Transparency Watch (TW): You have worked in the water sector for almost 20 years. Have you had to face corruption at any point?

Teun Bastemeijer (TB): Corruption has many faces. I can give examples at every level, for example at the community level where leaders can take advantage of the water or sanitation systems by locating taps, hand pumps and subsidised latrines near their houses. At the municipal level it is not uncommon for a mayor to use revenues from the sale of drinking water for his campaign or petty cash. Corruption is often related to the unauthorised or illegal dumping of wastes in rivers because it’s often cheaper to pay off an official than to construct a treatment plant. Unfortunately, there are so many concrete examples that I could go on for ages.

TW: What makes corruption in the water sector such a fundamental issue?

TB: Corruption is one of the key factors contributing to the destruction of natural resources and therefore also water sources. To put it very briefly: corruption leads to the fact that the water, sanitation, food and environment related UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Targets will not be met, meaning a lot of people may die because of corruption, because they don’t have access to vital basic resources. This may be a blunt way of putting it, but I believe it’s not far from the truth.

TW: Developing countries are facing dramatically rising food prices, even causing riots in the streets of Cameroon and Haiti. How does corruption in the water sector relate to poverty and development?

TB: Water and sanitation are key factors in improving the situation of the poor. Any shortcomings can condemn people to poverty, preventing them from reaching a degree of inclusiveness in the economic development that is necessary to combat poverty. The 2008 Global Corruption Report (GCR) on corruption in the water sector - coming out end of June - states that water is one of the main factors vital for economic development, as does the 2006 Human Development Report. Corruption can affect the efficiency of investments and the lifetime performance of infrastructure and facility services in such a way that it causes death and destruction.

TW: How does the WIN tackle corruption?

TB: The WIN concentrates on capacities in the water sector, including environment and sanitation with issues such as water pollution and access to reliable water sources, but we also try to engage actors outside the water sector who can help to tackle corruption because they have the knowledge and experience, as well as commitment, to work on water related issues. We are an expanding network with over 600 members drawn from international organisations, civil society organisations, as well as public and private sectors. We have individual and corporate members from many countries. Through our relationship with Transparency International (TI), we can gain access to information that is needed to fight, identify or diagnose the risk of corruption, but there are thematic areas that need water specialist skills and knowledge. We also do national and international advocacy, as well as local actions, and hope to link up with some of the TI national chapter activities. Though this link with TI and other strategic networks we hope to be able to become a platform for water and governance related organisations to meet.

TW: What are the priorities of your work with WIN for the next year? What are the key events taking place?

TB: The launch for the 2008 GCR is on 25 June in New York with the United Nations Development Programme. In this context, we are also looking into events to publicise the GCR nationally and advocate for change at a country level. The Stockholm Water Week is in August followed shortly after by the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Athens in October. Regarding the IACC, we will facilitate discussions about corruption in the different water sectors, including or relating to the environment, sanitation, agriculture and energy. We will also ensure a strong participation of water specialists. In the short term, we hope to gain experience and disseminate lessons learnt through small projects under the recently launched Small Grant Fund and to access additional funds to support more action on the ground. With a view to long-term impact, we are developing a strategic programme framework 2009-2015, taking into consideration the UN Millennium Declaration designated 2015 milestone.