Nestlé Middle East is celebrating World Water Day with updates on a new drinking well in Jordan, a study on the Lebanese Shouf Biosphere groundwater, and annual awareness activities across several countries in the region, conducted in support of the company’s core purpose of Enhancing Quality of Life and Contributing to a Healthier Future.
This year’s activities include school awareness outreaches aimed at enabling healthier and happier lives for individuals and families, done in collaboration with international NGO Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), which bring the total number of children educated about the importance of water, for healthy hydration and as a scarce resource, across the region over the past ten years to more than 70,000.
Events have been held for schoolchildren in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates, helping Nestlé meet its regional commitments to “promote healthy hydration as part of a healthy lifestyle,” and to “further implement our healthy hydration awareness programs for teachers and kids providing a better understanding of the benefits of water as key to healthy hydration.”
“The United Nations estimates that by 2030 global demand for water will exceed supply by 40%, which is why it is more vital than ever for water stewardship initiatives to be undertaken in collaboration between the private sector, governments, and NGOs everywhere to protect water reserves and expand clean and fresh water access across communities,” said Lazaro Rivademar, Senior Vice President and Regional Business Head, Nestlé Waters Asia, Oceana & Africa. “We are working together with communities to Create Shared Value for everyone.”
Helping develop thriving and resilient communities is also being done through such collaborations as one with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in Jordan in 2017 to supply villagers with safe drinking water by providing a new well in the village of Hussainiya, about 170 Kilometers south of Amman, drilled using state of the art technology. The well is capable of pumping up to 120 cubic meters per hour to cover the clean water needs of over 20,000 people in the area.
Stewarding resources for future generations, another company pillar, is manifesting in the region with such activities as a monitoring study in Lebanon’s Shouf Mountains, done over two years in collaboration between the Shouf Biosphere Reserve and Nestlé Waters. Its results, announced in late 2017, found the area’s overall groundwater balance to be positive by around 12 million cubic meters per year, and led to the creation of a committee to tackle high impact it detected to stem from climate change and human activities.
In the Middle East, Nestlé has since 2010 increased production volume by more than 60%. As the company continues to focus on resource efficiency and sustainability across its operations, it has achieved a 39% reduction in water withdrawal per tonne of product.
About World Water Day
World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. World Water Day dates back to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development where an international observance for water was recommended. The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. It has been held annually since then. More information is available on the following website: http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/home/en/