Heineken Malaysia's SPARK Foundation, the CSR arm of the company, announced last week that they would be investing RM2.5 million into water conservation efforts in Malaysia. Protecting natural water sources and ensuring a steady supply of drinking water for Malaysians has been a key priority for the company. Under the third phase of its Working Actively Through Education and Rehabilitation (W.A.T.E.R) project, SPARK Foundation will fund two key initiatives in the river basins of Sungei Way, Sungai Penchala and Sungai Selangor. A continuation of its existing collaboration with local non-profit Global Environment Centre (GEC), the initiatives are aimed at raising awareness about the importance of rivers and water conservation. Under the ‘Water for Water’ project, a rainwater harvesting system will be set up in a residential unit with 1,800 residents in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. This project, set up in collaboration with the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), will help residents save 1 million litres of water annually. Johary Bin Anuar, deputy mayor of MBPJ remarked in a statement: “Water conservation is a critical effort that must be managed effectively, especially in a highly urbanised and fast- growing city like Petaling Jaya.” The project will also distribute water thimbles—which are water-saving devices—to 10 community representatives in Petaling Jaya to cut down domestic water wastage. Secondly, the ‘Water for Quality’ projects of Heineken Malaysia’s Water Stewardship Agenda, also launched last week, will focus on reforesting and planting wetlands to improve the natural water filtration system at selected points in the north Selangor peat swamp forest and along the Penchala basin respectively. Furthermore, the foundation is set to collaborate with government bodies like the Department of Irrigation and Drainage and the Department of Environment by launching public outreach programmes including the Sungai Penchala Open Classroom. With the latest round of funding from SPARK, the total investment made into the W.A.T.E.R project amounts to RM10.5 million to date.

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