The cost for the poor
Whether poor or rich, water is essential for sustaining life. But when it comes to facing the impact of corruption, the poor have less social and political power and fewer possibilities to mitigate costs. The following are specific ways in which the poor are adversely affected by various forms of corruption in the water sector:
Bribes need to be paid to connect to water. These extra costs might exclude the most marginalized households from gaining access to in home connections.
Low-quality river water affects poor farmers who use the water to irrigate. This might be linked to corruption when pollution is perpetuated because companies that pollute river water evade control and/or punishment by bribing officials.
Poor-quality drinking water and sanitation services disproportionately affect the health of poor children; many children in such communities die from diarrheal illnesses spread by contaminated water.