A Togo charity has won the Kyoto World Water Grand Prize for its work in improving community access to clean water.
The Charité Chrétienne pour Personnes en Détresse (CCPD – Christian Charity for People in Distress) has been active in improving infrastructure in the West African country, giving people safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities. The efforts of the grassroots initiative has led to a fall in the number of diseases and deaths in Togo linked to dirty and contaminated water; contributing also to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – providing universal access to safe water and sanitation.
And at the closing ceremony of last week’s World Water Forum in Brasilia, the charity was recognised for its achievement with the US$18,000 prize – awarded by the Japan Water Forum and the World Water Council.
“There is an absolute necessity to increase water security, ensuring enough good quality water to sustain multiple needs. Taking care of our water resources is the shared responsibility of everyone on the planet,” said Benedito Braga, World Water Council President, on the importance of grassroots organisations.
