The issue is water
WORLD RO WING
AND WWF
PARTNERS FOR
CLEAN WATER
The link between rowing and water does not require much explanation. Because the
sport depends so completely on healthy rivers, lakes and the sea, World Rowing is
building a message of sustainability into its brand and raising awareness about the need
to conserve this vital natural resource. When FISA looked for a partner in this effort,
they found one of the world’s leading conservation organisations, WWF, was the best fit.
As a result, a strategic alliance between FISA and WWF International was formed.
Verberne knows the current perilous state of
many of the world’s freshwater ecosystems.
“With climate change and a growing global
population, there’s no time to waste to protect
the irreplaceable resource on which life depends,”
says Verberne. Consider these facts:
2000 Olympic Games, Verberne helped bring
the partnership to fruition.
Known for around the globe for its distinctive
panda logo, W WF does much more than protect
endangered species. For
five decades, it has been
a leader in efforts to
conserve freshwater ecosystems for the benefit
of both people and nature.
For FISA, clean water is an integral part of a quality
sporting experience. “It’s a natural alliance,” says
Jochem Verberne, WWF International’s manager
of network development and corporate
relations. A Dutch men’s quadruple
sculls silver medallist from the
• Half of the world’s 500 major rivers are seriously
depleted or polluted.
• The average person in the developing world
uses 2.64 gallons of water a day. The average
person in the United Kingdom uses 35.66 gallons
of water per day. The average person in the
United States uses
between 100 and 175
gallons every day
at home. >
Issue 17 – August 2011
