General issues about fresh water management corruption in South America

MINAVERRY CLARA MARIA

Porto Gallinas

Congreso; XIV World Water Congress; 2011

IWRA

Corruption in general terms is connected with different issues, but essentially with the basic principle of democracy of a country or region, but it also affects the whole environment. Basically, this definition is connected with the idea of robbery or diverting of money in an illegal way, which had to be used for another specific activity or function. Water management corruption is not new, but several European Scientists started to study this phenomenon in an exhaustive way since only a couple of years ago. An example of this is all the research and academic activities performed by SIWI (Stockholm International Water Institute), situated in Stockholm, Sweden. It is very important to add that the latest studies performed by the World Bank, stated that water corruption provokes between 20 and 40% of inefficacy in the water supply services. The Stockholm International Water Institute and the Global Corruption Report (2008) declare that these kinds of practices are more likely to appear, if there are any of the following factors:   - Great scale constructions or monopolies   - High Government participation - Technical complexity. This is usually complicated by other problems such as the climate change effects, the population growth and the world´s economic crisis.