What do we mean when we say corruption undermines sustainable management and conservation of natural resources? Are we all talking about the same thing? Does it matter? Corruption is usually defined in terms of individual actions that “abuse entrusted power for private gain,” but what do we miss when we focus on individual actions? In natural resource governance, other ways of defining corruption reflect more systemic approaches that highlight who exercises power over resources or is excluded, how formal processes and institutions may compete with informal power structures, and other characteristics of corruption that go beyond the sum of individual actions. In this webinar, we explore these different approaches to defining corruption, what differences they imply for anti-corruption strategies and tactics, and the possible trade-offs they represent for NRM and conservation practice.

David Aled Williams

Principal Adviser (U4) and Senior Researcher (CMI)