Official Development Assistance in Water and Sanitation: Do Conflict Violence and Militarization in Developing Countries Matter?

ABSTRACT This study examines the levels of official development assistance (ODA) in water and sanitation received by developing countries through the lens of conflict violence and militarization in those countries. Previous work on water and sanitation ODA has not considered how conflict or the capacity for organized violence can impact receipt of water and sanitation assistance. We argue that societal need for water resources—a prerequisite for receipt of water and sanitation ODA—is linked to violent conflict and militarization, i.e., the capacity for violent conflict, over and above a baseline need. We develop and test an extended recipient need model of foreign aid on samples of n = 105–128 recipient countries over a 13‐year period between 2010 and 2022 using panel regressions. Results show support for baseline recipient need for ODA in water and sanitation, no support for the role of conflict violence, but support for the effect of militarization. Analysis of subdimensions of militarization shows the importance of economic militarization (more spending) compared to social militarization (more soldiers) or heavy weapons. The results extend the recipient need model of ODA by highlighting deprivation caused by the diversion of finance in the developing world towards militarization. They also contribute to the narrative on aid provision and ties to rich donor countries by revealing the link between water and sanitation finance and militarized regimes in the developing world.