Edited by RIchard Carter, this Waterlines journal is a special issue dedicated to the topic of multiple-use services. It compiles the reasearch work of various members of the MUS group spanning the countries of Honduras to Nepal. Overall, the journal offers insight into the signficance and need to institutionalise MUS, and encourages further research and practise of the approach.

The fundamental idea of multiple use systems states the blindingly obvious – at least what is obvious to water users, if not to some water sector professionals. People use water for many purposes, some of which sustain life and health (but have no direct economic benefit), others of which are productive in the sense of offering the opportunity of a cash income. [authors abstract]