ABSTRACT
Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions of the world. Currently, drinking water and sanitation infrastructure is either non-existent or in bad shape in large areas of many Latin American cities, with only 10% of wastewater being currently treated in the region. It is estimated that 85% of the region’s population will be urbanized in 2025, thereby putting extra pressure on these already insufficient infrastructures. Clearly, this constitutes a regional challenge for environment and development. The situation in the Caribbean, though very different, is nonetheless extreme, with highly concentrated populations on small island states that have limited water resources and, in many cases, infrastructure as bad as, or worse, than that in many parts of Latin America.
