Revenue generation for water supply to low-income urban areas: a need for innovation

It is widely acknowledged that both the water supply and sanitation and the economic conditions of the lowincome poor of urban areas in Africa and Asia vary significantly from city to city and district to district. It is difficult therefore to make generalisations. One factor that is common to most cities however is a growing fear that serving the burgeoning urban poor with water and sanitation in coming years wil l impose an impossible financial burden on municipalities and city authorities (1).