Imtech helps South Africa to solve part of its water problem
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
With its corporate citizenship programme 'Shared Success in Developing
Countries' (SSDC), Imtech wants to contribute to the sustainable development of
South Africa in the framework of its own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
policy. Recently two Imtech development teams left for South Africa to work on
improving the provision of water and the promotion of water consciousness in the
Gert Sibande District Municipality. The goal is to drastically improve the
operational output of several local water purification systems. This output
forms part of the input for generating clean drinking water for the cities of
Johannesburg and Pretoria by improving the quality of effluent discharged from
sewage treatment plants that are located in the Upper Vaal River catchment
areas.
Imtech CEO René van der Bruggen: 'Imtech's CSR policy has been well designed
during the past several years and is in the CSR vanguard within the technology
market. Our corporate citizenship policy has taken us to the Gert Sibande
District Municipality (in the former Transvaal), Johannesburg and Pretoria to
help in solving water problems. Safe and clean water is vital, not only for
health, but also for economic prosperity. We have sent our top specialists and
have pro bono invested approximately 1 million euro to contribute to solving
water problems. Imtech has a wealth of knowledge and experience available in
this area and is one of the strongest technology companies in the water sector.
This specific technological knowledge naturally puts us in the perfect position
to help. The Dutch embassy in South Africa is also actively involved with the
project.'
Water is scarce
Around four million people around the world are still waiting on clean and safe
water; approximately 900 million have no access to reliable water sources, and
more than three billion people are dependent on contaminated water with all the
resulting health risks. The main causes of water's scarcity are the continuing
population growth, climate change and increasing prosperity in large parts of
the world. In South Africa this means that clean and safe water will soon be an
extremely limited resource for poor households. In part because of this, the
South African government has drafted an action plan to make water purification
more efficient, to produce more clean water and to promote water consciousness.
South African President Jacob Zuma recently formulated the goal of reducing
water waste by 50% by 2014. Because of that, Imtech has focused in its CSR
programme on the topic of 'water and sanitation'.
Imtech's approach
A group of eight Imtech specialists from five different countries worked in two
teams on the project, each using their own expertise. The specialists were
supported by extra knowledge from the UK, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The participation of a specialist from the South African branch of Imtech
brought local knowledge and skill to the project. The objective is to
professionalise the structures of the water management system in the lagging
Gert Sibande District Municipality. This is done by developing a management
information system, and by consciousness-raising and training of operational
management and water management employees. Moreover, a business plan is also
being compiled to drastically improve the operational output of several local
water purification systems. This output forms part of the input for generating
clean drinking water for the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria by improving
the quality of effluent discharged from sewage treatment plants. A
consciousness-raising programme, including water knowledge contests, has been
performed in primary schools.
Partnership
For this project Imtech co-operates intensively with the Gert Sibande District
Municipality, the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), which is responsible for
water management in South Africa, and various local aid organisations and NGOs
(including Imtech's own CSR partner NOVA) who all have experience with local
regulations and working methods. There are also contributions from Schneider
Electric, an Imtech partner specialised in energy management that is sponsoring
the hardware and software for the management information system, as well as from
Alex van Groningen, an Imtech partner specialised in management training, that
is contributing financially. Imtech's partner within SSDC is SharePeople, an
organisation that connects sustainable entrepreneurs in developing countries
with professionals from the European business community. Together all of those
involved are contributing to the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable
economic development in South Africa.
Dutch Embassy in South Africa is actively involved
The Dutch embassy in South Africa is also actively involved with the project.
Starting with the theme 'The Netherlands, Waterland', Dutch ambassador De Vos
spoke recently in South Africa about water at the University of Pretoria. The
ambassador emphasised the importance of involvement of the international
business community in solving water problems on a global scale. The ambassador
mentioned Imtech as a good example of an active company that involves itself in
water issues. The embassy supports the Imtech project with a special project
manager who is researching whether the Imtech approach can be applied more
widely in South Africa.
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More information
Media: Analysts & investors:
Pieter Koenders Jeroen Leenaers
Manager Corporate Communications Manager Investor Relations
T: +31 655 74 65 85 T: +31 182 54 35 04
E:pieter.koenders(at)imtech.eu E:jeroen.leenaers(at)imtech.eu
www.imtech.eu www.imtech.eu
Imtech profile
Imtech N.V. is a European technical services provider in the fields of
electrical engineering, ICT and mechanical engineering. With approximately
25,000 employees, Imtech achieves annual revenue of around 4.5 billion euro.
Imtech holds strong positions in the buildings, industry and
infrastructure/traffic markets in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany,
Eastern Europe, Nordic, the UK, Ireland and Spain and in the global marine
market. In total Imtech serves 20,000 customers. Imtech offers added value in
the form of integrated and multidisciplinary total solutions that lead to better
business processes and more efficiency for customers and the customers they, in
their turn, serve. Imtech also offers solutions that contribute towards a
sustainable society, for example in the areas of energy, the environment, water
and mobility. Imtech shares are listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange Amsterdam,
where Imtech is included in the Midkap Index. Imtech shares are also included in
the Dow Jones STOXX 600 index.
[HUG#1468606]
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Source: Imtech N.V. via Thomson Reuters ONE
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Datum: 03.12.2010 - 11:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 49385
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