The report by Transparency International also highlights the covering up of industrial pollution and the manipulation of water management and allocation policies. "Corruption’s impact on water is a fundamental governance problem," said Huguette Labelle, chair of the anti-corruption group, "yet it is not sufficiently addressed in the many global policy initiatives for environmental sustainability, development, and food and energy security."
Corruption in water resources management, the report says, undermines the sustainability of water supplies, fuels unequal water sharing and leads to the degradation of vital ecosystems. The group highlighted the weak enforcement of environmental regulations in China, which has led to widespread pollution in urban rivers.
Hydropower corruption was criticised for inflating the cost of dams and hampering resettlement programmes.
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