Introduction

There is a lack of literature on water and urban development in Latin America. This book intends to fill the conceptual and operational gap about the interconnection between water, urbanization and sustainable development in the Latin American context. The content is mainly based on the experience and lessons learned from the specific context of Latin America’s cities. It has been written with different audiences in mind: principally, policy-makers and planners in the public sector, practitioners working with water and related issues around the world; as well as a larger public including academia, the private sector and the civil society. This book is directed to all who are interested in a comprehensive understanding of policy development in the nexus of water and cities, and how policies in this area have been implemented in countries which are still struggling to achieve higher levels of economic and social performance – including the full service coverage in its cities, while at the same time balancing environmental and climate concerns.