I focus 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+ in Indonesia, with fieldwork in Jakarta and Central Sulawesi (local affiliation with Tadulako University, Palu). I am currently Research Coordinator for the five-year USAID-funded project Targeting Natural Resource Corruption, working with consortium partners WWF-US, George Mason University and TRAFFIC.

Most recent publications

U4 Brief | Oct 2018

The Mozambique hidden loans case: An opportunity for donors to demonstrate anti-corruption commitment

David Aled Williams

Report in External Series | Sep 2018

Third independent review of the Indonesia-Norway cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from REDD+

Julian Caldecott, Avi Mahaningtyas, Brendan Howard, David Williams and Philippa Lincoln

Journal Article | Sep 2018

Will REDD+ safeguards mitigate corruption? Qualitative evidence from Southeast Asia

Aled Williams, Kendra Dupuy

The Journal of Development Studies

U4 Brief | Mar 2018

Corruption and the city: How aid donors can support integrity building in urban spaces

David Aled Williams, Kendra Dupuy

Journal Article | 2017

Deciding over nature: Corruption and environmental impact assessments

Aled Williams and Kendra Dupuy

Environmental Impact Assessment Review

Book Chapter | 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 | 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

David Aled Williams

The Mozambique hidden loans case: An opportunity for donors to demonstrate anti-corruption commitment

Third independent review of the Indonesia-Norway cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from REDD+

Will REDD+ safeguards mitigate corruption? Qualitative evidence from Southeast Asia

Corruption and the city: How aid donors can support integrity building in urban spaces

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

Will REDD+ safeguards mitigate corruption? Qualitative evidence from Southeast Asia

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

Third independent review of the Indonesia-Norway cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from REDD+

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

The Mozambique hidden loans case: An opportunity for donors to demonstrate anti-corruption commitment

Corruption and the city: How aid donors can support integrity building in urban spaces

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

Corruption in Natural Resource Management - An Introduction

Tackling Corruption in Oil Rich Countries: The Role of Transparency

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?

Corruption and state-backed debts in Mozambique

Corruption and the commodity sector: Why it matters and what can be done

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

Opportunities for anti-corruption work in Cambodia

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