Cooperating towards MDG success

Abstract

Prof Mara’s research interests lie in public health and environmental engineering, specifically low-cost sanitation solution to developing countries, and the costeffective treatment of wastewater for reuse. Apart from being a lecturer at Leeds University, he has served as an advisor to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the World Health Organisation, and published numerous books and papers on the subject. “T o meet the water and sanitation MDGs some 300 000 people have to be provided with improved water supplies and 440 000 with improved sanitation every day until 2015,” he tells the Water Wheel. “This means we will have to redouble our present efforts. While most governments have the political will to meet these goals, the money and the know-how often remains lacking.” Prof Mara suggests a change in the way basic water and sanitation services are supplied. Rather than providing services to individual households in urban and peri-urban areas, the focus should be on providing services to groups of households.

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