 |
Jürg Fürrer (right) of Alcoa
Foundation hands over a USD 100,000 cheque to Phillip Weller of the ICPDR
to combat pollution in the Danube River Basin. |
This generous grant will be used to purchase equipment for water
research institutions on the Crisuri River in Romania. Together with Hungarian
authorities, these institutions monitor water quality and promote water quality
management to local stakeholders. The new equipment will allow laboratories
in northwest Romania to participate fully in the Transnational Monitoring Network
(TNMN), an integral monitoring system for microbiological, biological and chemical
substances managed by all Danube Basin countries. To effectively manage water
resources and reduce pollution there is a need for expanded technical capacity
to monitor water quality. "Only if we know what is in the water, can we
develop strategies to remove these pollutants,” said Philip Weller at
the presentation ceremony in Vienna. "Alcoa's grant to the ICPDR reflects
our commitment to the environment, which is based on the principle of sustainable
development," added Furrer. "At Alcoa, and all our worldwide facilities,
we are not just in the business of making aluminium, but in safeguarding the
communities and environment in which we live and work."
This is not the first time that Alcoa Foundation and the ICPDR have cooperated.
Last June, Alcoa Foundation donated a Total Organic Carbon/Total Nitrogen Analyser
to the National Institute for Marine Research and Development in Constanta,
Romania, at the mouth of the Danube in the Black Sea. Today this equipment is
fully integrated in the TNMN and is working to keep the Danube clean.
INFORMATION
Alcoa Foundation, established in 1952, is a global resource that actively invests in improving the quality of life in more than 32 countries around the world where Alcoa operates. The Foundation's grants address global and local needs they identify as ‘Areas of Excellence’ that include: Conservation and Sustainability, Global Education and Workplace Skills, Business and Community Partnerships, and Safe and Healthy Children and Families. Alcoa Foundation also manages the ACTION and Bravo! employee volunteer programmes. For more information about Alcoa Foundation, visit www.alcoa.com/Community.