The Coca-Cola Company

Water Conservation Initiatives Launched In Indonesia And India



March 31, 2006 edition

Coca-Cola teams in Indonesia and India kicked off initiatives recently to commemorate World Water Day 2006 (March 22).

Coca-Cola Indonesia and USAID teamed up to launch the Community Watershed Partnership Program -- or Cinta Air (Love Water) -- in Bekasi, West Java, on March 19 in conjunction with World Water Day. The initiative represents a shared commitment to conserving and protecting watersheds in forest areas to ensure a consistent supply of clean water for years to come.

Many Indonesians lack access to clean water due to the declining number of watersheds in upstream forest areas and poor water quality in downstream areas. In fact, a recent survey revealed that more than 100,000 children under five years-old die each year due to insufficient water resources.

Cinta Air is designed to encourage water users to understand the issues and to play an active role in ensuring the sustainability of our water supply.

Cinta Air kicked off with a Water Safari to promote awareness of watershed conservation in upstream areas and water quality maintenance in downstream areas. Over the course of the two-day program, Coca-Cola staff and environmental experts from USAID's Environmental Services Program (ESP) led a group of high school students, who were encouraged to suggest ways to address watershed conservation issues.

The initiative focused on the Citarum area in the Cigundul River Cimacan district, where the number of watersheds has decreased from 12 to four since 1985. The Cigundul River supplies water to the West Citarum canal, one of the main sources of water for greater Jakarta. The students also visited the Jatiluhur reservoir in Purwakarta, which supplies water for Jakarta and its surrounding areas via the Citarum River.

Festival of Water
Coca-Cola India (CCI) commemorated World Water Day by organizing a "Jal Tarang" festival in New Delhi to celebrate the links between water and culture. CCI teamed up with FORCE, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO), to sponsor the event.

More than 100 local residents participated in the March 22 event, launching a 3.72 million-liter rainwater harvesting project with a special screening of the Coca-Cola "Harness the Flow" short film.

The United Nations has designated the decade 2005-2015 as the "International Decade for Action, Water for Life." The initiative began on World Water Day.

CCI's additional conservation efforts include step well restoration work, recycling programs and public environmental education drives. Learn more, go there »