At the outset of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) period 68 countries are not on track to achieve universal basic water services and 89 countries will not achieve universal basic sanitation services by 2030 (WHO/UNICEF, 2017). Furthermore, the SDGs challenge us to go even further than basic service provision, through the introduction of new standards of ‘safely managed’ services. Based on simple extrapolations, even more countries will fail to achieve universal safely managed services by 2030 unless major changes take place in the next 13 years.

Gerlach, E., Franceys, R. and Howsam, P. (2008) ‘Pro-poor economic regulation’, in R. Franceys and E. Gerlach (eds), Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor: Economic Regulation for Public and Private Partnerships, London: Earthscan.

WHO/UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines, Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Gerlach, E., Franceys, R. and Howsam, P. (2008) ‘Pro-poor economic regulation’, in R. Franceys and E. Gerlach (eds), Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor: Economic Regulation for Public and Private Partnerships, London: Earthscan.

WHO/UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines, Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Gerlach, E., Franceys, R. and Howsam, P. (2008) ‘Pro-poor economic regulation’, in R. Franceys and E. Gerlach (eds), Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor: Economic Regulation for Public and Private Partnerships, London: Earthscan.

WHO/UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines, Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Gerlach, E., Franceys, R. and Howsam, P. (2008) ‘Pro-poor economic regulation’, in R. Franceys and E. Gerlach (eds), Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor: Economic Regulation for Public and Private Partnerships, London: Earthscan.

WHO/UNICEF (2017) Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017 Update and SDG Baselines, Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).