The scope for involving private capital participation in wastewater treatment and pollution control is attracting attention in a number of countries. After noting briefly some influences giving rise to this trend, this paper discusses frameworks in which such participation may be developed.
In some aspects, there are choices available and it is essential to shape the private participation appropriately to the community's situation and problems, with due recognition of the hazards also involved. In other aspects, policy choices are more constrained, and there are requirements which it is suggested all private participation frameworks should provide for as clearly as possible.
Effective private participation generally depends on re-designing and strengthening the role of government as the scale of its former role is reduced. Getting this re-design of the government role right is at least as important as making appropriate choices for format of private participation.