NEW DELHI India’s G20 Sherpa and former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Sunday flagged off the India chapter of the Run Blue campaign from New Delhi to raise awareness about water conservation by organising 200 marathons across the world. As part of the campaign, similar runs will been conducted in four more cities -- Varanasi, Thane, and Mumbai.
The initiative is being organised by pharma major Bayer in partnership with water advocate and ultramarathon runner Mina Guli, who will be leading the marathons worldwide in the run-up to the first global United Nations 2023 Water Conference to be held in New York from March 22 to 24. She has already completed 151 of the 200 marathons.
Flagging off the run in Delhi, Kant said: “Climate change is having a huge impact on countries around the world and especially on developing countries like India. Its adverse effects on agriculture, water resources, forests, etc are quite evident. Coupled with the rapid depletion of many critical natural resources, we face a challenging future. Hence it is imperative for countries to come together to achieve the sustainability goals set by the United Nations.”
“India has continuously met its nationally defined contribution targets on sustainability and the government’s efforts at rapidly increasing access to clean water are bearing fruit. But water conservation will also require a collaborative effort among companies, government, and civil society and Run Blue can be an important catalyst in building up this coalition,” he added, asserting that the initiative will “inspire people and encourage social transformation for a better tomorrow”.
{{/usCountry}}“India has continuously met its nationally defined contribution targets on sustainability and the government’s efforts at rapidly increasing access to clean water are bearing fruit. But water conservation will also require a collaborative effort among companies, government, and civil society and Run Blue can be an important catalyst in building up this coalition,” he added, asserting that the initiative will “inspire people and encourage social transformation for a better tomorrow”.
{{/usCountry}}Kick-starting her run from New Delhi’s Nehru Park, Guli highlighted the need to protect and restore the rivers, lakes, and wetlands, asserting that the world is experiencing acute water shortages and “more than 2 billion people are without access to safe drinking water”.
“India is home to about 18% of the world’s population but has only 4% of freshwater resources. So, it is imperative to conserve water and use it judiciously… Through my runs in various cities of India and along the Ganga, I hope to raise awareness about water conservation and also inspire companies, governments, and communities to commit to conserving this precious resource - and the freshwater ecosystems that provide it and that underpin our societies and economies,” the founder and CEO of Thirst Foundation said.
Talking about Bayer’s vision behind the Run Blue initiative, the company said it aims to encourage businesses and motivate individuals worldwide to come together to “spread awareness, generate urgency, and spur action around water”.
“With the realisation that worldwide water consumption could be 40% greater than the availability by 2030, the Run Blue initiative plays a critical role in helping to galvanise private enterprises, governments, non-government organisations, and society to act on the impending water crisis,” it said in a statement.
Manoj Saxena, MD of Bayer Pharmaceuticals in South Asia, listed several conscious business choices made by the global enterprise which have been in tandem with its commitment to water conservation and sustainable growth.
“Bayer’s decision to partner with Mina Guli for Run Blue, comes from our firm commitment towards sustainability, including water. Access to clean water and sanitation is integral to ensuring a healthy life for the citizens, especially women who have the primary responsibility of fetching water for their households. Similarly, excessive usage of groundwater for agriculture is pushing the water table to a very low level in many states,” said Manoj Saxena, MD of Bayer Pharmaceuticals in South Asia.
In Asia, the global enterprise has adopted several measures to contribute to economic and ecological sustainability, including partnering with the International Rice Research Institute to promote direct-seeded rice and installing rainwater harvesting systems and zero liquid discharge wastewater treatment plants at a manufacturing site in Vapi.
“In our role as a global leader in agriculture and health, Bayer aims to usher in innovations and technologies that will drive sustainable usage of water and encourage its conservation,” Saxena added.