Columbia Water Center, PepsiCo Foundation Present Sustainable Water Successes at Rio+20
Water Center, PepsiCo Foundation Present Sustainable Water Successes at Rio+20
The rural communities of Ceará, Brazil, had long been accustomed to drought and the problems that result: food insecurity, death of livestock, and conflict over scarce water resources. While Ceara’s problems may have been typical of a water scarce region in the developing world, the work of the Columbia Water Center and PepsiCo Foundation has ensured that the approach to these problems is anything but.
As one of several PepsiCo Foundation funded projects to improve water security and rural livelihoods, the CWC’s work in Ceará has engaged international and local expertise in engineering, hydrology, agriculture, public policy and finance to test and develop cost effective solutions for water sustainability. In Brazil, the project has been a model for incorporating the interests of stakeholders in the government, community, and the private sector in the drought-stricken state of Ceará to ensure the sustainable management of scarce water resources.
