A Malta-wide environmental and educational campaign, ‘Catch the Drop’ was launched this morning by HSBC Group chairman Douglas Flint at Paola Primary ‘B’ School.
The campaign was launched in the presence of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Energy and Water Conservation Minister Konrad Mizzi and HSBC Bank Malta CEO Mark Watkinson.
Catch the Drop is a large-scale three-year initiative partly-funded by the HSBC Group to raise awareness about water conservation and stimulate positive change towards sustainable fresh water use in Malta and Gozo.
It aims to reach all students in Malta, who number more than 50,000 in 155 schools, all councils in Malta and Gozo and the public.
Mr Flint said: “One cannot overstate the importance of having access to sustainable fresh water. Water is essential not only to human health and happiness, but to the prosperity and the economic development of communities and nations. That applies as equally in the western world as in developing nations. Although surrounded by sea, Malta is ranked amongst the 10 countries with least fresh water resources on the planet.
“The Catch the Drop campaign will play a significant role in raising awareness of water scarcity in the Maltese islands and the HSBC Water Programme aims to increase its impact even further.”
Mt Bartolo said that by emphasising awareness among students, the campaign acknowledged that young people were the future, and that instilling an appreciation for natural resources was key to achieving environmentally sustainable practices.
Dr Mizzi said the venture offered a nationwide educational approach to water conservation that encapsulated the spirit of corporate sustainability.
In its first year, the campaign will focus on raising awareness on a national level about Malta’s water challenges, in the second year, it will work towards a reduction in water consumption in Malta and in its third year it will emphasise water harvesting techniques in schools and local councils.
A total of 300 HSBC employees have volunteered their services to provide focal points in schools for the campaign.
HSBC Water Programme is a $100 million global initiative. €500,000 are being dedicated to the Malta campaign.