In this month's Rotary Magazine highlight, we look at the partnership between Rotary International and the United Nations Environment Programme to clean fresh bodies of water. The story is titled, "Central to Life: UN environment body looks to Rotary's reach to protect freshwater ecosystems", written by, Diana Schoberg. To read the full article, in its original form, please consult your February magazine starting on page 12.
In January, the United Nations and Rotary International announced their new collaborative initiative, Community Action for Fresh Water. The goal of this program is to empower local Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs to adopt a body of water with UNEP's advice and expert knowledge. The hope is that Rotary's deep roots in local communities will help to drive the cleaning of fresh bodies of water around the world.
In making this announcement, Rotary International's President Elect, Stephanie Urchick, said, "this partnership will help Rotary spur collective action and raise our profile in our newest area of focus, and make the most of existing assets at Rotary and the Rotary Foundation."
This type of initiative has been seen, on a smaller scale, in the United States, Mexico, and South Sudan, to name a few of the 20+ projects Rotary has undertaken. In the United States and Mexico, local Rotary club's under the direction of Salvador Rico, a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of South Ukiah, California, helped to clean several rivers by working with local stakeholders and industries contributing to water pollution to adopt cleaner practices. One of the rivers that Rico helped to clean was Ameca, in Mexico. This river is where he and his siblings played when they were children until Rico's older sister contracted polio. His family believed the sewage-tainted waters were to blame. Through the power of Rotary, and through his drive to clean fresh waters, Rico has helped to clean Ameca and make it safer for future generations.
This new program will give local Rotary clubs a coordinated plan on how to clean and protect fresh waters in their areas. District funds and global grants have been made available for clubs looking to do river cleanups, habitat restoration, native plantings, biodiversity projects, wastewater treatment,, and lake monitoring.
UNEP believes that Rotary is an excellent partner because, "Rotary, with its global reach, close connection to communities, and action-focused engagement [can] ensure projects create change and have impact."
This story is an excellent example of the impact Rotary can have locally and internationally, and its significance as a partner with impactful organizations such as UNEP. To read the complete story, please consult your February Rotary magazine beginning on page 12.