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Yesterday, PepsiCo announced a new partnership with H2O Africa and the PepsiCo Foundation gave a major new grant to the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Both initiatives are targeted to drive sustainable water practices as part of PepsiCo's ongoing commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The initiative, led by the Earth Institute and supported by the PepsiCo Foundation, is focused on improving water access, increasing water productivity and recommending innovative methods to deliver "more crop per drop," among other goals. The Earth Institute, directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, will receive $6 million during a three-year period directed at projects in India, Brazil, China and Africa based on annual progress in these markets.

The PepsiCo partnership with H2O Africa, the charitable organization founded by Matt Damon, involves clean water projects in Niger, Mali, Senegal and other countries in Africa. H2O Africa will receive $2.5 million over the next 12 months.

"For PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation, these commitments begin with a desire to address the worldwide water crisis. Water sits at the nexus of so many challenges - global health through disease transmission, increasing hunger through poor agricultural practices, and even education as children in water scarce economies are often charged with walking miles to collect water from a distant well instead of attending school. Without clean water, none of the other fundamentals leading to a healthy and prosperous life are possible," said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and PepsiCo Foundation Chairman.

Research reports that more than one billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and every year approximately two million children die unnecessarily from water-related diseases in the developing world. As part of the Millennium Development Goals, which were established in 2000 and endorsed by 192 nations, the world has pledged to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.