This book (2,88 MB) recognizes that sanitation is the foundation of human health, dignity and development. And it calls attention to a serious challenge – how to radically increase access to basic sanitation in ways that reflect the principles of economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability – the 3 E’s – on which the IWRM approach is built.

An important implication of this book  is the need to ensure that sanitation has a proper place in the development of IWRM and water efficiency plans, as called for in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. Using its experience in facilitating the preparation of IWRM Plans in several countries, GWP is well positioned to demonstrate to our partners the strong inter-relationships among sanitation and water resources management. Incorporating sanitation objectives into ongoing planning efforts could accelerate progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal target on sanitation and bring us closer to attaining a proper balance among efficiency, equity and environmental sustainability considerations.

The book provides an excellent overview of the state of sanitation in CEE countries, and offers sustainable sanitation solutions and a set of cases illustrating workable sanitation systems that could be scaled up across the region. The GWP CEE study has identified a gap of 20-40% of rural populations without sanitation policies because, in line with priorities agreed upon with the European Commission, the sanitation programs of many governments in the region thus far do not deal with settlements up to 2000 persons.