News stories
News items on corruption issues and measures to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in the water sector from IRC's newsletter Source Weekly.
Cambodia: World Bank suspends part of loan to water project
23 Jun 06
The World Bank's Institutional Integrity Department (INT) has found problems in seven WB supported projects in Cambodia, one of which is a water project.
Kenya: Dutch government stops financing water programme
15 May 06
Minister for Development Cooperation Agnes van Ardenne calls a temporary halt to the implementation of education, environment and water programmes in Kenya, worth EUR 118 million.
Japan: antitrust watchdog raids six water treatment plants
12 May 06
The Japanese Fair Trade Commission raided the offices of six water- treatment-plant makers on 18 April 2006 in an investigation into their alleged involvement in rigging bids for local government contracts.
Transparency: allies fighting corruption in the water sector
06 Apr 06
On 17 March 2006, during the 4th World Water Forum, Transparency International launched the Water Integrity Network, an initiative supported by the Stockholm International Water Institute and the World Bank. Presenters at a panel, held during the Forum, gave examples from Colombia and the Philippines of community-level initiatives in the fight against corruption in the water sector.
AquaFed: water industry lobby group under scrutiny
04 Apr 06
In a critical report, the International Federation of Private Water Operators (AquaFed), launched in October 2005, has been portrayed as lobby group for French water multinationals Suez and Veolia, which is using its influence to push for a pro-privatisation research agenda within the European Commission.
Severn Trent: UK water company to repay millions to customers
03 Apr 06
Severn Trent Water has been forced to repay GBP 42 million to 3.5 million of its UK customers after water regulator Ofwat found that the company has sent out inflated water bills. The Serious Fraud Office is investigating further allegations of falsified leakage data.
Water crisis: U.N. water report focuses on governance
13 Mar 06
“Mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia, a shortage of new investments in building human capacity as well as physical infrastructure” and environmental changes mean that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation will not be met if current trends persist. This is one of the conclusions of the 2nd United Nations World Water Development Report.
Global water crisis: corruption, repression play a major role, UN report
03 Mar 06
Corruption, restricted political rights and limited civil liberties are all factors that lie behind the growing global water crisis, says UNESCO. This is one of the conclusions of the 2nd UN World Water Development Report.
Lesotho: top NEPAD water advisor charged
01 Mar 06
Reatile Mochebelele, a former top Lesotho official on the Highlands Water Commission, now an influential adviser on water matters with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, has been charged with bribery involving over ZAR 1 million, reports the Sunday Times in South Africa.
Can we make water more transparent?
14 Nov 05
A seminar organised by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) during the World Water Week in Stockholm, reviewed strategies for improving transparency and honesty in the water and sanitation sector – lack of which could be preventing countries from achieving the MDGs. SIWI, Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), Transparency International and IRC have agreed to work together.
