"Local governments are judged on their ability to provide citizens with basic services such as water, sanitation, health care, basic education, waste management, transport and energy. UCLG's third global report on Decentralization and Local Democracy (GOLD III) examines the quality and extent of basic service provision and the current state-of-play of the local governance of basic services around the world. Each chapter is written by teams of specialists from that region. The report explains the role of local government in facilitating universal access to basic services, and the knock-on effects for reducing poverty and economic and social inequality. It includes discussions of best practices, significant case studies, emerging regional and global trends, and future challenges"--