Executive Summary

The countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) inherited a well‐developed network of water infrastructure from the Soviet period. However, since then, it has seriously deteriorated due to a lack of operation and maintenance, insufficient finance, weak institutions, as well as external factors, such as economic and demographic changes, and rapidly rising energy prices. As a result, people in the region have faced a steady decline in levels and quality of service, as well as significant threats to human health, ecosystems, and economic development.