Year of publication: 2008

Blankwaardt, B., Casella, D., Smet, S. and Snel, M. (2008) Local governance for basic urban services : country cases from Burkina Faso, Egypt and Sri Lanka 2003 - 2007. (Technical paper / IRC ; no. 51). Delft, The Netherlands, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre. 56 p.
Price: hard copy - € 9.00, e-copy - free of charge

The Basic Urban Services (BUS) Initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of local authorities and their partners in dealing with access to basic urban services, such as water and sanitation, in poorly serviced low-income urban neighbourhoods. These services affect the majority of the urban poor and represent the most common environmental issues needing to be addressed at local level.

This booklet presents a summary of IRC activities within the BUS framework, carried out over a five-year period (2003-2007) through an Agreement of Cooperation with UNCHS (UN-Habitat). The activities formed an integral part of the Second Phase Dutch Support to the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP), aimed at ensuring that local partners, including municipalities, play an important role in achieving the Millennium Declaration targets for poverty reduction.

The booklet underlines how good local governance is a precondition for sustainable delivery and improved access to basic urban services by the urban poor. It also highlights the major experiences and lessons learnt and the remaining challenges, and suggests ways forward, in particular in scaling up BUS demonstration projects.

Downloadhere or order a hard copyhere

Tags: capacity development, governance, sanitation, scaling up, urban wash, water resources management