This document was produced by the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) with contributing editors Catarina Fonseca, Marieke Adank, Deirdre Casella and Martine Jeths, in cooperation with the International Water and Sanitation Center (IRC) and contributing editors Peter van der Linde and Bianca Dijkshoorn. Originally published in October 2007, this 33-page document is available here.
This paper was published as an introduction to the use of microfinance services in developing sustainable infrastructure to provide drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services to poor communities in developing countries. Water supply and sanitation activities are not traditionally targeted by microfinance institutions because they are not seen as income-generating businesses. Recently, more and more microfinance institutions argue that sustainable businesses can be established in water supply and sanitation projects.