On World Water Day, the We Are Water Foundation Warns That "We eat More Water Than we Drink"
DUBAI, UAE, March 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
March 22, World Water Day - United Nations
- According to the United Nations, the adequate management of water resources is key to assuring adequate nourishment before the growing demand of the world population.
- The majority of the water we consume is incorporated in food. To make a kilo of rice, we need 2,450 liters of water.
- The We Are Water Foundation collaborates to create awareness on the need to make good use of this resource and creates an application that calculates the amount of water necessary to produce a food or its Water Print.
Every year, on March 22, the World Water Day is decreed by the UNO which, in the 2012 edition, deals with water and food safety. More than 1 billion people lack a basic supply of water and 1.5 million children die every year due to illnesses caused by non-drinkable and contaminated water.
According to Xavier Torras, director of the We Are Water Foundation, "The majority of the water that we use as humans is in the food we eat. Each day, a person can drink 3 liters of water, but to produce a plate of paste, we need 1,025 liters of water and for a kilo of rice, almost 2,450 liters". These are two examples of the amount of water necessary to produce food. A resource that is not available in many places around the world.
That is why the Foundation wishes to emphasize how important it is to ensure access to this vital resource. To this end, the Foundation has sought the support of Carlos Jiménez Renjifo, who is the responsible in Spain of the UN Information Center for Western Europe (UNRIC), which has warned about the need to look for joint solutions to face this problem. "In 2012, the world population has reached 7 billion inhabitants and it is estimated that within three decades we could reach 9 billion. Therefore, the water needs for the growing demand of food production, or in other words, the power to guarantee sustainable nourishment for a large part of the planet, will be one of the principal problems that we will face".
We eat more water than we drink: APP "We Eat Water"
With the objective of increasing awareness promoted by the United Nations, the We Are Water Foundation has launched a campaign with the slogan, "We eat more water than we drink", and has created the application for Smartphones, "We Eat Water".
This application includes recipes coming from different countries and each recipe specifies the Water Print for the dish. The Water Print adds up all the water necessary, not only to cook the recipe, but also the water used to produce the food. For example, to make simple Chinese "wonton", 5,804 liters of water are used.
The "We Eat Water" application has a symbolic cost of 0.79 Euros (almost 4 AED) that is designated to funding the 4 aid projects that the We Are Water Foundation has put into place this 2012 in collaboration with organizations like Unicef, Fundación Vicente Ferrer, Oxfam or Educación sin Fronteras.
The We Are Water Foundation, a Roca initiative, is taking advantage of the bathroom-fixtures company's presence with branches throughout the world to carry out various informational and awareness-raising actions for World Water Day.
In the Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the main initiative is an awareness-raising premium branding at the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo to announce the amount of water required for making a plate of paste (1,025 liters) as well as the screening (at Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall at 5pm on March 22nd) of the documentary "Aral. The Lost Sea" by filmmaker Isabel Coixet and produced with collaboration of Sir Ben Kingsley and Tim Robbins.
Among the confirmed attendees of the Awareness-Raising Event are H.E. Saeed Mohamed Al Tayer, Managing Director of DEWA, H.E. Eng. Hussain Naser Lootah, Managing Director of Dubai Municipality, Mr. Hamdan Khalifa Al Shaer, Director of Environmental Department, Dubai Municipality, as well as Deans and Heads of Faculties of distinguished universities in the UAE like Zayed University, American University of Sharjah, American University in Dubai and Al Ghurair University, Architects and Interior Designers from institutions like The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID) and members of the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) and the UAE Business Council for Sustainable Development.
March 22nd 2012 marks the start of the CSR Partnership between We Are Water Foundation/Roca Loves the Planet and the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. At the "We Are Water" information kiosk at the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, We Are Water volunteers will hand out flyers which aim to raise awareness among the visitors about the relationship between water and food.
Gordon White, General Manager, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, said: "Strengthening awareness about the aquatic environment and offering an overview of aquatic diversity is one of the core goals of Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Our support to the initiative by We Are Water Foundation to highlight the important of water use efficiency and management underlines our commitment to focusing the attention of our visitors on environmental sustainability."
Victor Schoone, Country Manager of Roca Sanitario, S.A. - Representation Office Middle East-, said: "We Are Water is part of our commitment with sustainability and with the communities most affected by the lack of water and its consequences. We aim to become a referent in the management of environmental issues and sustainable development, especially in everything related to water. We hope to contribute to a more sustainable society through new collaborations with DEWA, Dubai Municipality and with the academic world."
On the 2012 World Water Day - United Nations - We Are Water Foundation launches a Student Design Contest which requests students of Art, Interior Design & Architecture faculties in the UAE to design an A3 Poster on the relationship between Food and Water. Likewise, We Are Water Foundation informs about the competition 'We Art Water Film Festival' which allows students from around the world to produce a 1-3 minutes video which can be submitted in 3 different formats (http://www.wearewater.org/en/festival):
- Micro-documentary. Demonstrate your talent for synthesis and your narrative skill in telling a story, whether real or fictional.
- Animation. These days, animation techniques cross over into illustration, from basic stop-motion to cutting-edge 3D. There are more options available than ever before, and they're all valid.
- Mobile. The most modern category is also the freest; the only requirement is that the story be recorded using a mobile device.
The Dubai initiative is a local action of the We Are Water Foundation, and is coordinated alongside the actions taking place in 14 other countries.
In locations such as London, Rome, and Prague the company will hold an awareness-raising event for the proper use of water from public sources in every city. For this, a poster will be installed near the fountains in, for example, Piazza di Spagna in Rome which compares the amount of water required for making a common food item (such as a hamburger or a dish of pasta) to that contained in the fountain.
In other locations, such as Barcelona, Madrid, Sofia, Lisbon, and São Paolo, the actions will revolve around the Roca Galleries, which will be showing projections, holding press conferences, and hosting other events in celebration of the day.
About "Aral. The Lost Sea" by Isabel Coixet
"Aral. The Lost Sea", by Isabel Coixet, documents the dramatic shrinkage process of the Aral Sea, an inland sea in the heart of Central Asia. It is the first activity sponsored by the We Are Water Foundation. This documentary narrates the dramatic drying process undergoing the Aral Sea, one of the world's greatest environmental catastrophes. Sir Ben Kingsley participates in the film as narrator and Tim Robbins has handed over a song composed by him to be used in the documentary soundtrack. According to Isabel Coixet "The Aral Sea is just one of the many examples of ecological disasters in this planet. The support of We Are Water will contribute to the international distribution of the documentary and it will make us reflect about the effects of the wrong management of this limited resource. We Are Water provides an opportunity to raise our consciousness that water is crucial for economic development, but it is not accessible to all". "Aral. The Lost Sea" was official presented at the San Sebastian International Film Festival on the 21st of September.
About We Are Water
The We Are Water Foundation has two fundamental objectives. The first is to make public opinion and institutions aware and reflect on the need to create a new water culture that allows fair development and sustainable management of the water resources in the world. The second is the realization of all kinds of actions designated to fighting the negative effects of the lack of adequate water resources. The action areas of the We Are Water Foundation include the intervention in infrastructures, education, health and investigation in the neediest areas of the planet.
About Roca
Roca is the world leader in defining bathroom spaces and is a strong reference in the world of design. The company is currently in 135 countries and has 72 production facilities spread over five continents.
Dedicated to constant development, Roca is deeply committed to the design excellence of its products. Its goal is to offer its customers spaces that stimulate all five senses, providing unique experiences.
Roca's position as a world leader is reflected in the creation of highly versatile products that can easily be adapted to satisfy consumer habits globally, ones which offer customised solutions to meet all demands.
At Roca, a process of continual research, design, and innovation work hand-in-hand to create a common future of comfort and wellbeing. Thanks to its efforts, Roca is the brand of reference worldwide in the creation of bathroom spaces
For additional information, please contact:
Mr. Samer Deeb, samer.deeb@roca.net, mobile +971-50-708-5787
Mr. Victor Schoone, victor.schoone@roca.net, mobile +971-50-465-9324
E-mail Office: info.dubai@roca.net
Web: http://www.roca.com
Web Foundation: http://www.wearewater.org
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