Meeting development goals in small urban centres : water and sanitation in the world's cities 2006

The second global report on water and sanitation in the world's cities focuses on the deficiencies in the provision of water and sanitation in small urban centres. The study draws on extensive unpublished research and includes 15 commissioned papers from experts involved in designing and implementing innovative projects around the world. It is the first major study of the problems facing the smaller urban centres, which tend to be overlooked but are recognized to be of enormous importance by governments, international agencies, NGOs and service providers. Attaining the MDGs overall will depend largely on how the problems of small towns can be solved which, in turn, depend on access to clean water and improved sanitation. The publication includes chapters on The changing dynamics of smaller urban centres; The scale of need; How to reach the MDG Targets in each locality; Key challenges; The framework needed for pro-poor governance. This publication has a central role to play in global and local thinking on service provision, and aims to be a critical contribution to the road map to meeting the MDGs.