The IRC Source Water and Sanitation News Service (Source News Service) publishes a portfolio of electronic and printed news products targeted at audiences in the North and South, to increase the spread of information and knowledge about water, sanitation and hygiene services and issues worldwide.

Source News Service is a product of the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre in collaboration with partners, to improve the free flow of information within the sector and to improve awareness of efforts within developing countries to solve the crisis of WASH provision and governance. News and feature articles highlight problems and efforts to seek solutions with an emphasis on rural and peri-urban areas in developing countries. Source News Service collates, writes and edits information from a range of sources, private and public, and its products are published free to the end users in English, French, Spanish and Japanese by IRC and local partners. This is a knowledge-based service with public service aims of accurate, timely and relevant materials, with high levels of objectivity and integrity. The service acknowledges the source of material wherever possible and gives references that allow readers to consult original sources.

Source News Service makes maximum use of the Internet and e-mail and will continue to make full use of new and emerging technologies to reach new audiences. However, Source also remains committed to paper products especially where people do not have reliable and easy access to the Internet.

The Source combination of news digests, original feature stories and news from contributing partners currently reach more than 40,000 policy makers, sector professionals and information specialists worldwide, as well as those involved in water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives at community level.

Date: Revised version June 2008

Authors: Cor Dietvorst, Dick de Jong, Caridad Machín Camacho