At the end of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade, WHO and UNICEF decided to combine their experience and resources in a Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.

At its inception, the overall aim of the Joint Monitoring Programme was to improve planning and management within countries by supporting countries in monitoring the water and sanitation sector. This concept evolved and the JMP included within its aims the recurrent preparation of global assessments of the water supply and sanitation sector.

The Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 (GWSSA) report provides a global picture, analyses sector performance and the situation in large cities before looking at the challenges that lie ahead. It then covers the whole world through presentation of data from six regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern America and Oceania). To order a copy of the "Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000 report" or any other publication of the WHO, click here.