Curbing Corruption : Utpal Misra on Making Sense of Corruption in Nepal

11/21/23 • 50 min

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Despite its prevalence across cultures and timelines, corruption is still a painstakingly elusive phenomenon to define, measure, capture, and address. And its impacts fuel some of the most significant socio-economic challenges of our time, including poverty, social exclusion, and climate change.

In Curbing Corruption, PEI colleagues sit in candid conversations with experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to dissect the vast issue of corruption. Over the span of the series, we embrace a multiprong approach to comprehending corruption with discussions that include defining its core concepts, exploring the evolution in anti-corruption and measurement innovations, investigating the role of political and campaign financing, and recounting high-profile cases of corruption in Nepal and beyond. Through these conversations, we hope to contribute to the public discourse on the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the issue of corruption and gain insights into how we may be able to best overcome it.

Join us on this journey as we navigate through the challenges, successes, and innovative approaches to curbing corruption, aiming to pave the way for transparent, accountable, and equitable societies.

In this episode, PEI's Nirjan and Utpal Misra set the stage right for the series as they introduce key terms, concepts, and ideas in anti-corruption discussions and practices. Drawing from his observations, Utpal defines and illustrates the vast forms of corruption, citing recent high-profile cases from Nepal. They then recount the actions and approaches in anti-corruption and corruption measurement practices and the key actors at the forefront of this cause.

Utpal Misra is the Senior Governance Manager at the International Republican Institute's Center for Global Impact based in Washington, DC. He leads a team of Governance Specialists that support programs on anti-corruption, political strengthening, global policy, and governance issues in different parts of the world. He spent almost a decade in the World Bank headquarters, implementing global anti-corruption and social accountability programs. He started his career as a journalist with the Kathmandu Post and also worked in Kantipur Television, covering politics, policy, and social issues in Nepal.

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Jane Doolan on the Australian Experience in Multi-Jurisdictional Water Governance and Takeaways for a Federated Nepal

#Ep.070

Nepal's water sector is experiencing significant shifts due to its transition to a federal system, prompting a reevaluation of legal and policy frameworks to clarify roles across government levels. A major proposal under consideration is adopting a river-basin-based framework for improved governance and management. While aimed at enhancing operations and Integrated Water Resource Management, this reform faces challenges. The sector's future hinges on successfully avoiding conflict, forging consensus, and enhancing collaboration among institutions and governments, with river basin offices playing a pivotal role.

In this episode, Saumitra Neupane and Jane Doolan, an Australian water management specialist, on the intricacies of multi-jurisdictional water governance. They discuss Australia's established practices and the parallels between Nepal's shift to federal water governance, focusing on transparent and credible institutional frameworks. Jane's insights cover the development of water regulations, the efficacy of water markets, and sustainable water allocation in Australia. The dialogue also delves into the impacts of climate change on water resources, providing valuable lessons for Nepal as it considers adopting similar strategies in its federal framework. The episode is an enlightening discussion on the importance of stakeholder trust and sustainable practices in water resource management.

Dr. Jane Doolan brings over 25 years of experience in sustainable water resource management, offering policy advice to Australian and state governments on a wide array of issues including water supply and security, national water reform, and river health. Her career features significant roles in intergovernmental policy, especially concerning the Murray–Darling Basin, and in overseeing major water projects. Jane currently serves as a Director of Southern Rural Water Corporation in Victoria, is a Founding member of the Water Policy Group, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, and chairs various consultative and advisory committees. Her past roles include Environment Commissioner with the Australian Productivity Commission, Commissioner with the National Water Commission, and Deputy Secretary for Water in the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

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