This manual synthesises various existing guidelines on the multiple-use water services (MUS) approach into one concise set of generic guidelines on 'how to do MUS'.
The MUS approach considers the multiple needs of (poor) water users, who take water from a number of sources, and communities' own priorities as the starting point for investments in new infrastructure, management arrangements, the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, or for improvements in management and governance. MUS approaches have been successfully piloted in over 20 low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The set of guidelines provide guidance on planning, developing and providing MUS based on the experiences of members of the MUS Group, which was established in 2006. The guidelines are targeted towards people and organisations already interested in applying or adapting the MUS approach in their specific context.
The guidelines are divided into four parts:
Annexes provide an overview of organisations with a special interest and experience in MUS, and overviews of the different elements and summaries of the various MUS guidelines presented.