As climate pressures intensify, populations grow, and ageing infrastructure comes under increasing strain, governments around the world face mounting pressure to deliver reliable and resilient water services.
Building better water infrastructure, however, is about more than engineering. It also depends on how projects are planned, how decisions are made, and how institutions remain accountable throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.
Recent initiatives in Ghana and Ecuador demonstrate that strengthening transparency in the water sector requires different approaches at different stages of that journey.
Ghana: improving decisions before projects are built
In Ghana’s Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), the innovation is not simply greater disclosure. CoST’s third Independent Review applies the Framework for Integrity in Infrastructure Planning (FIIP) to a portfolio of 28 infrastructure projects, including water-related investments.
Developed through collaboration between CoST and the Water Integrity Network (WIN), the framework examines whether projects are being selected and designed with integrity from the outset.
The review therefore asks questions that arise before procurement begins: Are investments responding to genuine public needs? Are environmental and climate risks being considered? Are communities being consulted? Are planning decisions transparent and evidence-based?
STMA’s approach treats water integrity primarily as a planning challenge. Rather than concentrating solely on how projects are delivered, it examines how they are selected, prioritised, and designed. The approach recognises that many infrastructure risks emerge long before construction begins. By strengthening transparency and accountability in decision-making, STMA is helping ensure water investments are more resilient, inclusive, and responsive to local needs.
Ecuador: strengthening accountability after projects exist
In Ecuador, the emphasis has been different. Working with local authorities, CoST Ecuador has focused on strengthening the governance systems that underpin water management and service delivery by improving the publication of infrastructure information and strengthening public oversight.
The initiative aims to make information on water infrastructure more accessible, helping citizens understand how projects are progressing, how resources are being used, and how institutions are performing.
Rather than concentrating on project selection, Ecuador’s experience focuses on institutional governance and service delivery. The central question is not only whether the right projects were chosen, but whether water systems remain accountable, transparent, and responsive once they are operating.
By strengthening coordination, clarifying responsibilities, and improving access to information, Ecuador shows how transparency can reinforce water governance long after infrastructure has been delivered.
One goal, different approaches
Together, these experiences show that water transparency is not one-size-fits-all. Different contexts require different tools. Ghana demonstrates how integrity can be strengthened upstream, before projects are approved and funded. Ecuador demonstrates how transparency can be strengthened downstream, through better oversight of projects and services that are already being delivered.
Together, these experiences illustrate how CoST’s collaborative approach continues to evolve to meet new challenges. As pressures on water systems continue to grow, strengthening transparency across the entire infrastructure lifecycle will be essential to building services that are more resilient, more accountable, and ultimately better equipped to meet the needs of the communities they serve.