# Policy Position 04/2008: Mitigating the Costs of Corruption in Water for the Poor

URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/policy-position-04-2008-mitigating-the-costs-of-corruption-in-water-for-the
Type: Publication or report
Published: 2008-06-16
Updated: 2020-04-06

---

16 June 2008

The water crisis, exacerbated by corruption, is exacting a high human toll on the lives of the poor and vulnerable. Corruption makes water undrinkable, inaccessible and unaffordable. In developing countries, about 80 percent of health problems can be linked to substandard water and sanitation services, claiming the lives of nearly 1.8 million children every year. Corruption in water is skewing access to precious and scarce resources away from the citizens who need them most. It is hindering the water sector’s potential to serve as a catalyst for national development and instead has made water the source of stagnation in the lives of many. Every year, students suffering from water-related ailments around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days. For the poor, the loss of an education turns into lost opportunities for jobs, college and the future. The cycle of poverty becomes one that is increasingly difficult to break.

### Related publications

## [Accelerating Action Against Criminal and Corrupt Wealth: Recommendations for the London Illicit Finance Summit](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/recommendations-london-illicit-finance-summit)

Publication • 28 May 2026

This paper sets out recommendations on how governments participating in the UK Illicit Finance Summit can deliver credible and ambitious outcomes.

## [Regulating Legitimate Interest Access: Measures to ensure meaningful access to beneficial ownership registers for public-interest stakeholders](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/legitimate-interest-measures-for-public-interest-stakeholders)

Publication • 30 September 2025

Anonymous companies and trusts continue to be vehicles of choice for those seeking to hide and move illicit money.

## [G20 Position Paper: Financial integrity for sustainable development and inequality reduction](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/financial-integrity-for-sustainable-development-and-inequality-reduction)

Publication • 08 October 2024

A lack of high-level engagement on corruption has weakened the clarity and impact of G20 anti-corruption initiatives for sustainable development.

## [Tackling land corruption is vital to achieving land rights and the 2030 SDG agenda](https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/tackling-land-corruption-achieving-land-rights-2030-sdg-agenda)

Publication • 29 June 2023

This policy brief provides recommendations for transparent land governance to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal-related targets.

![](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/2008_4_PP_MitigatingCorruptionWaterForPoor_EN.jpg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1200)

[Download](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/PP233_Corruption_in_Water_for_Poor_Citizens_18_June_2008.pdf)