In 2005, The Coca-Cola Company and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) formed the Water and Development Alliance (WADA), a unique global partnership to address community water needs in developing countries around the world. In conjunction with local USAID Missions and Coca-Cola system partners, and with support from Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF), WADA contributes to protecting and improving the sustainability of watersheds, increasing access to water supply and sanitation services for the world’s poor and enhancing productive uses of water.

With a combined investment of more than US $31 million since its inception, WADA is having a positive impact on the lives of people and the health of ecosystems through 34 projects in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. As of September 2013, WADA had provided nearly 375,000 people with life-saving access to clean water and improved the management of nearly 450,000 hectares of land.

WADA supports water-related projects focused on four objectives: 1) to establish participatory, sustainable water and watershed resources management to benefit people and ecosystems; 2) to increase access to community water supply and sanitation services; 3) to foster improved behaviors in sanitation and hygiene for positive health impacts; and 4) to promote efficient and sustainable productive use of water to protect the environment and provide economic benefits to communities.

In West Java, Indonesia, for example, WADA supported sustainable management of watersheds, outreach and education on water issues, water and sanitation service provision and household water treatment promotion. Over 1 million people received messages of hygiene promotion. And, around Tarija, Bolivia, WADA supported the local water stakeholder forum PROAGUA to promote improved watershed and water resources management in a basin serving over 150,000 people.