Corruption in the water sector

International Anti-Corruption Day 9 December 2011 
Statement by Teun Bastemeijer, Director of the Water Intergrity Network (WIN)

Corruption in the water sector happens every day, anywhere

Corruption is in many places of the world part of daily life.  The first time I experienced corruption was whilst working in Madagascar in 1983. I also experienced extortion by traffic police in Nicaragua and elsewhere. During my stay   in Tanzania around 1993 I experienced firsthand how corruption in the water sector works in practice. Service providers took out pipes and cut off our poorly functioning house connection because they were bribed to ensure high pressure and enough water for spraying gardens in the same neighbourhood.

We had to pay to get some cut off water and also telephone services back. It can also be a professional issue. No matter what organisation or institution, anyone working in the water sector has most likely witnessed suspected corruption or wilful malpractice, or at least heard about it. There are many cases where wrong investments are made or where the same infrastructure is paid for several times from different sources.

I realised that the issue can be addressed in a constructive and professional way by working with multiple stakeholders when I participated in a one day workshop in 2007. I joined WIN in 2008. WIN was only in its early stage of establishing itself as an international NGO, after having been founded

In 2006. Since then I have witnessed a growing interest in the issue, from across society. Talking about corruption has become less of a taboo than before. We at WIN are particularly happy that our collective voice has been heard and that the water sector is now engaging more seriously in

Enhancing good governance through transparency, integrity, accountability and anti-corruption identification.

 

Without enhancing water integrity and good governance with a clear anti-corruption perspective, success will not be achieved despite good concepts and technological innovations. It is of great importance for WIN and its partners to find solutions to reduce the detrimental effects of corruption in the future through corruption prevention and a pro-poor approach.

 

WIN therefore stands for strong partnerships and alliances throughout the water sector and beyond. It is these partnerships and alliances which allows speaking with a collective strong voice against corruption and for change in the water sector. However, real changes need to happen at local level but this also requires change in national institutions, policies and in attitudes and behaviour.

 

We are gradually seeing a certain momentum towards these changes in countries where WIN works with other stakeholders.

 

Future opportunities and challenges ahead in the coming year, we would like to build capacities of

People and organisations to use water integrity and anticorruption tools in a professional and solution oriented way through partnerships with other organisations and networks. We see however upcoming challenges in conditions of water, energy and food scarcities. The future

Will see an ever more increasing competing demand on our scarce natural resources. Those who currently control the access to resources may not be keen on initiatives which improve governance and address corruption.

 

Make change happen

My final message is short and concise: stay clean!

WASH Journalists handout on WASH and AIDS

AIDS patient in Nigeria

                                                                     By Babatope Babalobi

The challenges facing people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) are numerous; lack of safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation and hygiene education are just a few. In countries where antiretroviral drug therapy is keeping PLHIV well enough to resist most other life-threatening opportunistic infections, they are still dying from diarrhea.

• Every year over 2.8 million people die from AIDS. Over 33 million people live with HIV, most in low- and middle-income countries including West Africa.

• Improved nutrition and food security reduces susceptibility to diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
• Proper nutrition is a key aspect to maintain the health of PLHIV taking antiretroviral drug therapy.

• Diarrhea blocks nutrient absorption creating a cycle of poor nutrition among PLHIV.
• People living with HIV/AIDS and others with compromised immune systems, are more prone to common illnesses and diseases such as diarrhea. As such, access to improved sanitation and water supply is essential to the overall health of people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Opportunistic infections, resulting from water and sanitation related diseases and immune suppression in people living with HIV can accelerate the progression of HIV to AIDS. The frequency of those infections is closely tied to the level of water and sanitation services available to households affected by HIV/AIDS as well as the hygiene practices of household members.
• Diarrheal disease and various types of skin diseases are common secondary (or ‘opportunistic’) infections.[
• Households caring for PLHIV with advanced illness may also require a greater quantity of water than other households for medicines, bathing and laundry. This adds to the existing burden on caregivers to collect water

Solutions that work

• Improved water supply and sanitation reduces susceptibility to and severity of HIV/AIDS and other major diseases.

• Providing access to a safe, reliable and sufficient water supply and basic sanitation is essential for both the people living with HIV/AIDS and their caretakers who are often relatives, friends and neighbors.

• Improved access to a sustainable water supply lessens the risk of sexual violence, a risk factor for HIV, experienced during water collection.
• One study of people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda found that the presence of a latrine reduced the risk of diarrheal disease by 31%.
• Water and sanitation services which are located in close proximity to HIV-affected households can have important labor saving effects, reducing the burden of caregiving and allowing more time for other activities, including school and income generation.
• Potable drinking water is often used to soften foods, making them more palatable for the chronically ill