TNRC Blog The impacts of infrastructure sector corruption on conservation: Implications for programming

Infrastructure is key to national economic development strategies and provides necessary human services. However, infrastructure development and associated corruption have tremendous impacts on conservation efforts. This relationship can be overlooked due to the discrete and hidden ways that corruption occurs and the fact that infrastructure sector corruption is often assessed in relation to economic inefficiencies and losses, rather than through a conservation lens. Understanding the relationship between infrastructure, corruption, and conservation facilitates the elaboration of effective anti-corruption responses and the improvement of infrastructure development and conservation outcomes. This Virtual Panel on 30 November 2021 brought together the authors of the TNRC brief The Impacts of Infrastructure Sector Corruption on Conservation with leading experts (full bios here) for discussion of anti-corruption approaches that can increase integrity, transparency, and accountability, and how they can be coupled with complementary advocacy efforts and direct action. A recording of the event is above, and a PDF of slides can be downloaded here.

In this event, key research findings were presented by Donald R. Nelson, Professor of Anthropology, Institute of Resilient infrastructure Systems, University of Georgia, and Humans and Environmental Change Consulting and J. Scott Pippin, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Institute of Resilient infrastructure Systems, University of Georgia. Reflections on where our field needs to go next were offered by Adriana Ramos, Coordinator, Policy and Law Program, Instituto Socioambiental (ISA); Bernadine Fernz, Global Head of Infrastructure and Regional Head of Asia Pacific, Open Contracting Partnership (OCP), Roberto de Michele, Principal Specialist, Innovation in Citizen Services Division, Inter-American Development Bank; Evan Freund, Senior Director, Sustainable Infrastructure and Finance, Freshwater, WWF-US; and Kate Newman, Vice President, Sustainable Infrastructure and Public Sector Initiatives, WWF-US (Moderator).