Water |
People |
Nature
Who we Are?
CDD is a non-profit organization headquartered in Bengaluru, committed to advancing inclusive water and sanitation solutions.
We innovate, demonstrate, and scale nature-based approaches that are decentralized, resilient, and context-specific. Our work is grounded in a systems-thinking approach, ensuring that solutions are sustainable, adaptable, and rooted in local realities.
Our Approach
Thematic Areas
Used Water Management
India faces a dual water crisis: while over 60% of its daily wastewater remains untreated, nearly 300 million people lack sufficient access to clean water. Despite the growing demand for effective water management, only 44% of the country’s wastewater is treated through existing centralized sewage treatment plants (STPs). These systems are not only expensive to maintain but often underperform, exacerbating challenges for developing nations striving for water security.
Faecal Sludge Management
Access to safe sanitation is a fundamental human right, as recognized by the UN General Assembly. It is essential to ensure public health, dignity, and well-being. Yet, as per the 2023 WHO-JMP report, 3.4 billion people worldwide—nearly 40% of the global population—still lack access to safely managed sanitation services. Most of this population resides in the Global South, including regions of Asia, South America, and Africa. The consequence is widespread exposure of human waste, leading to environmental contamination and serious public health risks.
Water Body Rejuvenation
Rivers have played a foundational role in the growth of human civilization. They offered not just water for drinking and irrigation, but also fertile soils from seasonal floods and vital connections for trade and transport. These contributions enabled the emergence of stable societies and supported the development of livelihoods beyond agriculture.
Rivers also shape natural drainage systems, guided by topography, geology, and hydrology.
Solid Waste Management
India’s material consumption has increased six-fold between 1970 and 2015 and is expected to double again by 2030. With rapid urban growth and lifestyle changes, the country is facing a mounting waste crisis. Managing this increasing volume of waste poses operational and financial challenges for urban and rural areas alike.
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) contains about 45% food waste and other biodegradables, generating an estimated 75,000 tons of wet waste per day.
Water Security
Water is fundamental to life. All living organisms, regardless of size, rely on water for survival. While some organisms consist of up to 95% water, most contain at least 50%. In humans, water makes up 60–75% of body weight. Even a 4% loss of body water can lead to dehydration, and a 15% loss can be fatal. Although a person can survive up to a month without food, survival without water rarely extends beyond three days. This underscores the irreplaceable role of water in sustaining life.
Urban Resilience
Urban resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, institutions, and systems within a city to withstand, adapt to, and recover from both chronic stresses and sudden shocks. As defined by 100 Resilient Cities (2016), it represents a city’s capacity to survive and thrive in the face of challenges—ranging from climate change and resource scarcity to economic disruptions and rapid urban growth.
