An example from Sri Lanka: Participatory projects for under-served urban settlements One of the examples provided by Sri Lanka for the second World Water Development Report (WWDR II) illustrates how community level participation can help face major challenges and work towards equity. The recent, rapid growth of the urban population in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Colombo area, has created social, economic, environmental and physical problems resulting from rapid and unplanned urbanization. Provision of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are major challenges. Several government or NGO projects were implemented to face these challenges, but there are still many problems, such as a lack of piped water, drainage, roads and sewerage. The Urban Settlements Improvement Programme (USIP) facilitates the development of sustainable community-based environmental infrastructure service in the under-served settlements on a participatory and partnership basis with a view to promote higher living standards among such communities. Communities participate in all steps of USIP projects, from planning to designing to the actual implementation, including providing 20% of the funds and being responsible for maintenance. Through this involvement, the community is empowered and given responsibilities and the means to create a system that corresponds to their needs