‘Water Security’ initiative: Coca-Cola Foundation partners with MGPO, UNDP

ISLAMABAD: A global philanthropic arm of a multinational beverage company partnered with Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization (MGPO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Pakistan has jointly completed Water Security and Building Resilience for Mountain Communities’ initiative.

This partnership aims to help ensure sustainable water access for agriculture and daily use, integrating water resource management for food security, ecosystem restoration, and community stewardship to promote sustainable use of water.

Recognising this urgent need, the Coca-Cola Foundation partnered with MGPO and UNDP in Pakistan to launch the ‘Water Security and Building Resilience for Mountain Communities’ initiative.

This partnership aims to help ensure sustainable water access for agriculture and daily use, integrating water resource management for food security, ecosystem restoration, and community stewardship to promote sustainable use of water.

With a generous contribution of $120,000 from, “The Coca-Cola Foundation” covering more than 80 percent of the project cost — a robust irrigation system was developed to serve not only Tholdi but also neighbouring areas, including Daghoni and Siksa. A 9,900-foot-long water transmission system now delivers water through 7,700 feet of underground piping and 2,200 feet of open, paved channels, minimizing water loss, and significantly improving agricultural productivity.

Sourced from glacial melt, snow, and a perennial spring, the water is stored in a 7,000-gallon covered catchment chamber before being distributed through a gravity-fed irrigation system. As a result, 238 hectares of land are now irrigated, including 91 hectares that were previously barren, enabling the cultivation of wheat, corn, barley, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes.

According to the MGPO, previously, nearly 50 percent of the water was lost due to transmission inefficiencies, leaving fields dry and limiting agricultural productivity. The inadequate water supply also prevented the community from utilising existing land to its full potential.

The initiative has empowered 2,100 people with reliable water access for agriculture, helping improve their chances for better livelihoods and household income; economically uplifted 1,000 people, by expanding farming opportunities and transformed barren land into productive fields, contributing to environmental restoration.

Community-led afforestation initiatives developed with plans to plant over 20,000 trees across the region.

The life-changing water pipeline is ensuring year-round water availability for non-potable domestic use, a critical need during the harsh winter months when other water sources freeze.

According to Aisha Khan, CEO of MGPO, “I would say that with this new irrigation, previously barren lands are now producing crops. There has also been tree plantation. The local community has access to around 800 canals in the valley and every year they say they will plant more trees to increase forest cover and counter climate change.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025