Building on a recent groundbreaking OECD/World Bank seminar, this volume explores whether and how trade liberaliaation can contribute to achieving universal service goals and the types of complementary policies required. It focuses on experiences in four sectors: telecommunications, water and...

The provision of water supply, sanitation and wastewater services generates substantial benefits for public health, the economy and the environment. Benefit-to-cost ratios can be as high as 7 to 1 for basic water and sanitation services in developing countries. Wastewater treatment...

The investments needed to deliver sustainable water and sanitation services, including the funds that are needed to operate and maintain the infrastructure, expand their coverage and upgrade service delivery to meet current social and environmental expectations, are huge. Yet, most systems are...