UAE’S BEYOND2020 GRANTS 10,000 RURAL MALAYSIANS EASIER ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Beyond2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-driven humanitarian initiative, has installed water filters in 25 communities in the Sabah and Sarawak regions of Malaysia, providing clean drinking water to 10,000 people.

According to a statement, Beyond2020 was launched by the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 2019 in partnership with several leading organisations, providing sustainable technologies and solutions to vulnerable communities worldwide.

Malaysia marks the 17th deployment of the initiative, which will continue to offer life-transforming interventions to a broader number of beneficiaries worldwide, providing tech for good and fostering development that is inclusive and sustainable.

“The latest Beyond2020 project in Malaysia reflects the UAE’s commitment to humanitarianism and international sustainable development. This deployment contributes significantly to Malaysia's ongoing efforts to enhance access to reliable, clean water.

“We value the cooperation of Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change in implementing this initiative, which underscores the deep-rooted ties between our two countries,” said UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Director General of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and COP28 President-Designate, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said: “The UAE's Beyond2020 initiative, which has delivered safe drinking water to 10,000 Malaysians, showcases how innovative solutions can tackle our water challenges, particularly in the rural areas.”

In partnership with Wateroam, the 2022 Zayed Sustainability Prize winner in the Water category, Beyond2020 deployed water filtration solutions, providing the communities with access to clean and safe drinking water.

As the sizes of communities differ between varying regions along the river, Wateroam provided two different water filters, catering to the specific needs of each group namely the Commfilter Plus and ROAMfilter Ultra.

Both filters can remove over 99 per cent of bacteria and viruses, but the Commfilter Plus provides safe drinking water for households and communities, while the ROAMfilter Ultra is designed to serve larger communities with its high flow rate.

In addition to Malaysia, another three countries have been identified as deployment grounds going forward.

-- BERNAMA