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According to a 2004 Unicef/World Health Organization assessment, developing countries are more likely to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) drinking water target in urban than in rural areas. However, this achievement is threatened by a high urbanisation rate in developing countries, where the urban population is projected to increase by about two billion between 2000 and 2030. For instance, although the global urban population with adequate water service levels increased in real terms by 36% between 1990 and 2004, overall coverage has remained practically unchanged at 95%. Given these high urbanisation rates, water utilities in developing countries need to be innovative in order to improve or maintain service coverage in their service areas. This paper presents the case of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) of Uganda, which has improved service coverage tremendously over the past decade through innovative management. Between 1998 and 2007, NWSC registered the following key performance improvements: number of service connections from 54 000 to over 180 000; service coverage from 51% to 71% of the population; towns served from 12 to 22; billing efficiency from 51% to 67.5%. The paper describes the specific measures that have contributed to this high performance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the fundamental linkages between the United Nations' third millennium development goal (MDG) 'to promote gender equality and to empower women' and MDG 7 'to ensure environmental sustainability', with target 10 'to halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation by 2015'. A synthesis of the evidence gathered for the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) shows the connections between women's wellbeing and water supply, sanitation facilities and hygiene practice. The paper shows that if women's interests relating to water and sanitation provision are at the centre of planning and implementation of programmes, this has a direct impact on women's life experience, their potential and opportunities. This work goes on to provide examples of the benefits to women when they themselves are involved in the planning, implementation and operation of water supply, sanitation and hygiene programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]