New Providence , Bahamas – On March 22nd, officially designated as World Water Day 2012, RBC is inviting organizations across The Bahamas to apply for a Blue Water Project ® Community Action Grant. Any not-for-profit organization that is involved in preserving or conserving the fresh water resources of The Bahamas is encouraged to apply.
“RBC has chosen to focus on water as a global sustainability priority because we believe that access to water will be one of the most significant environmental and economic issues facing the world in the coming decades,” said Mr. Nathaniel Beneby, Jr., market head of RBC Retail Banking in The Bahamas, Cayman and Turks and Caicos. “Lack of access to clean fresh water is considered to be one of the major threats to human health and economic development around the world. More than one billion people worldwide lack access to clean water, and water-related disease and illness are the leading causes of death in the world.”
In response to this threat, RBC has established the RBC Blue Water Project — an innovative, wide-ranging, 10-year, global commitment to help protect the world’s most precious natural resource: fresh water. Globally, RBC has committed to provide $50 million over 10 years to organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water. Since 2007, RBC has pledged over $28 million to more than 400 not-for-profit organizations worldwide that protect watersheds or ensure access to clean drinking water.
Two organizations in The Bahamas are already benefitting from the RBC Blue Water Project. A $5,000 grant awarded to Andros Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT) in 2011 enabled tons of debris to be removed from several key blue holes in Andros. In addition, RBC will soon be announcing a significant, multi-year partnership with the Bahamas National Trust.
“On World Water Day, we’re encouraging everyone to think about what we can do collectively to foster a culture of water stewardship,” said Mr. Beneby. “W e all play a role conserving this most precious resource , whether by using less water as we do our daily routines or ensuring that we’re protecting our environment for future generations.’
By Jan Knowles, RBC
