The South Asia Urban Knowledge Hub (‘the K-Hub’) aspires to enhance the influence of evidence based research for urban policy and practice in South Asia. It has been created to support information and experience exchange within South Asia among city managers, utility staff, policy makers, academia and the private sector for an improved service delivery.   It strives to build a network of associated institutions in the region and develop a forum for improving knowledge within and between countries and regions.

The main objective of the K-Hub is to build capacity to generate and apply knowledge to city management according to principles of sustainable development and to influence policy and decision-makers in this direction. The K-Hub will facilitate information and experience exchanges within South Asia for city managers, utility staff, policy makers, academia and private sector to improve the urban environment and services delivery. The K-Hub also aims (i) to make recommendations to improve University-level curricula for urban planners and managers in South Asia, and (ii) strengthen national centers’ capacity for outcome oriented research and influencing intended audiences.

The regional center of the K-Hub is based in India at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). NIUA plays the twin role of regional centre for South Asia and national center for India. Each participating country, has a national center endorsed by the respective government. They are ITN-BUET in Bangladesh, University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka and the Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

The K-Hub initiative is supported by of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Governments of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The initiative is also being supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) (with particular focus on innovative on-site sanitation as part of the Sanitation Financing Partnership Trust Fund created by ADB and BMGF to help provide safe sanitation to families in Asia’s cities and rural communities who still lack access to basic sanitation facilities and services).