This is the second UN-HABITAT global report on Water and Sanitation in the World’s Cities. This publication looks at small urban centres which tend to be overlooked, however they are the first tier markets and service providers for rural enterprise and development. Attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) overall will depend to a large extent on how we can strengthen the prospects of local economic development and improve the living and working conditions of small towns and cities which, in turn, depend on access to clean water and improved sanitation. This publication has a pivotal role to play in global and local thinking on service provision, and a critical contribution to the road map to meeting the MDGs.