To raise awareness a World Water Day 2023, Coca-Cola in South Africa has joined the United Nations to mobilise on behalf of citizens living without access to safe water in the country Picture: supplied
Durban — Since Wednesday is World Water Day, Coca-Cola in South Africa has joined the UN to mobilise on behalf of citizens living without access to safe water in the country.
World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 annually to raise awareness and to inspire action to tackle the global water and sanitation crisis.
Communications and Sustainability director at Coca-Cola Africa, South Africa, Babongile Mandela, said it was crucial that everyone had access to clean and safe water.
“Water is essential to every person and every ecosystem in the world. It is also essential to the products we make and the agricultural ingredients we use.
“For this reason and others, Coca-Cola has committed to replenishing every drop of water we use back to the environment as part of the company’s 2030 Water Security Strategy,” said Mandela.
He said the Coca-Cola Foundation invested $65 million in improving the lives of six million Africans, also providing access to clean water and sanitation, productive use of water and watershed protection in more than 4 000 communities across 41 countries.
He added that,in 2022, the Coca-Cola Foundation announced an investment in four new projects in South Africa to remove ‘thirsty’ invasive alien plants from critical water catchment areas feeding major cities and towns across the country.
“To date, the teams have collectively rehabilitated and improved land management practices across more than 11 500ha.
“The rehabilitation activities range from reducing soil erosion on mountain slopes, to improving grazing practices, to cutting down invasive alien plants.
“The activities are tailored to the local context and circumstances of the landscape and the projects have provided more than 155 jobs, 82 of which are women and 35 are youths.
“In addition to employment, these beneficiaries also receive skills training (veld and fire management, first aid, chainsaw usage, herbicide application) to improve their future employability in the green economy,” said Mandela.
He said Coca-Cola is partnering with local communities, government and like-minded organisations to assess, understand and drive effective sustainability goals.
“These will include providing people with access to safe drinking water, supporting communities with skills and job creation, or reducing the impact of our operations on the environment,” said Mandela.
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