| Site Map | About U4 | Feedback | Contact | U4 partner agencies   U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre
 
 

Themes    Other Resources    Training    Expert Answers

 
 

Home > Themes > Corruption in Natural Resource Management


U4 Theme:

Corruption in Natural Resource Management

NRMNatural resources often provide fertile ground for corruption. Since a substantial number of partner countries in development cooperation are richly endowed with natural resources, these contexts pose a particular challenge for effective donor action. The risk of corruption cuts across natural resource sectors – from non-renewable resources such as oil, gas, minerals and metals, to renewable resources such as forests, fisheries and land. There are, however, important variations in the challenges presented by these sectors and the manner in which corruption in relation to them can be addressed. This U4 Theme explores and summarises the available information on corruption in natural resource management with a view to informing donor practice in resource-rich contexts.


CONTENTS

Corruption in Natural Resource Management - An Introduction
Kolstad, Ivar, Tina Søreide, Aled Williams (U4 Brief 2008:2)

This U4 Brief provides an introduction to anti-corruption issues in natural resource management.

Shrinking oil: Does weak governance and corruption reduce volumes of oil produced?
Al-Kasim, Farouk, Tina Søreide, Aled Williams (U4 Issue 2010-3)

Prominent contributions to the resource curse literature suggest that weak governance and corruption are key factors behind continued poverty in resource-rich countries. How poor governance and corruption influence revenue management and the possible welfare benefits derived from oil are widely discussed. How they impact upon volumes of oil produced, however, attracts little attention. This U4 Issue paper addresses the basic forms suboptimal solutions in oil production may take.

Improving the framework? Institutional reform and corruption in the water sector
Butterworth, John and Jean de la Harpe (U4 Brief 2009:28)

This U4 Brief looks at how corruption can manifest itself when it comes to institutional reform in the water sector, providing examples illustrating the actors and processes involved.

Grand designs: Corruption risks in major water infrastructure projects
Butterworth, John and Jean de la Harpe (U4 Brief 2009:27)

This U4 Brief discusses the corruption risks in multi-million dollar water infrastructure projects, both linked to civil works and associated design, as well as supply and consultancy services.

Not so petty: Corruption risks in payment and licensing systems for water
Butterworth, John and Jean de la Harpe (U4 Brief 2009:26)

This U4 Brief focuses on the risks at the service provider-consumer interface associated with the small but numerous transactions related to water delivery, and how donors may help prevent so-called petty corruption.

Reforming wildlife governance in East and Southern Africa: The role of corruption
Nelson, Fred (U4 Brief 2009:12)

This U4 Brief argues that donors need to develop a clearer understanding of the political-economic dimensions of wildlife governance reforms and the role corruption plays in shaping policy-makers' incentives.

Reforming corruption out of Nigerian oil? Part two: Progress and prospects
Gillies, Alexandra (U4 Brief 2009:6)

This U4 Brief looks at five approaches to advancing anti-corruption reform in Nigeria's oil sector: the legal and regulatory framework; open and competitive award procedures; process and revenue transparency; investigation and prosecution of corruption; and oversight and accountability measures.

Does aid work? Reflections on a natural resources programme in Tanzania
Jansen, Eirik G. (U4 Issue 2009:2)

In this U4 Issue, a former programme officer at the Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania considers challenges to aid effectiveness in a major natural resources programme.

Reforming corruption out of Nigerian oil? Part one: Mapping corruption risks in oil sector governance
Gillies, Alexandra (U4 Brief 2009:2)

This U4 Brief attempts to shed light on how public sector institutions governing the Nigerian oil sector permit the existence of corruption. Six areas of corruption risk are addressed: the awarding of licenses; the awarding of contracts; bottlenecks and inefficiencies; the role of bunkering; the exportation of crude; and importing refined products.

Corruption and Commercial Fisheries in Africa
Standing, André (U4 Brief 2008:23)

This U4 Brief argues that the most effective and realistic way of countering corruption related to African marine resources appears to be through strengthening transparency and accountability, in which African civil society has an important role to play in scrutinising fisheries access agreements, tracking court cases, and monitoring government budgets.

Corruption and Industrial Fishing in Africa
Standing, André (U4 Issue 2008:7)

This U4 Issue describes key areas of concern relating to corruption and the exploitation of marine resources in African countries by foreign fishing fleets. Policy reforms that may reduce incentives and opportunities for corruption in fisheries management are also discussed.

Corruption and Forest Revenues in Papua
Setiono, Bambang (U4 Brief 2008:18)

This U4 Brief outlines how donors can support implementation of specific changes to the forest revenue management system in Papua, changes required to address corruption.

Mission Improbable. Does Petroleum-related Aid Address Corruption in Resource-rich Countries?
Kolstad, Ivar, Arne Wiig, Aled Williams (U4 Issue 2008:3)

This U4 Issue explores the petroleum-related activities of three bilateral donors: Norad, CIDA and USAID. While governance issues are beginning to receive more attention in these types of programmes, they still form a minor part of programme activities. The petroleum-related aid activities of the donors in question address the issue of corruption only to a limited extent.

Grand Corruption in the Regulation of Oil
Al-Kasim, Farouk, Tina Søreide, Aled Williams (U4 Issue 2008:2)

This U4 Issue explores the topic of grand corruption in the regulation of oil. It focuses on how and why corruption can distort or prevent efficient regulation of the oil sector. The authors suggest that, though voluntary initiatives and capacity building programmes are important, they should not replace establishment of formal state-sponsored regulations.

Tackling Corruption in Oil Rich Countries: The Role of Transparency
Kolstad, Ivar, Arne Wiig, David Aled Williams (U4 Brief 2008:3)

This U4 Brief discusses what role transparency reform plays in tackling corruption in oil rich countries.

Forest concessions and corruption
Søreide, Tina (U4 Issue 3:2007)

This U4 Issue paper discusses how corruption influences the logging industry and deprives developing country governments of important revenues. It explains the concession system in forestry and the risks of corruption in forest sector contracts. Some policy implications are drawn, suggesting a ranking of strategies, with a particular focus on aid-related implications.

Transparency in oil rich economies
Kolstad, Ivar and Arne Wiig (U4 Issue 2007:2)

This U4 Issue addresses the relationship between transparency and corruption, with an emphasis on oil rich countries. In particular, it focuses on some of the main corruption related problems caused by limited access to information, using the case of Angola. It also focuses on the approach of current transparency initiatives, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

 
 
Natural Resource Management
Selected Literature
Français French

Query the U4 helpdesk about corruption in natural resource management


U4 welcomes any feedback on our Natural Resource Management pages


CONTACT

Aled Williams
Programme Coordinator (U4)
aled.williams@cmi.no
+47 47938073


RELEVANT PRACTICE INSIGHTS

Monitoring aid: Lessons from a natural resources programme in Tanzania
Jansen, Eirik (U4 Practice Insight 2009:1)


RELEVANT EXPERT ANSWERS

Corruption training for judges applied to emission reduction mechanisms

Technical assistance in the field of integrity of carbon reduction incentives mechanisms

Corruption, auditing and carbon emission reduction schemes

Impact of corruption on indigenous people

Overview of corruption and anti-corruption in Guyana, with reference to natural resource sectors

The status of information on corruption in the forestry sector

Good practice in addressing corruption in water resource management projects

Corruption in land administration / land management in Kosovo

Corruption and the renegotiation of mining contracts

Corruption in the hydropower sector

Corruption risks in environmental cooperation programmes

Natural resource tenure and corruption

Anti-corruption conventions and EITI

International initiatives relating to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

Anti-Corruption Measures in the Land Sector


RECOMMENDED READING

Country for Sale

Country for Sale
Global Witness (2009)

Cambodia could eventually earn enough from its oil, gas and minerals to become independent of foreign development aid. This report details how this future is being jeopardized by high level corruption and nepotism in the allocation and management of public assets. It highlights how rights to exploit oil and mineral resources have been allocated behind closed doors by a small number of individuals.

Country for Sale

Fragility and Natural Resources
Nordstrøm S. (2008), Danish Institute for International Studies

Many of the world’s fragile states have become dysfunctional, despite vast resource endowments. This brief argues that problems with natural resource governance are frequently associated with situations of extreme state fragility or lack of economic development and the persistence of repressive regimes. For donor countries, this amounts to a challenge when it comes to promoting policies that enable fragile states to make the best of their resource endowments without falling prey to resource conflicts or authoritarianism.


EVENTS

No current events listed




Home | Top
U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre http://www.u4.no