SABMiller, WWF Seek Water Futures Partners

Brewer SABMiller, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and the German international development agency GIZ have asked businesses, NGOs and other organizations to join their Water Futures Partnership.

Established in 2009, the partnership has just published its second report, detailing the progress made in identifying, assessing and beginning to address the challenges facing businesses, communities and the environment in watersheds in South Africa, Peru, Tanzania and Ukraine.

However, the partnership now believes its interests will be better served – and its actions will be more successful – with a broader membership. The three founder members want to spread membership throughout the public, private and non-profit sector. They also want to broaden the coalition’s work to four more countries: Colombia, Honduras, India and the U.S.

“Single actors cannot alone effectively mitigate the complex and often deeply-embedded causes of water risks. Our assessments show that the fundamental causes of many of our business-specific water risks are the same drivers of the water problems facing communities and ecosystems,” said Andy Wales, SABMiller’s head of sustainable development.