The politics of water have taken centre stage in global concerns about sustainable development. The Governance of Water and Sanitation in Africa investigates a new mode of achieving the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people who lack access to safe water and sanitation by 2015. Instead of aid delivered via deals between governments, an initiative arising out of the 2002 World Summit established multi-stakeholder partnerships involving the private sector, civil society and governments to work together in a more effective way. Fieldwork and interviews with key players in Europe, South Africa, Zambia, Ghana and USA, and an examination of three partnerships in Africa, including the EU Water Initiative, reveal that despite current weaknesses this model offers a promising mode of delivery in the long term. This book is invaluable for all those concerned with issues of water, sanitation and sustainable development, as well as the politics of international aid.