Good news. A hefty report from the world of social consultancy confirms the 300in6 vision that scaling-up is not a simple question of “Much more of the same”. We have always argued that safe water for all requires the building of a coherent, entire sector, and new forms of cooperation.

The study ‘Access to Safe Water for the Base of the Pyramid’, led by the French Hystra team, asserts it will “require the creation of entire new industries, rather than the growth of a few organizations”. Absolutely.

It’s thoughtfully-composed (a shame, mind you, about that patrician, Brahminic, “for” in the title), detailed, rich (103,000 words), revealing and sector-searching. Do read it. Some conventional safe water pro’s have been bristling at its findings, but, as the French say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking an egg. It’s not all French though: the Dutch water sector was well-involved, including Aqua for All (of 300in6); our Swiss core members shared in the research; and one case study focuses on a 300in6 ‘member’.

Go to  www.hystra.com to download Executive Summary (36p, 7.3 Mb) and Full Report (256p, 12.3Mb)