ATLANTA—(October 6, 2014)—CARE Director of Water Peter Lochery received the prestigious 2015 International Water Prize from the WaTER Center at the University of Oklahoma.
The award recognizes an individual who has made significant international contributions, either through research, teaching, or service activities, in the field of water supply and sanitation, with a focus on the world’s poorest living in small villages/communities in rural or remote regions.
“Peter is an invaluable leader whose knowledge and diplomacy is admired by everyone. His outstanding leadership and commitment to improving access to clean water and sanitation to poor communities makes him a well-deserved recipient of this award,” said Helene Gayle, CEO of CARE. “He is passionate about the sustainability of water and sanitation services, about governments’ responsibilities to ensure that sustainability, and the responsibility of the water and sanitation sector as a whole to contribute to it.”
As Director of the CARE Water team, Lochery led the expansion of CARE’s water programming from basic service delivery to include action research and advocacy; focused on addressing systemic social inequities faced by women and girls including improved nutrition through access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and increased effectiveness of rain-fed agriculture.
With over 30 years as a water professional, Lochery is also one of the founders of the Millennium Water Alliance, an alliance of U.S. NGOs working on WASH in developing countries with a strategic focus on collaborative programming and advocacy.
“I am honored to receive the 2015 Water Prize, which reflects the work of CARE colleagues both here in the US and overseas as much as it does my individual effort. Without their support and tireless dedication, our accomplishments in providing safe water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of people in some of the world’s most remote regions would not be possible,” said Peter Lochery, CARE’s Director of Water.
Lochery will formally receive the OU International Water Prize and give the plenary lecture at the University of Oklahoma International WaTER Conference scheduled for Sept. 21-23, 2015.
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For more information, please contact Holly Frew +1.770.842.6188 hfrew@care.org
About CARE:
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. To learn more, visit www.care.org.