Campaign "Water for Life"
Press Release

     The Government of Macao Special Administrative Region considers the awareness campaign on water conservation and protection as an initiative of great importance for the sustainable development of Macao.

     The Promotional Team for Water Conservation constituted by the Environment Council, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Government Information Bureau, and The Macao Water Supply Company, Ltd., to organize regular and continuous activities in the long term, aiming at hoisting citizens' awareness on water conservation and the importance of protecting such a precious resource for life.

     "Water for Life" is the title of a compact disc (CD-ROM) launched to commemorate the World Water Day in order to cope with the theme of "Dealing with water scarcity".

     The audio-visual material distributed seeks primarily to draw population's attention to the importance of water as one of most important and precious resources for human beings and as a basic, fundamental and indispensable element for life, to be saved and conserved so as to face, analyze and attempt to solve the problem of water crisis.

     Awareness on the need for water conservation is the focus of this CD (in Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, and English), which is divided into four parts: "The relationship between human beings and water", "Evolution of water supply in Macao", "Water resources protection", "Some suggestions on how to conserve water". Hopefully, this new material, with 3-D animations will contribute as a means to draw public's awareness on the essential value of water and the need to save and conserve water resources.

     The contest of placards on the relationship between human beings and water, the value of water resources, the urgent need for conservation, the environment, and water conservation, is another activity within this campaign, and will be held from 22^nd of March to 18^th of May. This contest is open to the public, and a special target - the youth and students. Further detailed information and the application form are available until 20^th April, through: www.ambiente.gov.mo/water/default.asp

     This campaign also included a "visit to the water source", on 24^th of March, whereby a group of 70 people had the opportunity to visit the site of the water source, which supplies Macao and to realize the intrinsic difficulties and efforts to the whole water treatment process, and thus to save such a valuable resource.

     The staff of Zhuhai and SAAM accompanied the group along the journey, from the source place to the faucets, in a relax manner, so that all might better comprehend the technical implications and the huge human resources involved behind "a glass of drinking water".

     The Promotional Team for Water Conservation hopes that with all these activities, from different perspectives, citizens will pay more attention to the relationship between humans and water, as well as the value of water resources and the respective need for its preservation and conservation.

     For further information on the campaign "Water for Life", please consult Environment Council's website: www.ambiente.gov.mo/water