Global partnership with HSBC launched at Cutty Sark Museum in London
After working in partnership with HSBC for over ten years, Earthwatch is now joining HSBC for a third global partnership. Launched on Monday, June 11 at the Cutty Sark Museum in London, the new programme will address the issue of freshwater resources and their management.
A new report, commissioned from Frontier Economics by HSBC, forecasts that by 2050, without any improvement in water resource management, seven of the world’s largest river basins by population will face unsustainable water consumption. The report also highlights the powerful economic rationale for improving access to freshwater and sanitation.
The HSBC Water Programme will address the global water challenge by improving water resource management in key river basins, bringing safe water and sanitation to millions of people, and raising awareness and understanding of the global water challenge.
Working alongside partner NGOs WWF and WaterAid, Earthwatch will set up research projects in over 20 cities worldwide, collaborating with local conservation partners to examine urban water management issues.
Thousands of HSBC employees and their wider local communities will take part in this global citizen science programme, spending a day in the field learning about the water issue, and using innovative technology to collect robust data on the quality, quantity, and biodiversity of local water resources. These data will support, inform, and transform policymakers’ water resource management plans. HSBC employees will also be encouraged to take action on managing impacts in their workplace and in their communities.
Speaking at the launch event, Earthwatch Chairman Professor David Macdonald described the programme as "testament to Earthwatch’s unique approach to engaging the employees of major companies in pressing environmental issues. By working alongside scientists and community NGO's, Earthwatch and HSBC employees will increase scientific understanding of urban water challenges and develop a community of informed citizens, empowered to take action."
Learn more about Earthwatch's role in the HSBC Water Programme.