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Reports

  • Financing water and sanitation: public realities - Mar 2012
    David Hall
    Emanuele Lobina

    This paper presents empirical evidence on the historical relative use of public and private finance for investment in water and sanitation systems in developed countries, evidence on the relative use of public and private finance and aid in developing countries, evidence on the likely impact of the economic crisis, and analyses the affordability of investment in water and sanitation systems for developing countries, and specifically investment in household connections. It identifies a gap between two models – the donor/development bank model, and the national model - with conflicting positions on four key aspects – source of finance, type of operator, ‘improved’ source or household connection, and leading role of donors or countries. The national model is in reality driving developments in the sector, and also reflects a new southern view on development. This is an updated version of an earlier paper.

  • Tanzania: corruption in the energy sector - Mar 2012Sandra Van Niekerk

    This report focuses on alleged corruption that was involved in a short-term emergency energy contract signed in 2006 between Tanesco, the Tanzanian state utility responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, and Richmond Development Company (who, towards the end of 2006, passed on the contract to Dowans Holdings). When Tanesco cancelled the contract with the company in 2008, as a result of the corruption allegations, the company took them to arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce. In its November 2011 ruling, the ICC arbitration panel slapped Tanesco with a huge award that they are required to pay, which could severely undermine Tanesco’s ability to deliver electricity. Tanesco has launched a number of legal challenges to the award, with the Tanzanian High Court giving its ruling on the most recent challenge on February 20 2012.

  • Utterly uncompetitive - the home lands of eternal water privatisations - Mar 2012
    David Hall
    Emanuele Lobina

    The great majority of privatised water in Spain, nearly all privatised water in France, and all the privatised water in the UK, have never been subject to competition. The business is extremely concentrated in the hands of a few companies, which are currently under investigation for anti-competitive collusion.

    The private business in this sector has been built by gaining uncompetitive, sometimes corrupt, monopolies, and then holding onto them for decades, in some cases over a century. Marseille, host to the World Water Forum 2012, is a typical example.

  • Electricity Liberalisation in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam (Working paper) - Nov 2011Tue Anh Nguyen

    The study finds that political and economic conditions are influential to the electricity sector policy changes. There is also clear evidence that the World Bank loans are strategic and deliberately structured to make impact on the sector policies. The same patterns of periods, purposes and values of these loans are witnessed in all three countries despite differences in politics, economics and time. 

  • Who is building renewable generation in W Europe? - Nov 2011Steve Thomas

    The need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases has led to strong efforts by governments to stimulate the construction of a large volume of ‘low-carbon’ generating plant. This paper examines what new renewable electricity generation plants are being built in Europe, where, by whom and using which resources.

  • Water, electricity and the political context in Arab countries 2011 - Oct 2011
    David Hall
    Sandra Van Niekerk

    This report examines the electricity and water sectors in North African and Middle Eastern countries, including the record of privatisations, and the potential implications of the democracy movements, and the response of international institutions, as of September 2011.

  • Impact of 2020 strategy on energy, water and waste sectors in eastern neighbourhood and enlargement countries - Jun 2011
    David Hall
    Steve Thomas
    Vladimir Popov

    An overview of the activities of the private sector and international financial institutions in the water, wast, electricity and gas distribution sectors in the eastern neighbourhood countries (former Soviet Union) and the west Balkans (former Yugoslavia and Albania)ownership, in the context of the 2020 starategy of the EU.

  • Trends in water privatisation - Mar 2011
    David Hall
    Emanuele Lobina
    Violeta Perez Corral

    This paper sets out a global overview of trends in the public and private presence in the water sector.  

    • the first section presents a general overview of the public-private mix;
    • the second section discusses the withdrawal of the major water multinationals, and the ‘myth’ of the so-called ‘local’ companies;
    • the third section examines the scale of terminations, the reasons, and the methods used;
    • the final section notes the growth of public-public partnerships supporting municipally-run water services.
  • Care Services for Older People in Europe – Challenges for Labour - Feb 2011Jane Lethbridge

    The report sets out the scale of the demand for care for elderly people in Europe, the provision and funding of care services, the presence of private companies, the employment status and pay and conditions of workers in the sector, and union organisation. It concludes with policy recommendations.

  • Desertec: what are the implications for Africa? - Nov 2010Sandra Van Niekerk

    Desertec is a huge European project to generate electricity from solar panels in Africa. The report analyses the technical, corporate and political structure of the project and its implications for Africa's energy needs.

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