UN Under Secretary General and UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka has signed an agreement with Coca-Cola India announcing that they will collaborate to improve community access to water and sanitation in India and Nepal. They did this at the 21st session of the Governing Council of UN-HABITAT in Nairobi. This collaboration includes setting up demonstration projects to increase water supply through rainwater harvesting and other techniques to store and conserve water in Madhya Pradesh, India and the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation for urban poor in West Bengal targeting 150 schools. Additionally, Coca-Cola has committed itself to working on improving water management and sanitation in selected urban slums and in rural areas in Nepal. Mr. Deepak Jolly, Vice President for Coca-Cola, India said, “Water is fundamental to all communities and we understand that businesses thrive only amidst vibrant and sustainable societies. Water management remains a priority and we are delighted to enter into this partnership with UN-HABITAT.”

Source: UN-HABITAT, 18 Apr 2007