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Local governments are the frontline implementers for water and sanitation climate adaptation: they need integrity

  • 1 day ago
  • 3 min read

New guideline for local governments to implement water and sanitation climate adaptation projects with integrity: key risks and practical mitigation measures that make sense at local level


In brief:

  • New guideline introduces Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Anti-corruption (TAPA) for local governments as the critical foundation for climate resilient WASH.

  • Provides examples of how political capture and undue influence in early planning stages can lead to maladaptation, where projects shift risk rather than reducing it (e.g., seawalls that protect wealthy areas while accelerating erosion elsewhere).

  • Practical and tested at local level, the guidelines identifies straightfoward integrity risk mitigation measures across the adaptation project lifecycle (from planning to monitoring) and in the enabling environment.


Water is the primary medium through which climate change affects communities. Floods, droughts, storms, sea-level rise, and rising temperatures are already disrupting drinking water supplies, damaging sanitation infrastructure, and deepening inequalities—especially for those living in informal settlements and low-income areas.

While national governments set policy and global donors provide funds, it is local governments that are closest to communities experiencing climate impacts.

They receive central government transfers for climate-related projects, they deliver context-specific solutions and services, and they are most directly accountable to local people. Local governments need to get climate adaptation right. For this, they need financing and support. They also must addres governance and integrity risks.


Corruption, unjust resource distribution, and mismanaged infrastructure can exacerbate vulnerability to climate change, weaken responses, and divert needed resources for responses at local level. This can lead to maladptation. And yet, safeguards and oversight mechanisms on the use of climate funds do not always extend as strongly to the local government level, especially in emergencies.


An integrity guideline for local government climate adaptation work


A new WIN guideline provides a practical, project-cycle framework to identify and counter integrity risks at local level, helping ensure that adaptation investments related to water and sanitation deliver real and lasting outcomes.


The guideline complements broad climate-resilient WASH (CR-WASH) frameworks and guidance that desribe what resilience looks like, with practical input for local frontline implementers to ensure that these efforts are not undermined by governance failures.


This guideline was developed with review and input from county government officials in Makueni, Kenya, and is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

It is global in scope and includes specific case studies and examples from Kenya (Makueni, Kitui, Isiolo, Marsabit — Ward Climate Change Planning Committees), South Africa, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.


Key findings


  1. Integrity failures — including corruption, political capture, and weak oversight — are a major but underacknowledged driver of failed climate adaptation in water and WASH, turning well-funded projects into maladaptation.


  2. Every stage of the adaptation project cycle carries specific, documented integrity risks: from nepotism in staffing and biased technical assessments, to procurement fraud, substandard construction, and falsified monitoring data.


  3. Emergency and disaster response contexts are particularly high-risk, as expedited procurement and urgent fund disbursements frequently bypass standard accountability mechanisms.


  4. Community participation and feedback mechanisms are not just good practice — they are a practical anti-corruption safeguard, as demonstrated by Kenya's Ward Climate Change Planning Committees.


  5. Addressing integrity risks does not require large budgets: simple, low-cost tools (standard operating procedures, conflict-of-interest disclosures, participation checklists, community monitoring groups, and anonymous hotlines) can significantly reduce corruption risk.


Key recommendations

1. Embed TAPA (Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Anti-Corruption) across the adaptation project cycle, from pre-planning integrity scans to community-led monitoring and public disclosure of results.

2. Formalise community oversight by establishing ward- or community-level monitoring committees with a clear mandate, basic training, and direct links to official grievance and correction mechanisms.

3. Prepare before a disaster strikes by developing emergency procurement plans, pre-vetted supplier lists, and clear financial controls that remain active during crisis response.



Download:


Water Integrity Network (2026). Guideline for Local Governments: Integrity in Water and Sanitation Climate Adaptation. Berlin: WIN.

Practical guide for local governments on effectively implementing water and sanitation climate adaptation projects with integrity across the full project cycle.



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