Chapters and Snapshots of Burning the Public Trust Book

Case snapshots to anchor the journey (Philippines, Bangladesh, India)

These brief vignettes foreshadow deeper dives in later chapters:

Philippines — River dikes and barangay drainage
Community monitors in multiple provinces have documented telltale signs of “value engineering” that quietly weakens structures: thinner wing walls, under-compacted backfill, and missing riprap. Post-typhoon inspections reveal early erosion where specifications were shaved. Independent integrity initiatives (open posting of project cards, community scorecards) have helped identify fixes before failure—evidence that civic oversight, when invited in, pays off. (We’ll connect these observations to IPCC-consistent increases in extreme rainfall intensity in Chapter 5.)
Bangladesh — Cyclone shelter retrofits and char-land forestry
In coastal districts, the difference between a well-maintained shelter and a neglected one is the difference between safety and tragedy. Maintenance committees with transparent micro-budgets enable shelters to function as intended; politicized contracting and opaque budgets do not. On newly formed char lands, forestry projects falter when land tenure is unresolved—saplings and claims uprooted together. UNDP’s corruption-risk mapping anticipated these social-governance pitfalls years ago; today’s integrity tools can help address them (UNDP).
India — Urban drainage and road-raising
Rapid urbanization, combined with increased rainfall intensity, leads to urban flooding. Cities that publish contracting and asset data—what was built, where, to what spec—enable citizen engineers and journalists to spot the choke points and the missing links. Where procurement is more open and markets are more competitive, recent World Bank analyses suggest a lower risk of overpricing; where favoritism persists, the same budgets yield less resilience (World Bank Open Knowledge Portal).

Where this book is headed

This opening chapter argued a simple claim: climate harm is intensified where public integrity is weak. By the end of this chapter, readers will understand how governance weaknesses exacerbate the impact of climate disasters. The chapters ahead move from diagnosis to design, from red flags to remedies: each chapter concludes with clear learning goals to ensure readers leave with actionable insights.

Chapter 2 provides a brief context on the influence of fossil fuels and why this book emphasizes the integrity of public spending.
Chapters 3–7 unpack the vulnerable links—procurement, engineering integrity, forests and water, and disaster relief.
Chapter 8 addresses “data darkness” and demonstrates how to transform disclosures into accountability.
Chapter 9 centers on local political economy and inclusion, because resilient infrastructure without community voice is a contradiction.
Chapter 10 maps watchdogs, whistleblower routes, and courts.
Chapter 11 catalogs “islands of integrity”—what works, with models to scale.
Chapter 12 offers concrete policy recommendations—a minimum viable integrity package that lawmakers, ministers, and mayors can implement now.

If corruption is the accelerant, integrity is the firebreak. Let’s get to work.

References (selected)

CoST—Infrastructure Transparency Initiative. Tools and Standards (Community Oversight and Infrastructure Disclosure Frameworks). (CoST)
Fazekas, M., et al. (2025). The Impact of Political Favoritism on Public Procurement and Public Spending Efficiency. World Bank. (Estimates overpricing associated with corruption risks.) (Open Knowledge Portal)
IPCC (2023). AR6 Synthesis Report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (Headline statements and longer report summarize impacts, risks, and governance links.) (IPCC)
Open Contracting Partnership. (Guidance and evidence on open contracting for better outcomes.) (Open Contracting Partnership)
Transparency International (2024). Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. (Discusses undue influence, regulatory capture, and implications for climate policy.) (Transparency CDN)
Transparency International. Climate & Corruption Case Atlas. (Database of climate-related corruption cases.) (Transparency.org)
UNDP (2010). Staying on Track: Tackling Corruption Risks in Climate Change. (Foundational mapping of corruption risks in adaptation and REDD+.) (UNDP)
World Bank (2025). Insights about Public Procurement: Key Findings from the Benchmarking Exercise. (Notes procurement’s share of GDP and systemic risks.) (Open Knowledge Portal)

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