05-07 June 2013, Delft, the Netherlands – The Water Integrity Forum was organized by the Water Integrity Network, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and the Water Governance Center. In most countries, water crises are not due to resource scarcity but primarily to governance failures. Fragmented institutions obstruct accountability in a sector with high investment and aid flows, making it particularly vulnerable to corruption. Lack of water related integrity incurs huge cost for societies.

The importance of water and good governance has been highly recognized in preparations on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as in numerous declarations and conventions. Effective governance is linked to integrity and control of corruption. Eliminating corruption across water related sectors and building integrity into policies and action plans will be essential to these ambitions.

Major findings of the conference:

• Water integrity encompasses the integrity of water resources, as well as the integrity of people and institutions.
• Building integrity and overcoming corruption are global concerns. It is essential to promote integrity on all levels for national and transboundary water systems. Free and easy public access to relevant, reliable and consistent data and information is recognized as a key requirement.
• Expanding the base refers to more inclusive water management. Multi-stakeholder approaches are crucial to ensuring water integrity.