WaterAid and Microsoft Corporation launch new water, sanitation and hygiene programs in India and Nigeria
New York, NY, March 4, 2024 – Today WaterAid and Microsoft Corporation announced the launch of two new programs to deliver sustainable, climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services to communities in India and Nigeria.
In India, a groundwater recharge program will serve more than 60,000 people and address water scarcity in the urban Hyderabad and rural Karnataka areas. These communities source 80% of their drinking water from the ground, but the growing intensity of rainfall and monsoons combined with groundwater overuse by the agricultural and industrial sectors has created the need to harvest rainwater and ensure the availability of sustainable groundwater while adapting to climate change. During the three-year program, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge will conserve and recycle more than 235M gallons of water, which contributes to increased groundwater levels and water security for future generations.
In Nigeria, the collaboration will reach more than 21,000 people over three years in rural and suburban communities in Lagos, where only 36% of schools and 29% of healthcare facilities have basic water, sanitation and hygiene services. Climate shocks including heat waves and flooding have further depleted the water supply and damaged water infrastructure. Behavior change campaigns, government partnerships and community participation will also be essential to maximize the benefits of improved access to clean water, decent toilets and handwashing with soap.
We are focused on five key pillars: reducing water use intensity, replenishing more water than we consume, increasing access to water and sanitation services for people across the globe, driving innovation to scale water solutions, and advocating for effective water policy.
We hope these steps will contribute to a growing movement to address the world’s sustainability needs.
Globally 2.2 billion people don’t have safe water, 3.5 billion don’t have a decent toilet, and 2 billion lack soap and water to wash their hands at home. The consequences of increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather patterns are felt largely through water—flooding and droughts create either too much or not enough. With support from Microsoft, WaterAid is addressing these issues locally by building sustainable and climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene systems in communities in India and Nigeria that will last for years to come.
This collaboration between Microsoft and WaterAid comes as companies increasingly see the benefits of investing in water and toilets to drive health, wealth and prosperity. “Boosting Business,” first-of-its-kind research released by WaterAid, proves the positive impact of water, sanitation and hygiene investment in a community. Productivity, punctuality, health, morale and loyalty all improve; absenteeism and staff turnover decrease - ultimately improving profit.
It strengthens the health and wellbeing of a company’s workforce, cuts medical and sick pay costs, and boosts staff motivation and productivity while generating a substantial ROI.
It’s encouraging to see a global company like Microsoft taking a crucial leadership role in solving the water crisis that affects us all.
Media Contacts:
Jeff Greene, Communications and Engagement Officer,
WaterAid America
[email protected]
Emily Haile, Director of Marketing and Engagement,
WaterAid America
[email protected]
More about WaterAid
WaterAid is an international nonprofit working to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene a reality for everyone, everywhere within a generation. WaterAid has a presence in 30 countries, working to change the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 29 million people with clean water, 29 million people with decent toilets and 28 million people with good hygiene. wateraid.org/us
Visit WaterAid to learn more
Statistics
- 750 million people in the world – one in ten – do not have clean water close to home.
- Two billion people in the world – almost one in four – do not have a decent toilet of their own.
- Around 310,000 children under five die every year from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That's around 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.
Every $2 invested in water and toilets returns an average of $8 in increased productivity.
Further resources
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