Project cost overruns and risk allocation in public funded projects in Malaysia

This paper presents a review of international peer-reviewed academic research into the question of how corruption in the construction industry can exacerbate the human impact of naturally-triggered disasters. A systematic review of peer-reviewed academic papers from the fields of corruption, construction and disaster management over the past thirty years reveals a dearth of empirical research in this area. Results indicate that existing research tends to focus on the quality of governance and the drivers of corruption and is fragmented, limited and narrow in scope. Despite these limitations, evidence is found to support the proposition that corruption in the construction industry can significantly worsen the economic, social and environmental impacts of naturally-triggered disasters. This appears to be especially the case where corruption, disaster, and poverty intersect. Acknowledging the methodological challenges of undertaking research in this area, it is concluded that more research is needed to test this proposition which intersects the related fields of corruption, natural disasters and the construction industry.