Topic Guide: Corruption in Water and Sanitation Sector

Matthew Jenkins. 2017. The impact of corruption on access to safe water and sanitation for people living in poverty. U4 Helpdesk Answer. https://knowledgehub.transpare...

While a number of qualitative studies have identified the kinds of corruption in the sector which have particularly severe and deleterious effects on the poor, measuring this “poverty impact” has proved more challenging. Nonetheless, some, albeit rather dated, quantitative estimates do exist, and overall the literature lends some impression of the effect of corruption on the poor, particularly in terms of financial and health-related impact.

Measures to reduce corruption in this sector can be categorised in line with a recent “integrity wall” framework developed by the Water Integrity Network. Such approaches range from scaling up diagnostic efforts, promoting fair competition in procurement, strengthening monitoring and oversight from above and below, and promoting participation in water governance by the poorest and most marginalised in society.

Marie Chêne. 2009. Good Practice in Addressing Corruption in Water Resource Management Projects. U4 Helpdesk Answer. http://www.u4.no/publications/good-practice-in-addressing-corruption-in-water-resource-management-projects/  

Specific characteristics of water resource management (WRM) make this sector especially vulnerable to corruption. All major forms of corruption are prevalent in the WRM sector, including grand corruption, high-risk procurement, state and regulatory capture and the mismanagement of public resources. Measures to address corruption risks in WRM projects include addressing the sector’s diffuse governance system, strengthening institutional arrangements as well as monitoring and oversight mechanisms, and cleaning up procurement processes with the support of awareness raising and capacity building interventions. Transparency and participation are guiding principles for all water governance interventions, with the view to promoting citizen participation through open access to regulatory decisions, information disclosure, public hearing, and the introduction of effective complaint mechanisms and whistleblowing protection.