Abstract

The Tamil Nadu Urban WaSH Network (TNUWN) was initiated by IIHS-led Tamil Nadu Urban Sanitation Support Programme (TNUSSP) to advance urban sanitation in the state through cross-learning and advocacy. The network has been operational since 2021 and serves as a platform for NGOs and civil society organisations to work collaboratively with the government towards achieving better WaSH outcomes. The network is actively engaging with communities to drive behaviour change and generate awareness around sanitation. TNUWN has also conducted workshops and learning visits to build partner capacity and engagement. The network is being developed as a knowledge platform focused on urban sanitation, providing partners with a central forum to access the latest research, best practices, and data related to the sector. This paper presents the challenges and key learnings based on experiences of establishing and operationalising the network, and broadly lays out the way forward.