Mizuiku Water Program - Expansion in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand

At Suntory, we recognize the essential role that water plays in fostering a healthy environment, including nurturing the forests that produce the high-quality groundwater we use in our products. As part of mission “To create harmony with people and nature," we created the Suntory Mizuiku -Education Program for Nature and Water, an educational program designed to share with children the importance of water and nature, and to inspire kids to think together about what we can do to ensure the sustainability of water for the future.

In 2004, we launched the first Mizuiku program in Japan, and since then, we have successfully expanded the program to three additional regions: Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand.

In 2015, an adapted Mizuiku program was piloted in Vietnam’s Northern region using a format tailored to Vietnam’s environment, focusing on water preservation and providing water filtration systems to remote areas of Vietnam. Over the past several years leading up to 2019, the program grew from the six original schools to 70 schools, expanding to include nearly 18,000 students across the country. Through Mizuiku in Vietnam, 50 clean water filtration systems have been installed throughout the regions, providing clean water for over 23,000 Vietnamese locals.

In Indonesia, in collaboration with Suntory Garuda, local foundations and NGOs, the Mizuiku program was launched in July of 2019. The specific Indonesian program will benefit nearly 1,000 people at 14 Indonesian elementary schools in Gowa in South Sulawesi, Banjarbaru in South Kalimantan, Sidoarjo in East Java, and Tangerang in Banten. Like in Vietnam, the program is tailored to Indonesia’s specific water-related needs, including teaching the importance of sanitation management and the need to conserve water resources. Through the program, we aim to improve Indonesian children’s environmental awareness, including “Basic Knowledge About Water,” “Water Pollution and Ways for Eliminating Pollution,” and “What Can I Do?”.

In Thailand, 2019 will be the inaugural year of the Mizuiku program. In collaboration with Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Thailand and local NGOs, the program will include 1,100 elementary school students from 35 schools in the Saraburi and Rayong Provinces, near Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Thailand’s plants, which considered as highly-industrialized provinces that have been encountering specific environmental problems lingering in the fast-growing urban development context including water pollution, as well as students in Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai province which has encountered persistent water usage and management problems, including lack of sources of clean water, water shortage, and seasonal flash flood. In Chiang Mai, Suntory group has a history of partnering with local organizations to participate in water conservation activities such as planting trees to prevent soil from flowing into groundwater streams and installing check dams to aid groundwater infiltration.

Because we recognize water as not only a key aspect of our business but also a precious shared resource, we are committed to our efforts to keep water in safe and most abundant form for future generations. Through the Mizuiku program, we hope to inform and inspire the next generation to continue prioritizing water sustainability for years to come.