ARIAN and UNICEF Austria are committed to working together to take life-saving action to provide clean drinking water to people in the poorest regions of the world.

https://unicef.at/mitmachen/als-unternehmen-helfen/aktuelle-kooperationen/

Water covers 71 percent of our planet Earth, often referred to as the “blue planet”. In so-called industrialized countries, we are not always aware that water is one of the most important goods on earth. Clean drinking water is still scarce and available in abundance only for a part of the world’s population. While in developed countries clean drinking water comes out of the tap in any quantity at any time, water scarcity is a daily reality for millions of people. Over forty percent of the world’s population have no access to clean drinking water.

Even though water seems to be abundant on earth, the fact that 97 percent of available water is salt water cannot be ignored – vital drinking water is a rare commodity that is also unequally distributed around the world.

In addition to the lack of this resource, the global water crisis is also due to increasing water pollution. Due to an absence of wastewater systems, more than 80 percent of wastewater worldwide is discharged untreated into rivers, lakes and oceans. This is causing irreversible environmental damage and further depleting drinking water supplies.

The lack of clean water and access to sanitation are key factors in the development of epidemics and diseases. Millions of people worldwide die as a result of contaminated drinking water and germs. According to statistics, countries with poor access to clean water have the highest child mortality rates.

Well Project

Together with UNICEF Austria, ARIAN will provide water supply for twenty villages in developing countries in the coming months. The construction of a well will grant thousands of people access to clean drinking water and prevent the development and spread of bacterial diseases.

“Access to water is part of people’s basic needs and is essential for life. With the construction of the well, we want to draw attention to the importance of water and sustainably improve the living conditions of poor population groups,” explains Julia Kollegger, COO of ARIAN.

In addition to water supply, the project also focuses on access to education. To meet the demand for water, children and their families have to walk many kilometers every day. This time-consuming water collection means that children, especially girls, are denied the opportunity to attend school.

Protecting the Environment

To reduce germs in the contaminated water, it is usually boiled with wood fire. This results in high CO2 emissions and smoke pollution in the villages, which is hazardous to health. “With this project, we want to contribute to a sustainable improvement of the living situation in affected villages. In addition to optimizing the health situation, reducing greenhouse gases is also an important aspect. It is important to us to create a general awareness of the lack of water in the world and the connection with education, hygiene and the strain on our ecosystem,” says Julia Kollegger.

Sustainability in Focus

Climate change, increasing population growth, geographical conditions, and the pollution and overuse of water are leading to a shortage of water resources. In order to guarantee the human right to drinking water, a change in thinking must take place at various levels.

Julia Kollegger adds: “Sustainability is an important part of our corporate philosophy. Our goal is to develop visions and consider them in connection with ecological issues. We are pleased to have found a partner in UNICEF Austria for the realization of long-term projects to reduce poverty and protect our environment.”

Read more about the cooperation here.