The aim is to contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed goals related to water and sanitation on the rural community and urban pitiable, in order to facilitate equitable social, economic and environmental development. The priority is improving access to safe drinking water and helping to provide adequate sanitation to communities living in both countryside and borough areas. It contributes to upgrade the communities’ quality of life through enhanced access to fundamental services.

To address various water and sanitation issues IDS-Nepal has been playing a crucial role in community based infrastructure development programmes. IDS-Nepal is addressing the issue by assisting local communities to implement and manage water, hygine and sanitation schemes focusing mainly on rural areas and is now increasing its focus on poverty-stricken peri-urban areas. IDS-Nepal has gone hand in hand with schools and community for construction of toilets that are child friendly in schools and water tank for management of fresh drinking water. Such efforts and campaigns have resulted in Bardiya as the First Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in Terai region. Through different projects, IDS-Nepal has conducted various WASH activities such as planning, designing, constructing drinking water supply schemes, sanitation structures formation, institutionalization, capacity enhancement of CBOs, IEC material development, sensitization, trainings, triggering and establishment of numerous relevant clubs. IDS-Nepal has always involved two aspects in such assignments – tangible (buildings and infrastructures) and intangible (support, concept mechanism, capacity building, communication dissemination for durability and carrying capacity).