Singapore one of 13 cities hosting events in April to raise awareness
Straits Times 15 Oct 09;
ONE in eight people in the world do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. Many who do have to walk an average distance of 6km a day to get to it.
To raise awareness about the world's water crisis, a series of runs - of a symbolic distance of 6km - will be held across the globe over a 24-hour period, organised by the same people who were behind the 2007 Live Earth rock concerts.
Singapore is one of the 13 cities that will host The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, together with concerts and education events on April 18 next year. Other cities include Buenos Aires and London.
Participants can join the main event at a location to be confirmed next month by local organiser Tribob, or set up their own event by registering online.
Tribob will also set up a water village at the race site to help inform people about water scarcity issues and solutions.
The event aims to raise awareness about the global water crisis, encourage water conservation and trigger a global movement and engagement with the issue which affects more than 1 billion people.
Local NGO Lien Aid is the events partner and main beneficiary here. The organisation runs water and sanitation projects in Cambodia, China and Vietnam. Senior manager of resource development Ko Siew Huey said: 'Fund raising is not the only focus. We get a platform to tell people about the global water crisis and raise awareness about Lien Aid and the work we do in the region. Any amount of money raised will be put to good use.'
Mr Kevin Wall, founder of Live Earth, said that celebrities who have already lent their names to the cause include Pete Wentz of American band Fall Out Boy, and actress Jessica Biel.
Commenting on why Singapore was chosen as a venue, general manager of Dow Water and Process Solutions Ian Barbour said: 'Having travelled to the city state, I know Singapore is buzzing when it comes to sustainable water management...it is already a model in helping to energise people and get them engaged.'
Runners are also invited to sign the Live Earth petition to add water as a basic human right to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
The event is organised by Live Earth with sponsorship from The Dow Chemical Company.
For more information, visit www.liveearth.org
