In the water sector of developing countries the investment boom of the late 1990s has been followed by declining investment flows and the cancellation or distress of several high-profile projects. Enthusiasm has been replaced by doubts. But recent data paint a more nuanced picture. Activity in...

Uganda's national water utility has become known for its successful turnaround under public management. Less well known is that this success owes much to the introduction of private-sector-like practices to motivate employees. Following a mixed experience with two short-term management contracts...

Countries emerging from a devastating conflict need to rapidly restore access to basic water and sanitation services for their population. While donors usually stand ready with generous reconstruction packages, the conflict may have left local institutions ill equipped to make good use of those...

Thanks to a corporatization process spanning two decades, Burkina Faso's national water and sanitation utility ranks among the few well-managed public water utilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key to its success has been the government's unceasing commitment to reform, which included the successful...

The public-private partnership (PPP) for the national water utility of Cote d'Ivoire is the oldest and largest water PPP in the developing world. In place since 1960 and today serving more than 7 million people, this PPP has provided quality service for decades and made remarkable progress in...

Private participation in roads revived strongly in developing countries in 2005-06. The activity was concentrated in green field projects and in Asia and Latin America. The main reason for the revival has been the willingness of governments to provide support needed to attract the private...

In 2006, private participation in infrastructure continued its recovery for the third consecutive year from the steep downturn of the late 1990s. Activity was more evenly spread across all developing regions. However, it became more concentrated in less risky sub sectors, reflecting a lower...

This note asserts that Eastern Europe and Central Asia is attracting more investment to infrastructure projects with private participation than any other developing region except Latin America. Members of the European Union (EU) and countries seeking membership account for most of the...

This document is about the private participation in electricity. Private activity in electricity in developing countries has stabilized at a modest level since 2001. Private activity also became more evenly distributed between International Development Association (IDA) countries and non IDA...

Investment in private participation in infrastructure projects in developing countries in 2004 and 2005 increased sharply. Meanwhile, the distribution of investment across sectors and regions, and the allocation of risks between public and private parties, were shifting. Private sponsors started...