Corruption Risk Maps as a Solution for the Management of Resources in the Context of Environmental Disasters

Abstract

Corruption in the public sector is an elusive and opaque phenomenon. Government reaction to disasters and its consequent investment in economic resources constitute a favourable opportunity for nepotism, embezzlement and other criminal situations. Detection of these scenarios requires the application of sophisticated methodologies that should be incorporated into the processes of disaster risk management. The use of corruption risk maps has been put forward as a potential solution to this problem. This technique acts as a disincentive to corrupt behaviour in government processes through collective and agreed anticipation of acts of corruption. Corruption may happen at all levels of government, given that economic resources for disaster relief are distributed at municipal, provincial and national levels. This tool helps detect and measure incidents of corruption in government processes and simultaneously designs and executes corrective mechanisms. This paper discusses the advantages derived from the analogue and digital application of this instrument, presenting the requirements for its use, its potential and future challenges. The identification of benefits has been made possible by the incremental application of the tool within the framework of a process of institutional transformation of the national government in Paraguay with the institutional and financial support of UNDOC and USAID.