Lessons learnt while addressing the water-energy nexus: Evaluation of USAID/India's DRUM(Distribution Reform, Upgrades, and Management) and WENEXA (Water and Energy Nexus) programs

This report is an evaluation of two programs undertaken jointly by USAID and India to reform its energy situation, especially in terms of distribution. The report evaluates the relevance, effectiveness, impacts and lessons learnt from the experience.

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Updated on:

16 Dec 2012, 9:20 am

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1. Background

Establish the framework, institutional capacity, and project development functions at the central and state levels; and
Enable implementation of several full-scale, commercially replicable distribution initiatives in key reform states in India.

This involved training of employees of the distribution sector and demonstration projects for technical and managerial updates. The DRUM pilot projects were carried out in Doddaballapur, Bangalore; Umreth, Gujarat; and Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
WENEXA, also started in 2004, is a complex, decade-long program that addresses various components of what is termed the 'water-energy nexus'. These include:

Replacing energy-inefficient water pumps with efficient ones
Watershed management and water table replenishment in Doddaballapur
Urban wastewater treatment in Nagpur.

2. Purpose of evaluation

Measuring the results
Determining impact
Determining the strategy of future energy-water programs

3. Research design and evaluation methodology

Project documents, policy papers, records etdc
Semi-structured interviews with various participants in the project
Survey of past DRUM trainees
Personal interviews with farmers
Focus group discussion
Site visits

4. Findings

Table of observations

In addition to the observations detailed above, it was also observed that the programs did not focus on gender. The report mentions ways in which this could have been done.