Stormwater360 support Oxfam World Water Day
22 Mar 2009
Team Stormwater360 thank our water challenge sponsors!
Stormwater360 competed in the Auckland Region Corporate Water Challenge to help raise funds for the millions of women and children who spend hours a day carrying 20kg water containers to and from their homes – precious hours they would rather spend at work and school.
The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. It occurs each year on March 22 and encourages organisations around the world to host events and activities that focus on improving water, sanitation and hygiene provision.
This year, a partnership was formed between Beca andNorth Shore City Council which aims to engage the Auckland Region Water Sector and rally behind Oxfam ‘Water for Survival’ programmes in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, India, Ghana and Tanzania.
Clean water is so essential to life that most of us here in New Zealand simply take it for granted. But one in five of the world’s people lives without safe water and two in five lack even basic sanitation.
Ill-health from drinking dirty water is one of the most serious threats to human life. In the next 24 hours, diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation will claim the lives of 4,000 children.
The Oxfam Water for Survival Programme supports work to provide clean water and sanitation and hygiene education programmes for people in some of the world's poorest regions.