3.1 Cost of corruption in the WASH sector

An unrecognised cost of delivering decentralised WASH services is corruption. Recently it has become more widely recognised that the WASH sector has a corruption issue it needs to confront (see Global Corruption Report, Transparency International, 2008). Corruption can occur at all points along a ‘value chain’ that stretches from donors and financiers, through national government and sector agencies to local governments and the frontline where utilities, communities and contractors are working to keep the taps running and toilets functioning.

It has been shown that under some conditions, decentralisation can lead to an increase in corruption in WASH service delivery where local agencies lack capacity and checks and balances are weak or missing. It has been argued that preventing corruption taking root as resources are transferred to local levels is vital and easier than trying to clean up afterwards.

This session will include input from:

• Transparency International
• Fontes Foundation
• Transparencia Internacional-Colombia
• Water Integrity Network, and
• others.