ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 26, 2012)—The Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA) announced the winners of the third annual World Water Monitoring Challenge (WWMC) Water Champion Awards. Initiated in 2009, the WWMC Water Champions Awards recognize program participants for outstanding achievement in boosting awareness of water quality issues. Winners are chosen by a subcommittee of the WWMC regional panel of judges, which is comprised of water industry professionals from around the world.
Water Champion Awards recognize superior levels of relevance, educational effort, support, and innovation in the promotion of water quality through the WWMC program. The 2011 winners, include:
Africa
Pedagogic In-Service Training Programme (Group, Cameroon) and Water and Youth International Africa (Group Runner-up, Kenya)
Asia
Natural Environmental Education and Research Foundation (Group, India) and Woodie Muirhead (Individual, Myanmar)
Australia/Oceania
Gold Coast WATERWATCH (Group, Australia)
Europe
School № 12, Kirovo-Chepetsk (Group, Russian Federation) and Nilgün Erentay (Individual, Turkey)
North America
Global Sports Alliance (Group, Cuba) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Group Runner-up, United States)
South America
SEINCO (Group, Uruguay) and Rosa Maria de Sousa Santos (Individual, Brazil)
Award recipients will receive a commemorative plaque and WWMC materials of their choosing up to a value of US $750 for groups and US $500 for individuals and group runners-up. Items selected may include any combination of water monitoring equipment, relevant resources, or promotional materials.
Coordinated by WEF and IWA, WWMC is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. The annual program connects citizens with their local water bodies through a series of simple, hands-on monitoring tests. The program's 2012 monitoring period runs from March 22, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
Nearly 340,000 people on six continents participated in the 2011 program. WWMC receives financial and in-kind support from the primary sponsors including the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Xylem Inc., and Smithfield Foods.
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF members, Member Associations and staff proudly work to achieve our mission to provide bold leadership, champion innovation, connect water professionals, and leverage knowledge to support clean and safe water worldwide.
The International Water Association (IWA) is a global network of water professionals that spans the continuum between research and practice, covering all facets of the water cycle. IWA membership comprises 10,000 individuals and 400 corporate members, working in 130 countries. The Association seeks to connect water professionals worldwide to lead the development of effective and sustainable approaches to water management.