- Sustainable water fountains in 25 rural Malaysian communities provide clean, safe water, reducing water-borne diseases
ABU DHABIUnited Arab Emirates, November 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Beyond2020, the UAE-led humanitarian initiative, has installed water filters in 25 communities across the country. Sabah And Sarawak regions of Malaysiaproviding drinking water to 10,000 people.
Beyond2020 was launched by the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2019 in partnership with several leading organizations with the aim of continuing the humanitarian legacy of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh. Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyanproviding sustainable technologies and solutions to vulnerable communities around the world. Malaysia mark 17th rollout of the initiative, which will continue to bring life-transforming interventions to more beneficiaries around the world, providing technology for good and driving inclusive and sustainable development.
Commenting on the installation in MalaysiaHE Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al JaberMinister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, Director General of the Zayed Prize for Sustainable Development, and COP28 President-elect, declared: “The latest Beyond2020 project in Malaysia reflects the UAE’s commitment to international humanitarianism and sustainable development. Growing climate impacts are undermining water security and affecting lives and livelihoods in many parts of the world, particularly in the Global South. As the UAE prepares to welcome the world to COP28This project highlights the critical connection between water and climate change and emphasizes the potential of water innovations to uplift communities and promote economic prosperity.
This deployment contributes significantly to Malaysia continued efforts to improve access to clean, reliable water. We appreciate the cooperation of Malaysia Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change in implementing this initiative, which highlights the deep-rooted ties between our two countries.
HE Nik Nazmi Nik AhmadMinister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, declared: “The supply of drinking water is an absolute priority for Malaysia, a country that has made significant progress in improving its water and sanitation systems over the past decade. The UAE’s Beyond2020 initiative, which provided clean drinking water to 10,000 Malaysians, shows how innovative solutions can address our water challenges, especially in rural areas. We recognize the importance of extending these benefits to all segments of society, empowering every individual to lead healthier, more productive lives. »
Communities impacted by the recently deployed eco-friendly water filters are located in the Sabah And Sarawak regions of Malaysia, along the Rajang River. The people of this region traditionally depend on the surface waters of the river for drinking and survival. However, without the proper technology and systems to treat the water, villagers often faced health problems. Children regularly suffered from diarrhea and dysentery, indicating the likelihood of waterborne parasites in drinking water.
Water interventions are necessary to ensure that vulnerable populations, particularly children, women and the elderly, have access to safe drinking water.
Mansoor Mohamed Al HamedCEO of Mubadala Energy, said: “Investing in the people and communities we serve has always been at the heart of our mission. The latest deployment of Beyond2020 in Malaysia illustrates our commitment to humanitarianism and the deployment of innovations aimed at alleviating the difficulties faced by vulnerable communities. I am proud of this achievement, which addresses the critical imperative of providing clean water to those in need through our community investment projects.
In partnership with Wateroam – a social enterprise specializing in the design of simple, portable, sustainable and affordable water filtration systems, aimed specifically at disaster relief and rural development, and winner of the Zayed Sustainability Prize 2022 in the Water category – Beyond2020 has deployed water filtration solutions, providing communities with access to clean and safe drinking water.
As community sizes differ in different regions along the river, Wateroam has provided two different water filters, meeting the specific needs of each group: the Commfilter.TM More and ROAMfilterTM Ultra.
Both filters can remove over 99% of bacteria and viruses, but the CommfilterTM Plus provides clean drinking water to households and communities, while the ROAMfilterTM Ultra is designed to serve larger communities with its high throughput. The filters use natural gravity flows or low-power pumps, requiring little or no electricity to operate. They are easy to install and maintain, making them sustainable for long-term management and use by locals.
Malaysia is rich in water resources, but in recent years water supplies have been under pressure due to a combination of population growth, urbanization, industrialization and the expansion of irrigated agriculture. Deploying environmentally friendly filters that enable communities to sustainably meet their water needs supports the achievement of Malaysia national water vision.
Beyond2020 brings together a significant number of partners, including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, BNP Paribas, Mubadala Energy and Masdar.
As part of the initiative’s impact to date, a total of 17 deployments have been rolled out, including life-transforming energy, health, water and food solutions. more than 221,800 people in the following countries: Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, Jordan, Egypt, Cambodia, Madagascar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, The Philippines, Rwanda, Peru, Lebanon, Sudan, EthiopiaAnd Vietnam. In addition to Malaysiathree other countries have been identified as areas for deployment in the future.
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SOURCE Zayed Prize for Sustainable Development
