My work focuses on the uneven politics of natural resource-driven development, with a particular interest in issues of corruption, access, legitimation and control in the forest and extractive sectors. I have a country focus on Indonesia and experience from assignments in Albania, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Macedonia, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, Vietnam, and Zambia.

I am co-editor of the books "Corruption, Grabbing and Development: Real World Challenges" (with Prof. Tina Søreide, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014) and "Corruption, Natural Resources and Development: From Resource Curse to Political Ecology" (with Prof. Philippe Le Billon, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017).

I was previously Senior Research Coordinator at the global anti-graft NGO Transparency International based in Berlin.

I hold a BA in the History of Ideas and English Literature from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and an MA in International Relations from the University of Kent. I am engaged in a part-time PhD at SOAS University of London, Department of Development Studies, supervised by Prof. Peter P. Mollinga. The PhD thesis provides a political ecology perspective on REDD+ as it is evolving in Indonesia, with fieldwork in Jakarta and Central Sulawesi (local affiliation with Tadulako University, Palu).

I am member of the SOAS Political Ecology of Environment and Development (SEED) network and the POLLEN Political Ecology Network.

Most recent publications

Journal Article | Jul 2017

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

Dupuy, K. and A. Williams

Environmental Impact Assessment Review

Book Chapter | Jan 2017

Strengthening institutions against corruption? Biofuel deals in Ghana

David Aled Williams, Festus Boamah

Corruption, natural resources and development: from resource curse to political ecology

Edited Book | Jan 2017

Corruption, natural resources and development: From resource curse to political ecology

David Aled Williams, Philippe Le Billon (Eds.)

Report in External Series | 2016

Hard won wisdom: What conservationists need to know about wildlife-related corruption

Dilys Roe, Rob Parry-Jones, David Aled Williams

U4 Issue | 2016

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

Kendra Dupuy, David Aled Williams

U4 Issue | 2016

The resource bites back: Entry-points for addressing corruption in wildlife crime

David Aled Williams, Rob Parry-Jones, Dilys Roe

U4 Issue | 2016

Corruption and state-backed debts in Mozambique: What can external actors do?

David Aled Williams, Jan Isaksen

Newspaper Op-Ed | 2016

Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking: The Elephant in the Room

Rob Parry-Jones (WWF International), David Aled Williams

U4 Brief | 2016

At the extremes: Corruption in natural resource management revisited

David Aled Williams, Kendra Dupuy

Newspaper Op-Ed | 2016

Beyond 'zero tolerance'

David Aled Williams

U4 Issue | 2015

REDD Integrity: An evidence based approach to anti-corruption in REDD+

Aled Williams, Kendra Dupuy, Fiona Downs

Newspaper Op-Ed | 2015

Fighting corruption in anti-deforestation programmes: The case of REDD+

Aled Williams

Contact Us

David Aled Williams

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

Corruption, natural resources and development: From resource curse to political ecology

Strengthening institutions against corruption? Biofuel deals in Ghana

Corruption, natural resources and development: From resource curse to political ecology

Hard won wisdom: What conservationists need to know about wildlife-related corruption

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

The resource bites back: Entry-points for addressing corruption in wildlife crime

Corruption and state-backed debts in Mozambique: What can external actors do?

Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking: The Elephant in the Room

At the extremes: Corruption in natural resource management revisited

Beyond ‘zero tolerance’

Beyond 'zero tolerance'

Tackling Corruption Overseas Inquiry

REDD Integrity: An evidence based approach to anti-corruption in REDD+

Fighting corruption in anti-deforestation programmes: The case of REDD+

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

Corruption and reduced oil production: An additional resource curse factor?

Mission improbable: Does petroleum-related aid address the resource curse?

Corruption, natural resources and development: From resource curse to political ecology

Corruption, grabbing and development: Real world challenges

Strengthening institutions against corruption? Biofuel deals in Ghana

Introduction

Hard won wisdom: What conservationists need to know about wildlife-related corruption

Dialogue dynamics, programming challenges: Donor approaches to anti-corruption and integrity reform in Cambodia, 2004 to 2009

Afghan hydrocarbons: A source for development or for conflict? A risk assessment of Norwegian involvement in development of the Afghan oil and gas industry

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

The resource bites back: Entry-points for addressing corruption in wildlife crime

Corruption and state-backed debts in Mozambique: What can external actors do?

At the extremes: Corruption in natural resource management revisited

REDD Integrity: An evidence based approach to anti-corruption in REDD+

Using Corruption Risk Assessments for REDD+: An Introduction for Practitioners

Leaking projects: Corruption and local water management in Kyrgyzstan

Certified integrity? Forest certification and anti-corruption

REDD Integrity: Addressing governance and corruption challenges in schemes for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)

Afghan hydrocarbons: Addressing corruption to fuel development?

Shrinking oil: Does weak governance and corruption reduce volumes of oil produced?

La corruption dans la gestion des ressources naturelles - Une introduction

Combattre la corruption dans les pays riches en pétrole: Le rôle de la transparence

Mission Improbable. Does Petroleum-related Aid Address Corruption in Resource-rich Countries?

Grand Corruption in the Regulation of Oil

Tackling Corruption in Oil Rich Countries: The Role of Transparency

Corruption in Natural Resource Management - An Introduction

Corruption in natural resources

SIDA Regional Workshop on Anti-Corruption in Southeast Asia

Curbing corruption in tsunami relief operations

Corruption and Wildlife Trafficking: The Elephant in the Room

Beyond 'zero tolerance'

Fighting corruption in anti-deforestation programmes: The case of REDD+

Assessing corruption risks critical for success of REDD

The elephant still in the room: The effectiveness of development aid policy regarding corruption

Afghan oil. A source of development or conflict?

Beyond Deviance? Unpacking Political Ecologies of Natural Resource Corruption

Will leaving oil in the ground reduce corruption in natural resources?

Corruption and anti-corruption

Oil wealth in Africa's petro-states

Training practitioners on anti-corruption in natural resources

U4 International Roundtable: REDD+ and Anti-Corruption

Sida Mini-Seminar: Extractive Industries and Anti-Corruption

Book Launch: Corruption, grabbing and development: Real world challenges

The political economy of REDD+ and corruption

Using corruption risk assessments for REDD+

Malawi`s "Cashgate": The budget process as theatre (again)?

The political economy of corruption and REDD+ in Kenya: Initial findings

Corruption and REDD+: Addressing Risks Amid Complexity

Anti-Corruption in Natural Resource Management

Ressurs Forbannelse - Nord/Sør Panel Samtale

Governance and corruption challenges for REDD

Addressing governance and corruption challenges for REDD: Initial findings from DRC, Tanzania, Kenya

Forest Concessions and Corruption

Anti-corruption for environmental impact assessments

Transparency and accountability in the Albanian public sector: The way forwards

Corruption risks and anti-corruption strategies in the Philippines' climate finance

Judicial integrity in Zambia

Anti-corruption approaches for natural resource management and illicit financial flows

Anti-corruption approaches for natural resource management in Ethiopia, with special reference to the mining sector

Anti-corruption approaches for natural resource management in Tanzania, with special reference to land and forest issues

Anti-corruption approaches for natural resource management in Vietnam

Anti-corruption approaches for natural resource management in Mozambique