Beirut, 27 March 2017: A global tradition of annual activities commemorating World Water Day every March, launched by the United Nations in 1993, is reaching nearly 2,000 more students in Lebanon this year, through six events conducted by Nestlé Waters and its global NGO partner Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) that highlight the importance of water, its scarcity, how to protect it, and means to reduce pollution.
Bringing the total number of children reached across the country over the past nine years to over 17,000, this year’s events are again held in collaboration with the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“Water is a precious resource that is shared among individuals, farmers, industry, the environment, and others,” said Rime Raya, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager at Nestlé Waters. “Raising awareness about the importance of water amongst the local communities in which we operate on World Water Day is one of the ways we bring our commitment to water stewardship to life.”
The activities are in line with commitments made in the first Nestlé in Society report for the region, published in 2015, in which the company pledged to “promote healthy hydration as part of a healthy lifestyle,” vowing 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.”
Project Wet activities implemented in Lebanon include: Blue Planet, The Life Box, Aqua Bodies, a Drop in the Bucket, One for All, and Sum of the Part, all of which aim to lead children through a process that allows them to understand the importance of water in people’s lives, teach them that human actions affect water, and educate them on how to protect and preserve it.
In the Middle East, Nestlé has since 2009 reduced absolute water withdrawal by 6% across its factories in the region, while production volume increased by 62%.
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/
About Nestlé Waters in Lebanon
Founded in 1992, Nestlé Waters is the water division of the Nestlé Group, employing more than 33,000 people and present in 130 countries with a portfolio of more than 59 brands. In Lebanon, Nestlé Waters bottles and distributes two local brands, Nestlé Pure Life, which is bottled in the Ain Zhalta factory near the Shouf Cedar Reserve, and Sohat, which is bottled in Falougha and distributed in Lebanon and the Middle East since 1971. It also locally distributes Nestlé Waters International brands: Perrier, S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, and Contrex.