The Coca-Cola system in Tanzania has announced a $1.94 million investment aimed at reinforcing water security within the Ruvu Basin, a critical resource that sustains approximately 9 million people in Dar es Salaam along with numerous eastern Tanzanian communities and businesses.
This strategic funding focuses on the Ngerengere catchment of the Ruvu sub-basin, where the project will implement nature-based solutions to improve water replenishment, restore degraded catchment areas, and promote more sustainable watershed management.
The initiative is led by the Global Water Challenge and implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in partnership with the Wami-Ruvu Basin Water Board. Beyond environmental restoration, the project is designed to deliver tangible community benefits by encouraging climate-resilient farming practices for at least 2,000 local farmers and conducting extensive tree-planting activities to stabilize the ecosystem.
This investment represents a localized segment of the broader Africa Water Stewardship Initiative launched in 2024. That larger program involves a nearly USD 25 million commitment intended to address water-related challenges across 20 African nations by 2030. Alfred Olajide, Vice President of Franchise Operations for East and Central Africa at Coca-Cola, noted that the world is facing increasing water insecurity and that the company is committed to improving water use efficiency and returning safe water to the communities it serves.
David Chait, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Kwanza, emphasized the organization’s responsibility to protect local water resources in areas facing the most significant scarcity challenges. Supporting this view, IUCN Tanzania Country Representative Charles Oluchina expressed pride in the partnership, highlighting that the focus on nature-based solutions will simultaneously improve water security and regional livelihoods. The project underscores a collaborative approach, bringing together government bodies, civil society, and the private sector to ensure a more sustainable and shared future for the region’s water infrastructure.
ABJ/APA