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Knowledge Systems for Sustainable Development

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      • The example of a company concerned with health and education and with an environmental mission - Henri PROGLIO

The example of a company concerned with health and education and with an environmental mission - Henri PROGLIO

To successfully pursue development strategies, a company must be efficient, scrupulous and audacious, and it must also be able to develop a long term vision of the issues to which it is confronted. Acting in partnership with local actors, we can solve concrete problems and anticipate future change.

We are all aware that there will be no sustainable development if we cannot devote our full time attention to the environment.

In this connection, in ten years time, there will be 8 billion people on our planet, and this will be a major challenge. Furthermore, 70% of that population will be living in increasingly tentacular cities. The huge needs generated by this demographic and sociological evolution must be kept in mind. Sustainable development means environmental control, which includes education and health.

For development strategies to be a success, efficiency, exactitude, competence, or even expertise, and then audacity, are needed, that is a capacity to anticipate through the use of research and sensible use of technology. A company must accept this type of risk, that is its mission. It is true, however, that more often than not, we are judged by the short term standard of progress of our share of the market. This constraint must not, however, detract from a successful company's ability to develop a long term vision. Furthermore, a company like Veolia Environment must contribute its capacity for understanding and commitment, which go hand in hand with solidarity. I could enumerate many examples of projects implemented in that spirit.

As regards the contractual aspect, we are able to solve some specific problems. This was the case in Niger, for example, where we manage two thirds of the country's water. Without the benefit of aid or grants, we have found that at this time, there are no longer any notable losses on the networks, and that the percentage of paid invoices is as much as 95%, which was unexpected. This is not charity, it is efficiency shared with local actors.

We are also concerned with education and we are present in some Moroccan schools where poor sanitary conditions have led to numerous drop outs. When sanitation is deficient in schools, in cooperation with partners such as UNICEF, we take steps to improve matters.