These factsheets on microfinance for water supply services and sanitation explore and discuss microfinance for the water and sanitation sector.
Published on: 16/03/2006
Microfinance has existed for centuries around the world, including Africa, but 2005, the UN year of microcredit, was instrumental to inform and advocate for microfinance. Mainstream banks such as Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, the Brazilian Unibanco and ICICI Indonesia have now found out that the poor, like everyone else, attach great value to being able to save and to face unexpected expenses. Historically, microfinance has focused on other sectors (such as trade, small scale producers). As the topic of financing water supply services has moved up the policy agenda, it has received considerably more attention in recent years within the water sector.
