Area of Focus: Environment/Education
Partnership agency: Nanyang Technological University
Conceptualised & Initiated by Lien Foundation
Shocking realities
1. 1.1 bil people lack access to safe drinking water, 58% in Asia
2. 2.6 bil people lack access to adequate sanitation services, 71% in Asia
3. 80% of illness and death in the developing world is water related
4. 3.4 mil people, mostly children, die annually from water-related diseases
5. In China, India and Indonesia, diarrhoea-related deaths are double those related to HIV
6. Lack of water forces 100 mil children, especially girls, to miss out on an education.
- World Health Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme
“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic
human right. Contaminated water jeopardises both the physical
and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.” Kofi
Annan, Secretary-General, United Nations.
A fundamental right it may be, but in Asia, over 630 million people lack access to safe drinking water, and over 1.8 billion do not have adequate sanitation facilities. International aid agencies and development NGOs acknowledge the problem is critical, but limited resources mean that any aid – if available – is just too slow in coming.
The Environmental Endeavour is an initiative by the Lien Foundation and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to improve the living conditions of developing communities in Asia through technology-based developmental work. It is implemented through two entities – the Lien Institute for the Environment (LIFE) and LIEN AID (Alliance for International Development).
LIFE explores and develops the use of a collection of low-cost, small-scale, culturally acceptable environmental technology and techniques which can be deployed in developing countries. LIEN AID actively seeks out the needs, and puts into action the technological know-how through engineering-based community projects.
Through both entities of the Environmental Endeavour, communities-at-risk can receive the help they need – strengthening of the environmental and sanitation infrastructure, and the transfer of knowledge in environmental technology.
Real problems, Real solutions
LIEN AID is dedicated to improving the quality of life for rural
communities in Asia. We partner, support and empower local
organisations and people to develop sustainable solutions using
appropriate technology.
Our priorities are addressing basic needs issues such as water,
sanitation, energy and shelter. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach,
we seek to integrate economic, social and environmental dimensions of
sustainable development in our projects through the use of information
and communication technologies, education and income generation
programmes.
In disaster-prone regions, we aim to incorporate disaster risk
mitigation in our development objectives.
To grow its portfolio of environmental technologies, LIFE’s R&D staff continuously aggregate and evaluate relevant research being done both locally and overseas. Promising research will be used to develop and produce the appropriate technologies.
LIEN AID provides LIFE with the necessary feedback on user needs and requirements, so that improvements may be further made and monitored. LIEN AID also works with LIFE to ensure that engineering support like training, maintenance and servicing are appropriately designed to meet the indigenous operational constraints of the community.
This partnership between LIFE and LIEN AID is a strong platform for Singapore to effectively service global environmental and social needs through innovative programmes and technology-based solutions.
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