Amazon Partners with Matt Damon’s Water.org to Provide Water Access to 100 Million People
Amazon and global non-profit organization Water.org announced today the launch of a shared water & climate fund aimed at providing lasting water access for 100 million people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Amazon also announced that it is also donating $10 million to Water.org efforts to provide 1 million people with access to clean water by 2025, providing 3 billion liters of water per year in areas facing water scarcity.
Founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org is an international non-profit organizations focused on pioneering market-driven financial solutions to the global water crisis.
Damon said:
“We must focus on global water security by putting the water and sanitation needs of the most vulnerable front and center through our climate discussions and most importantly, our philanthropy.”
According to Amazon, the announcement builds on the company’s partnership with Water.org, following joint efforts to provide clean water and sanitation to 250,000 people in communities in India and Indonesia through microfinance loans. The new initiative will be Amazon and Water.org’s greatest private investment project to date.
The new fund will support climate-resilient water and sanitation projects including water reuse infrastructure, wastewater treatment plants, and water loss reduction.
Kara Hurst, Vice President for Worldwide Sustainability at Amazon, said:
“The climate crisis can’t wait and pressing issues like safe water and sanitation require action today. We’ve done incredible work with Water.org the last several years, reaching hundreds of thousands of people, and I’m proud to extend our partnership today to help directly support 1 million people having access to safe water by 2025.”
White added:
“Our solution is proven and powerful. We are accelerating our impact, and this partnership is an example of the power the private sector can give to create meaningful impact—it will ensure Water.org reaches its desired impact and inspires others to join us.”