This volume analyses the causes underlying the dire state of water infrastructure in the NIS and presents recommendations for addressing it which were adopted at a meeting of Economic/Finance and Environment Ministers held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October 2000.

In the former Soviet Union, extensive networks were constructed to supply urban populations with clean, safe water. However, the networks were not well designed and this resulted in low quality water services and high operation and maintenance costs. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the condition of water infrastructure deteriorated more dramatically following sharp decreases in public budgets and the continued tradition of providing water services virtually free of charge. Without urgent action, the quality of services will continue to worsen and, in some of the New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union, may even collapse, with serious consequences for human health and economic activity. This volume analyses the causes underlying this dire situation and presents recommendations for addressing it which were adopted at a meeting of Economic/Finance and Environment Ministers held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in October 2000. The meeting was organized within the framework of the EAP Task Force, with its Secretariat at OECD, and involved key stakeholders from the governmental and non-governmental sectors. The EAP Task Force will implement a focused programme of work guided by the main recommendations agreed by participants. The volume will be of interest to all those working to improve urban water supply and sanitation services in transition and emerging economies. This report is part of the OECD's ongoing co-operation with non-Member economies around the world. Proceeding of Consultation between Economic/Finance and Environment Ministers, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 16-17 October 2000.

This publication brings together the recent work of the OECD on water management issues. It identifies the main policy challenges addressed by that work for sustainable water management.

This volume explores whether and how trade liberalisation can contribute to achieving universal service goals in telecommunications, water and sanitation, financial services, and electricity, and the types of complementary policies that may be required.

This book presents a method to develop financing strategies for investment-heavy environmental infrastructure, such as urban water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, and municipal solid waste.

Hydrological variability, increasing competition for water, and the need for regulatory flexibility may increasingly compel governments to adopt measures with significant economic impact on foreign investment. In International Investment Law and Water Resources Management, Daza-Clark offers an appraisal of indirect expropriation, revisiting the well-known doctrine of the police power. Through the lens of international investment law, the author explores a framework that assesses the legitimate exercise of police power with particular attention to the special nature of water resources.

There is no question that water pricing and public-private partnership can improve water management practices in the future. However, this concept is neither the cure-all many proponents argue, nor the disaster its opponents forecast. Providing a comprehensive and objective assessment of what does and does not work, where, why and under what circumstances, this informative collection assesses the social, economic, equity and institutional implications. This cohesive set of carefully selected essays, the result of The Third World Centre for Water Management and the Inter-American Development Bank's decision to objectively and critically assess the experiences in these areas, transcends the current dogmatic debate on these complex issues. Providing an in-depth analysis and assessment of the main issues and constraints of water pricing, private sector participation and their affect on water supply, the collection draws on illustrative case studies from Argentina, Brazil, the USA and Western European countries amongst others. This is a special issue of the Journal of Water Resource Development.

This book provides a coherent analysis of the environmental challenges and achievements in institutional strengthening and policy reform, environmental policy instruments, environmental financing, and environmental management in enterprises in transition countries.