Over one billion people live with inadequate access to safe drinking water with dramatic consequences for lives, livelihoods and development. Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report 2008 demonstrates in its thematic section that corruption is a cause and catalyst for this water crisis which is likely to be further exacerbated by climate change. Corruption affects all aspects of the water sector from water resources management to drinking water services, irrigation and hydropower. Scholars and professionals document the impact of corruption in the sector with case studies from all around the world and offer practical suggestions for reform. The second part of the Report provides a snapshot of corruption-related developments in 35 countries from all world regions. The third part presents summaries of corruption-related research, highlighting innovative methodologies and new empirical findings that help to better understand the dynamics of corruption and devise more effective anti-corruption strategies.
• Features analysis of corruption in the water sector and its consequences, particularly on the environment and the poor • Explores promising approaches to tackling corruption in the water sector and presents practical policy recommendations for making water governance work • Includes 35 country reports from all world regions that provide an overview of key corruption trends around the world • Presents 14 summaries of the latest empirical research on corruption related issues
Contents
Part I. Corruption in the Water Sector: 1. Introducing water and corruption; 2. Water resources management; 3. Water and sanitation; 4. Water for food; 5. Water for energy; 6. Conclusions; Part II. Country Reports: 7. Corruption through a national lens; 7.1. Africa and Middle East: Cameroon, Kenya, Niger, Palestinian Authority, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zambia; 7.2. Americas: Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, United States; 7.3. Asia and the Pacific: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines; 7.4. Europe and Central Asia: Armenia, Austria, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom; Part III. Research: 8. The big picture: measuring corruption and benchmarking progress in the fight against corruption; 9. Sectoral insights: capturing corruption risks and performance in key sectors; 10. Understanding the details: investigating the dynamics of corruption.
Reviews
'Water is a human right and therefore anything which disrupts its reach to the needy needs to be addressed. Corruption is highest on the list of the barriers to the access of water for life and livelihood. It therefore needs to be tackled in a systematic manner as the GCR 2008 does.' Vishwanath Srikantaiah, Advisor, Arghyam
'Corruption in the water governance sector casts a long shadow on economic development- particularly among the poorer developing countries. The various facets of this important Report will not only help to sensitize the associated problems but will also be an effective tool for activists seeking environmental justice, poverty reduction and shared economic opportunities.' Muhammad Zamir, Former Secretary and Ambassador, Vice President, Bangladesh Water Partnership, Dhaka
'Unfortunately, we have brought with us into the current century outdated water policies, governance structures and institutions that do little to protect against water corruption. These corrupt practices include bribery at infrastructural development level, unauthorized water extraction by irrigators and illegal discharge of toxic waters into water bodies. This book not only details how corruption is impacting us all in terms of increased water charges and environmental costs, but also provides valuable recommendations for reform which should help stamp out corruption.' Dr Colin J. Chartres, Director General, International Water Management Institute
'[We] welcome this publication and the emphasis on the need for good governance, transparent aid flows and active civil society. Safe water and sanitation are human rights and if poor communities are denied these rights development cannot occur.' Barbara Frost, Chief Executive, WaterAid
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