-HABITAT’s Water and Sanitation Trust Fund (WSTF) undertaken by a team of international consultants. The objective of the WSTF is to bring in new investment and ideas, expand service coverage for poor urban dwellers, and help build momentum for achieving the MDGs. UN-HABITAT is a newcomer to the Urban WATSAN sector in Nepal, but has managed to establish itself as a notable development partner in this field. UNHABITAT’s comparative advantage is its focus on the complex problem of the urban poor, the ability to integrate WSS approaches across the urban sector, and community involvement from the outset of the project.