Pep & Pere Guardiola, EarthEcho International and Xylem host first in series of water education events, as Spain’s water resources predicted to decrease by up to 40%
Spanish football manager Pep Guardiola, along with his brother Pere, both representing their newly-established Guardiola Sala Foundation, have teamed up with global non-profit EarthEcho International and global water technology company Xylem to encourage students to realise a more sustainable future for Spain’s water resources. Pep joined the first in a series of water education events at Casal dels Infants in Barcelona as part of a new initiative, Water Challenge Catalonia. The initiative which closely aligns with the United Nations’ (UN) water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), seeks to inspire action to address Spain’s water challenges.
Guardiola’s involvement stems from his launch of The Guardiola Sala Foundation, which will raise funds for established charities in Britain and Catalonia. On his visit to the school, Pep joined students of Casal dels Infants in learning about Catalonia’s water challenges and actions they can take, such as monitoring the quality of their local water resources, to make a difference. His visit is just one of a number of events planned by Xylem Watermark, and EarthEcoho, in Madrid and Barcelona as part of Water Challenge Catalonia.
Speaking at the Water Challenge Catalonia event in Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, said: “It’s no secret that our country is experiencing difficulties in relation to water. Climate change and other factors are creating a number of water-related issues, so it’s up to us to do something about it now. That’s why the Guardiola Sala Foundation is honoured to partner with Xylem and EarthEcho to give our youngsters a platform for making a difference. If we all do our part, we can succeed in building a better world.”
Water Challenge Catalonia aims to establish a sustainable program for youth engagement and youth development around protecting water resources in the Catalonia region of Spain. In addition to providing training and materials for school teachers in the region, the program will build the capacity of 10 young leaders to serve as Water Challenge Catalonia Ambassadors, educating others in their community and engaging them in citizen science to improve local water issues. This includes providing access to analytical tools to test and detect water quality issues facing Spain’s waterways. The approach builds on the success of EarthEcho’s global Water Challenge Ambassador initiative, which delivers water quality monitoring and youth development programs in water-challenged regions such as Puerto Rico.
Joseph Vesey, senior vice-president and CMO at Xylem, concluded: “Solving water is a team effort. Through Xylem Watermark, we are proud to champion the youth of Catalonia through our support of Water Challenge Catalonia. Young leaders can play such an essential role in our collective ability to solve the complex water challenges the world is facing.”
