In late 2018, we launched an investigative journalism fund to support research on the scale and impact of corruption worldwide. Just this month the first recipients have published a story on a corruption case in Zimbabwe.
April has also been packed with events. These have been an opportunity for many partners to unveil interesting new research and evidence for the WASH sector. In particular, we have been following discussions in the preparations and follow-up of the SWA High-level Meeting and have been happy to take part in the RWSN 2019 webinar series, which continues through June 2019.
Here’s a small selection of key pieces from April 2019.
The links here go to original material on external websites.
WIN is not responsible for the accuracy of external content.
Mobilising finance for WASH: getting the foundation right
This new report by Water.org, IRC and the World Bank, looks at the enabling environment for WASH finance and identifies 10 foundational issues that can be promoted to increase WASH financing (with very interesting case examples). It also highlights the fact that a lack of anti-corruption measures is undermining creditworthiness of service providers in many regions. A must read.
Download at:
http://sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/report-closing-the-financing-gap-for-safe-water-and-sanitation-access/
Blog post series on professional borehole drilling
In the run-up to a webinar on a best practices for water borehole drilling, RWSN has published a series of four blog posts by Elizabeth Liddle related to research on borehole drilling in Uganda. The posts focus on the set up of contracts, the institutional framework, and the role of the private sector. They touch on the scale of corruption and how bribes and other poor integrity practices affect sustainability of systems and the motivation or capacity of suppliers and stakeholders to deliver better service, highlighting the need for more professionalism and better governance.
Read all four blogs in French and English on the RSWN blog:
- Turnkey contracts for borehole siting and drilling
- Understanding the invisible: Uganda’s efforts to increase access to detailed groundwater data
- Attracting the best: Why some experienced consultants and drilling contractors are no longer willing to work for district local government
- Regulating the private sector
Shady water tender leaves Mutare suburbs dry
An investigation into the details of a 2010 botched tender in Mutare, Zimbabwe and the legal procedures still ongoing against the main protagonists. The current lack of funds to upgrade infrastructure for the city means that the population is still reeling from the impact of the case. WIN supported part of the research through its investigative journalism fund.
Read the article here:
https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2019/04/shady-water-tender-leaves-mutare-suburbs-dry/
Emerging themes on considering water equity
This report from REACH, a global research programme to improve water security for the poor, discusses differentiated water experiences and how they reproduce various inequalities, particularly in relation to gender. Based on studies in eight countries across Africa and Asia, it provides a useful overview of under-explored themes related to water equity.
Download the report here:
https://reachwater.org.uk/resource/emerging-themes-on-considering-water-equity/