Leaking projects: Corruption and local water management in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

Poor water infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan from the Soviet era led international donors to support investments in agricultural irrigation and potable freshwater systems. The financial investments made, however, did not always underpin improvements in local water delivery and the Kyrgyz Vice President once noted that “the lion’s share of the credit was stolen”. This U4 Practice Insight contrasts two project approaches to local water management in Kyrgyzstan from an anti-corruption perspective. It examines the extent to which project goals were affected by issues of corruption and fraud, and identifies lessons for future donor engagement in the country’s local water sector.