The role of RWSN/HTN was originally to maintain momentum built up during the UN International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (IDWSSD) 1981-1990 concerning improved access to safe drinking water for rural populations in the South. The network initially focused on community-based, handpump-related issues, promoting global co-ordination and collaboration between governments, external support agencies and other sector agencies. This factsheet describes HTN's activities and evolution from 1992 to 2004.