Apple, UK-based NGO launch project for improved water management in India
US tech behemoth Apple has announced a new initiative to support improved water, sanitation and hygiene outcomes in India, one of the key markets for its products.
The new initiative, through a partnership with UK-based environmental non-government organisation (NGO) Frank Water, will support the development of an innovative, scalable approach that strengthens local water management and decision making, and expand equitable access to water quality data, an official statement said.
“Some of the most powerful solutions to climate change and the global water crisis come from the communities living every day with these challenges,” said Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson.
“By supporting innovative, community-based approaches in India and around the world, Apple is making progress toward our global climate goals while doing our part to help people improve their lives,” she added.
Beginning with a pilot in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Frank Water is surveying households and analysing multiple data sources to map how water is used in the area. To do this, the organisation uses hydrological modeling and is developing a state-of-the-art decision support process, which puts tools in the hands of the community.
Building on this more comprehensive and accurate understanding of water usage, the partnership brings together leading experts, local organisations, businesses, and community members in the pilot area to improve collaborative decision-making around shared water resources.
Together, Apple, Frank Water, and local partners aim to use the enhanced data and expanded partnerships to demonstrate how collective water stewardship, working alongside businesses, can be a model to replicate across India and beyond, the statement added.
Frank Water said the new project is advancing its mission to develop accessible and inclusive tools for best practise in water management. The project outcome aims to ensure sustainable access to water for all stakeholders, with a focus on those most in need.
“This work is vital in order to develop collective stewardship of water resources at catchment level. Sharing knowledge on good water management is one of the most impactful ways that we can reduce the impact of climate change and the global water crisis on those most in need. We are delighted to be working with Apple on this ground breaking partnership, and to ensure communities have long term access to water”, said Frank Water CEO Katie Alcott.
“We are currently finalising year one of the project, where we have been working in Anekal taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where nearly 40 per cent of residents lack reliable access to safe drinking water. We have been surveying households in a community of 700,000 people and analysing multiple data sources to map how water is used in the area. To do this work, we have been using hydrological modelling and are developing a state-of-the-art decision support process”, she added.
