A joint publication undertaken by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the Water Integrity Network and the Swedish Water House has focused on a vital area of our daily life -- clean water. In this context conservative estimates have indicated that the lack of access to clean water causes the death of five million people worldwide every year. The study helps us to understand the magnitude of the problem by asking us to consider 34 jumbo jets, each carrying 400 passengers, crashing every day of they year. That adds up to about 12,500 planes annually. This is indeed a frightening scenario.

A careful examination of this problem suggests that the main reason behind the paucity of clean water is not the lack of natural supply of water, nor any engineering or technical problem. It would appear that this global water crisis is primarily due to poor governance, corruption and dysfunction of existing institutional arrangements.

A South Asian Regional Workshop on Transparency and Integrity in the Water Sector organised recently by the Transparency International Bangladesh in cooperation with the Water Integrity Network in Dhaka has revealed many interesting factors. Participated by 68 representatives from all South Asian countries (other than Afghanistan and Bhutan) and also from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and the United Kingdom the workshop identified that the scope of corruption not only varies substantially across the sector in different countries but also that according to estimates by the World Bank 20 percent to 40 percent of water sector finances are being lost to dishonest and corrupt practices.

Participants, narrating their experience, underlined that ecosystems were suffering in general throughout South Asia. Stakeholders from different Bangladesh institutions particularly highlighted that corruption had become pervasive in this sector. Those from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka mentioned that non-functioning public institutions had encouraged the use of bribes. These were paid to cover up the discharge of wastewater and toxins into water bodies, streams and rivers. It was also apparent from the discussion in the meeting that corruption was increasing transaction costs and discouraging investments in infrastructure related to power production. Some representatives from abroad also took this opportunity to highlight that lack of wider stakeholder participation in water resource management and delivery was indirectly encouraging corruption. This in turn was jeopardising the democratic principles of equal access in decision making and reducing public agencies to instruments of private benefit.

In other words, the workshop focused on some of the critical reasons that had led to the current unsatisfactory state of affairs not only within South Asia in general but also Bangladesh in particular. In more ways than one, participants also pointed out how corruption not only affects the governance of water by affecting who gets what water when, where and how but also how it determines how costs are to be distributed among individuals, society and the environment.

The importance of the workshop for Bangladesh was made evident through the presence of Dr. Huguette Labelle, Chair of the Board of Directors of Transparency International, Berlin and the Adviser for the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives of Bangladesh. It was good that necessary acknowledgement was being taken of the serious ills that plague the water sector in Bangladesh.

There was a declaration that was issued at the end of this regional workshop. It was only correct that such an action should have been taken. It reflected agreement in principle that there was a serious problem within the water sector throughout South Asia and that there was need to find solutions.

The declaration underscored that access to safe water is a fundamental human right, which should be ensured and safeguarded. It also noted that the water sector is prominently susceptible to corruption because of its monopoly structure and the absence of suitable accountable decision-making. It was felt that this was happening because it involved the implementation of large projects undertaken by the construction sector that is most prone to corruption and open to the influence created by the nexus of corrupt politicians, public officials, consultants, civil woks contractors and suppliers. In this context, the meeting agreed that corruption generally involved activities such as illegal connections, false meter readings and inaccurate billing juxtaposed with unsatisfactory collection levels that severely damaged the financial viability of water utilities and hampered their efforts in providing adequate water and sanitation services and coverage to consumers. This assessment appears to be especially true in the case of Bangladesh.

We all agree that corruption undermines efficient management of water resources. A case in point is our WASA that has degenerated as a public institution. Its inability to function in the expected mode is affecting the quality of life of millions of consumers and citizens throughout Dhaka. The same sorry state of affairs is also true of other water delivery institutions throughout Bangladesh. All this is probably happening because of the nonexistence of appropriate legislation and regulation that can promote transparency, accountability and access to necessary information required to combat corruption within the water sector.

The importance of the declaration was not in just the identifying of the problems and the concerns that exist here in Bangladesh as well as in South Asia. It lays in proposing significant recommendations that can in the future become least common denominators in tackling corruption in the water sector throughout the region. They will, if implemented, also assist in confidence building among the countries of South Asia. It will also create common political will that will help to reduce mutual suspicion that is the trademark of South Asia.

The recommendations included in the declaration reiterated that steps be taken to- (a) ensure that the policy and institutional framework, especially the judiciary and law enforcement institutions, conform to practices pertaining to the rule of law. This is important given the disparate nature of the existing framework; (b) prepare a monitorable and accountable anticorruption plan to address forms of corruption that prevent equal access to water services and also erode the quality in the implementation of projects; (c) prepare a strict procurement regime based on transparency and accountability. It has also been suggested in this regard that this would be facilitated through the use of standardised procurement documentation, public disclosure of all major procurement-related decisions (including evaluation criteria and reports) as well as the active involvement of civil society organisations and local community groups. What a fantastic proposal!

I am confident that there is a great potential for success in combating corruption in this strategic sector if the above measures can be introduced. We, in Bangladesh as well as the rest of South Asia, could then move forward towards the meeting of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals. We should also be mentally prepared, particularly our bureaucrats and scientists to share our experiences of best practice within the water sector. This will definitely help the mutual learning curve.

The time to take action is now. We have to be preventive rather than reactive. We also have to recognise that no one is immune to corruption. Poor marginalised women, well-educated scientific experts and well-meaning activists can all be part of the problem. We have to build a comprehensive network of actors from the local to the regional level to reduce corruption within the water sector. This should include within its matrix all spheres of society -- private, public and civil. They can, with their commitment, band together and create the necessary motivation.

At the inter-governmental level (in the context of South Asia) efforts should also be taken to ensue that reforms within the water sector are increasingly linked to the international regime of integrated water resource management (IWRM). This will require coordination and coherence in the complex and integrated role of water in ecosystems and societies at the catchment or sub-catchment levels. It will also necessitate the strengthening of the capacity of public institutions and civil society. All these have to be done. We have information technology on our side. What we will require is greater political will. Given that, South Asia can be an example for other regions.

Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador who can be reached at mzamir@dhaka.net