The importance of small towns is gaining increased recognition as a result of two developments. The first development concerns the possible role of small towns in migration flows and urbanization. Development of small towns, in the form of improved basic services and other amenities, has been promoted in order to abate the impact of urbanization on large urban centres and to alleviate service provision pressures in major urban centers, whilst stimulating rural economies and eventually prompting social transformations. The second development concerns the targets set by the SDGs in 2015. SDG6 requires countries to ensure universal and equitable water services by 2030. This inclusive target requires that the water services needs of small towns are considered in the expansion of sustainable and equitable water services. This book aims to contribute to the study of water services in small towns by critically examining different approaches and experiences of water supply in small towns. It brings together empirical testimonies of how the implementation of reductionist models and the perseverance of certain principles underlying these models in the water sector have yielded suboptimal results. Much remains to be done before achieving universal service coverage in small towns is likely. In order to do that, we should start speaking of small towns as a category on their own and continue the work in elaborating further what these are and how they work. In Focus - a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector.

Water Services Management and Governance focuses on water services (water supply, wastewater services) and deals with connections between water resources and services and water resources. It covers water supply mainly in urban communities, sanitation and pollution control and water resources and their linkages to water services. This book is divided in to four key sections relating to governance frameworks, technology and socio-ecological interactions, government and governance, and long terms policies. The chapters analyse the complexity of the water services sector based on a historical analysis of developments within the sector. The underlying conviction is that only by understanding past trends, processes and developments can the current situation in the water services be understood. Only through this understanding can policies for sustainable water services in the future be formulated. The four key sections relate to governance frameworks, technology and socio-ecological interactions, government and governance, and long terms policies. Water Services Management and Governance raises awareness that an understanding of the past is a necessity to explore potential, probable and preferable futures. It is an essential basis for water sector reforms in any country, region or community. The book is written for experts in water utilities, ministries, municipalities, NGOs, donor agencies, private companies and regulators; as well as students and researchers in water policy and governance, and the management of water resources, services and infrastructure. EDITORS Dr. Petri S. Juuti is a historian, and Adjunct Professor in the universities of Tampere, Oulu and Turku. Tapio S. Katko, Civil engineer, Adjunct Professor, UNESCO Chairholder in Sustainable Water Services at Tampere University of Technology, Finland. Klaas Schwartz, Senior Lecturer, Urban Water Governance in the Department of Integrated Water Systems and Governance at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, the Netherlands. Assistant Editor: Riikka P. Rajala, Environmental Engineer, Post-Doctoral researcher in University of Tampere, Finland. REVIEWS "This welcome addition to the literature on water governance is a timely, thorough, and practical set of assessments of management challenges facing water service providers around the world. The diverse set of case studies, many of which focus on reforms to water supply provision, will be of interest to students and practitioners alike." KAREN BAKKER, Professor/Canada Research Chair, Director of the Program on Water Governance, The University of British Columbia "The anthology makes a very useful contribution to speed up the slow political awakening of reaching universal water services coverage: The lack of water services is in most cases not due to shortages of water, money and technologies, it is rather about poor governance. It provides many different insights from various cultural and political contexts and outlines and explains current changes in the governance architectures of water supply and sanitation." DR. HAKAN TROPP, Director, Water Governance Facility, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

Resilient Water Services and Systems: The Foundation of Well-Being provides an overarching framework on water and sanitation services and how they are coping with resilience, aging infrastructure and climate change. The Editors present conceptual evidence about resilience backed by case studies that demonstrate resilience in practice. There are 13 case studies, from Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America, providing informative perspectives from around the world. This is a timely collection of historic and contemporary evidence that will have increasing relevance in the coming decades. This volume will be of relevance to both scholars and practitioners. "Resilient water services are the key to water security across the world. Sustaining them is a challenging task in high-income countries where aging infrastructure is a critical issue, and in low-income countries where new infrastructure is needed and ability-to-pay is a more formidable barrier to success. The editors have compiled a succinct analysis and assembled case studies that cover diverse regions and contexts. From this book the reader will gain a wealth of knowledge about water services, as well as rich vicarious experiences from the cases." Neil Grigg, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, USA