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TitleAssessing microfinance for water and sanitation : exploring opportunities for sustainable scaling up
Publication TypeMiscellaneous
Year of Publication2008
AuthorsMehta, M
Pagination66 p. : fig., tab.
Date Published2008-07-01
PublisherBill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Place PublishedSeattle, WA, USA
Keywordsfinancing, low-income communities, microcredit, research, sanitation, sdiman, sustainability, water supply
Abstract

This study examines the potential market for expanding small-scale banking and credit services to the poor, enabling them to pay for sustainable water and sanitation. The study draws its information from global datasets and activities in 38 countries throughout Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and interviews with nearly 100 practitioners from the microfinance and water, sanitation, & hygiene sectors. The study includes the following details: some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have sought to overcome the financial barriers to the poor through micro-lending schemes. While preliminary evidence suggests that these approaches can work, there is limited understanding about whether they present a long-term solution that could be scaled to benefit millions; the potential market size is estimated to be $12 billion over the next 10 years; and examples from around the world show what is--and isn’t--working to achieve sustainability and scale. The study uses a broader definition of microfinance that includes small loans to household borrowers, and funding of small projects with loan sizes of less than half a million USD from conventional microfinance providers and other financial sector players on a commercial basis. The term “water supply and sanitation” essentially covers services for safe water supply and the disposal of excreta in both rural and urban areas.

NotesBibliography: p. 60-66
Custom 1202.8, 302.8

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