A few days ago I was in Stockholm, Sweden to participate in a range of events associated with the World Water Week. It also coincided with the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Global Water Partnership, of which I am a Regional Council Member for South Asia. In addition to individual insights on many issues related to water, more than 1500 participants also focused on 'Benefit Sharing in Transboundary Waters', 'Capacity and Partnership Building', 'Economic Implication of Water in Poverty Reduction', 'Practical Implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management' and 'Challenges and Opportunities within the Water Sector.'

Two other subjects drew my particular attention- 'Developing Water Governance Capacities' and 'Breaking Corruption's Grip on the Water Sector'. I shall focus on these two issues in my article today.

These last two factors have assumed special significance. It is now recognised that water projects, when planned and managed properly, act as engines for local and regional development. It is also generally accepted that their primary, secondary and tertiary benefits revolutionise the quality of life for the poor people.

The importance of developing water governance capacities has now assumed special importance not only in Bangladesh but also in the whole of South Asia. Various reports published by the FAO and civil society representation dealing with water, have revealed lack of suitable governance and management in the water sector.

Studies have indicated that in many places in South Asia, a staggering 30 to 40 per cent or more of the water in pipes and canals go unaccounted due to leakages and illegal tapping. Evidence has also surfaced about inequitable access with regard to water. The Indian-based Centre for Sustainable Development recently provided figures for Bangalore showing that the upper middle and the middle classes receive on average over 200 litres of water per capita per day (lpcd). Compared to this, slums only receive about 66 lpcd on an average. Research in Bangladesh has exposed that in certain slums (bustees) in Dhaka, it is as little as 5-10 lpcd. Such unequal water distribution have also been noted in areas of irrigated agriculture in certain parts of our country, where small-scale farmers get relatively less water than the more powerful large-scale farmers.

All these elements have renewed the importance of governance in the water sector. It has picked up significant meaning. It this context, Dr Hakan Tropp of the Swedish International Water Institute has astutely observed that 'within the international political arena, the concept has evolved from being nearly a political taboo in the North-South development cooperation dialogue to being more widely accepted as a critical issue to be addressed if unsustainable development and poverty are to be tackled'.

It is now being gradually understood that decentralisation and privatisation are both challenges that have to be also met within the water sector management in relation to the existing water supply driven infrastructure. It is now also accepted that governance and politics are 'part and parcel of the water crisis, as well as a part of its solution'.

Governance here has to be understood as processes of interaction, where the dominant feature will be accommodation rather than domination. It will include both public and private organisations and their inter-active relationships. Governance also has to be seen as an activity for resolving common problems. In this regard, there will be emphasis on networks, flexibility and informal institutions. The process of governance will determine who gets what water, when and how. It will be a step towards the eventual goal of reduction of poverty and facilitating of livelihood.

Meaningful governance will have to address itself to working out not only the best way to make decisions but also its implementation. While doing so, care has also to be taken that the process does not suffer from partisanship and socio-metric overlay.

According to the new notions of water management and governance related to the water sector, emphasis will have to be made on horizontal linkages and bottom-up approaches regarding dialogue, partnership and negotiation. This will be particularly applicable at the community level and community oriented area water partnerships, formed with a certain common goal in mind.

It will require a strategy where day to day management has to be more inclusive, particularly in matters of decision making. Dialogue, partnership formation and networking among water stakeholders will be vital. This will be the only way out for responding effectively and efficiently to situations created by emergencies, uncertainties and sudden complex factors arising out of changing social and hydrological conditions.

Better water management techniques, particularly in the rural areas, will also need training in conflict mediation, mobilisation of communities, and partnership formation with civil society and private sector actors (as in Britain and the USA). It will also necessitate multidisciplinary knowledge, based on understanding of elements that can facilitate integrative approaches.

I have underlined the importance of all these different aspects because, over-time, in Bangladesh, we have to step up our investment in the water infrastructure. We also have to think about privatising this important utility for the general good of the people and for reducing the so called systems loss.

This last issue brings me to the question of corruption within the water sector management. It is now being increasingly recognised as a major challenge. The World Bank now estimates that corruption undermines efficiency in the water sector by 20 to 40 per cent. This scale is significant. This is not only true of Bangladesh but also of most developing countries, be it in Africa, Latin America or Asia. Research published by Transparency International has shown that if water utilities could operate in a corruption-free environment, efficiency could then increase by over 52 per cent.

We have to understand that corruption jeopardises the democratic principles of equal access in public decision making by turning agencies meant to serve the public into instruments for individual gain. Commenting on this phenomenon, Professor Patrik Stalgren of Gothenburg University in Sweden has correctly observed that 'corruption undermines the rule of law while breeding discretionary and unpredictable law enforcement.'

I have mentioned more than once in my earlier columns that corruption in different utilities sector in Bangladesh, including water, is undermining government security, increasing the gap between the rich and the poor and fostering a social culture of crime and illicit behaviour. Such corruption manifests itself through falsified meter reading, distorted site selection and overpayment during the procurement of inferior machinery required for the water distribution network.

I availed of the opportunity of the World Water Week to ascertain views as to how corruption in the water management sector can be tackled. I felt that this was necessary given the widespread perception of corruption within the WASA in Bangladesh.

Experts responded by stating that anti-corruption measures could be classified under three categories. They felt that this could be achieved through -- legal and financial reform; increasing public awareness and capacity and reform of the public institution itself. They also agreed that though there was no shortage of initiatives to curb corruption, the current level of understanding of the problem left much to be desired.

Nevertheless, it was interesting to know that a Water Integrity Network (WIN) is being set up to fight corruption in the water sector worldwide. It will be an inclusive global network that will promote anti-corruption activities and coalition building at local levels between actors from civil society, private and public sectors, media and government institutions.

I believe that this will be a significant step towards reduction of poverty through fighting corruption. We in Bangladesh should carefully study the evolving methodologies pertaining to WIN and try to implement them within our system. We should also support, coordinate and share knowledge in this regard within South Asia. Existing experience and emerging lessons could then help all of us both in the short term as well as in the coming decades. Better water management will also definitely assist us not only in achieving the MDGs but also in helping the marginalised groups overcome their deficiencies.

Muhammad Zamir, a former Secretary and Ambassador, is Vice President, Bangladesh Water Partnership, and can be reached at mzamir@dhaka.net.