Anti-corruption Programming in Conservation and Natural Resource Management: Principles for Getting Started

The guide outlines a systemic, problem-driven approach to anti-corruption in conservation, emphasizing the need to understand local political economies and avoid one-off technical solutions. It provides a framework for assessing corruption risks, engaging governments, and using proxy indicators for monitoring when direct measurement of corruption is impossible.

• Anti-corruption projects are most effective when they address specific corruption problems from a systemic perspective tailored to the local context, rather than applying one-off solutions like new legislation or technology that worked elsewhere.
• Practitioners must clarify the specific definition of corruption used in their project to avoid confusion, as the term can be interpreted differently based on professional background, lived experience, or local criminal codes.
• Technical reforms—such as updating laws or introducing technology—often fail if they are not accompanied by a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) to understand the underlying political incentives and root causes of corruption.
• A risk-based approach is essential for anti-corruption work to balance desired results against potential physical risks to staff, damage to working relationships, or donor risk tolerances.
• Because direct measurement of corruption is often impossible, projects should monitor 'proxy indicators'—such as changes in vulnerabilities or opportunities for corruption—and link these to biodiversity threats through an evidence-based theory of change.
• Engagement with government authorities is a critical factor in project design; where collaboration is not immediately possible, practitioners should focus on developing guidelines, identifying common goals, and avoiding the assignment of blame.

APA

WWF International (2022). Anti-corruption Programming in Conservation and Natural Resource Management: Principles for Getting Started. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/681/4uv4u6lquz_R4_Principles_of_Good_ACD.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. Anti-corruption Programming in Conservation and Natural Resource Management: Principles for Getting Started. 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/681/4uv4u6lquz_R4_Principles_of_Good_ACD.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Anti-corruption Programming in Conservation and Natural Resource Management: Principles for Getting Started |date=January 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/681/4uv4u6lquz_R4_Principles_of_Good_ACD.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2022anticorruption, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Anti-corruption Programming in Conservation and Natural Resource Management: Principles for Getting Started}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/681/4uv4u6lquz_R4_Principles_of_Good_ACD.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }