TI projects & activities /corruption in water/other thematic issues/global priorities

TI projects & activities

Transparency and Integrity in Service Delivery in Africa (TISDA)

The TISDA programme – implemented over a period of 3 years (July 2008 to June 2011) with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, supports African civil society in working with citizens to demand transparent and accountable financial management in the education, health and water sectors as a key prerequisite to improved basic service delivery and to ending the diversion of funds by private interests.

As part of the TISDA programme, TI chapters in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal will be implementing a survey evaluating the risk of corruption through country-specific risk maps. Outputs will help raise awareness and help in defining advocacy projects for future water service delivery. The first research phase is carried out with a range of partners and stakeholders in the countries cited, including civil society, government agencies and the private sector. This assessment phase is expected to take one year, followed by the launch of the corruption risk maps, which should be available by 2010.

The Water Integrity Network (WIN)

Founded in August 2006 at the World Water Week, The Water Integrity Network (WIN) is a an international coalition of water experts, field workers, academics and activists dedicated to tackling corruption in the sector. The WIN’s founding members include the International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) in the Netherlands, the Swedish Water House, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), TI and the Water and Sanitation Program-Africa (WSP-Africa). The activities and strategies of WIN are facilitated by a WIN Secretariat hosted by Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin.

Further information on the WIN and its founding members is available at:
http://www.waterintegritynetwork.net/

IACC 2008. Reducing Corruption in Municipal Water Supply and Sanitation Services

On October 31st, 2008, the 13th IACC, TI-S in collaboration with the International Sanitation and Water Centre (IRC), PM Global Infrastructure Inc., the World Bank Institute (WBI), and the Water Integrity Network (WIN) held a special training event: Combating Corruption in Municipal Water Supply and Sanitation Services (WSS). The overall goal of the training session was to present and train participants on the tools, instruments and strategies relevant to promoting transparency, integrity and accountability in the delivery of municipal services in water supply and sanitation.

Over two two-hour sessions, the workshop focused on the following aspects of local government services: (a) use of diagnostic tools to identify corruption (b) use of anti-corruption tools in improving municipal water supply and sanitation (c) developing action plans for addressing corruption and improving transparency, integrity and accountability in the water sector. Case studies from Honduras, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Zambia were used to illuminate the major points in the presentation.

Further information on the IACC can be found at:
http://www.13iacc.org/

Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum

The multi-stakeholder Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum aims to establish a broadly endorsed sustainability assessment tool to measure and guide performance in the hydropower sector. The Forum’s work centers on the International Hydropower Association’s (IHA) Sustainability Guidelines and Assessment Protocol. The Forum will determine the relevant issues to be included in the assessment protocol and the measurement approach for each of these issues. The work plan involves input from experts on key hydropower sustainability themes, on the ground assessments of schemes, workshop sessions focused on the Protocol, and input from key stakeholder reference groups. The Forum seeks at all times to operate with transparency, good will and by consensus. It is expected that the new guidelines will be available in early 2010.

Further information available at:
http://www.hydropower.org/sustainable_hydropower/HSAF.html

World Bank Communication Guidelines Relating to Governance Reform and Sustainable Infrastructure Development: Opportunities in Dam Planning and Management

The World Bank, Transparency International (TI) and other partners (the International Hydropower Association, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are supporting an initiative to prepare communications guidelines for practitioners and stakeholders involved in water infrastructure development. It is part of the ongoing effort to promote sustainable infrastructure development and tackle corruption risks on water infrastructure projects. Emphasis is placed on enhancing the role of communications in linking dam planning and management to governance and anti-corruption reforms. These guidelines will be informed by case studies focusing on the roles of governance, sustainability and communications including the SOUTH AFRICA: Berg Water Project and the LESOTHO: Highlands Water Project. It is expected that the guidelines will be available in 2009.

Botin Foundation- Third Botin Foundation Water Forum on Ethical Issues in Water Management

The Botin Foundation in cooperation with UNESCO (Division of Water Sciences), the United Nations University (UNU) and Transparency International organized a workshop on Water Ethics, which was held in Santander, Spain, from 12 – 14 June, 2007. The twenty participants, representing government, the UN System, the private sector, civil society, research institutes and academia made presentations reflecting many facets of this debate. The proceedings of this workshop will be published under the title ´Third Botin Water Workshop: Water Ethics´ which will be published by Taylor and Francis based in London, UK. The book will be launched at the Fifth World Water Forum, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2009.

The abstract of Chapter XX of the book `Corruption and Transparency in the Water Sector´, which was authored by Donal O’Leary of Transparency International is included below.

Chapter XX. Corruption and Transparency in the Water Sector

ABSTRACT: This chapter sets out the experience of Transparency International (TI) in fighting corruption worldwide in the water sector. It focuses on identifying the sources of corruption in the sector and the available toolkits (best practices) for combating it. Case studies from Cambodia, Japan, Colombia and Pakistan are used to illustrate some of the major points. The chapter highlights the importance of forming inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches to fight corruption, involving government, regulators, utilities, the private sector and civil society organizations (CSOs) and uses as an example the Water Integrity Network (WIN) –a recent initiative to set up a network to combat corruption in the water sector.

Further information on Botin Foundation and its activities is available at:
http://www.fundacionmbotin.org/en/english_version.htm

TI Presentations at International Events/ Videos

2009

23 – 22 June, Reykjavik
International Hydropower Association (IHA), World Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower, Read more…

1 April, Washington DC
Improving Integrity, Transparency & Accountability in the Water Sector: Joint CSIS/TI/WBI Launch