Swiss Re Awards USD180 000 for Sustainable Watershed Management Projects in the Philippines, Cameroon and Bolivia

Swiss Re Awards USD180 000 for Sustainable Watershed Management Projects in the Philippines, Cameroon and Bolivia

March 22, 2006

    MANILA, Philippines, March 22 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- A
Philippine non-government organization has won the
USD80,0000 top prize in the annual Swiss Re-sponsored
International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed
Management.  The winning project, from Resources,
Environment and Economics Center for Studies, Inc. (REECS),
uses innovative ways to involve local communities in
protecting water resources. 

    Projects in Cameroon and Bolivia won the runner-up
prizes worth USD50,000 each from Swiss Re, one of the
world's leading reinsurers.  Through the Award, Swiss Re
supports inventive and diverse community engagements from
around the world which preserve and nurture water sources. 


    Ivo Menzinger, Head of Group Sustainability Management
at Swiss Re and Chairman of the International ReSource
Award Jury, commented, "Swiss Re witnesses that a
majority of natural disasters are water-related events, and
they are on the increase.  Poor land use exacerbates this
trend and it is our goal as a leading global risk manager
and reinsurer of such catastrophic events to support and
reward inventive and diverse community engagements from
around the world in preserving and nurturing our water
sources." 

    Swiss Re established the International ReSource Award
in 2002 to support initiatives that seek to contribute to
raising awareness of ecological, social and economic
significance of water sources and watersheds, especially in
developing countries.

    Winner: Payments for Environmental Services in the
Philippine Uplands

    This year's winning project comes from the Philippines
and focuses on sustainable watershed management and poverty
alleviation in the Philippine Uplands.  The project is based
on a "Payments for environmental services (PES)"
system, compensating the local Ikalahan people for their
upstream activities to the benefit of the downstream
communities such as domestic water users, farmers and
tourists.  The project foresees training support on
sustainable upland farming practices and puts strong
emphasis on a series of practical dialogues among
providers, beneficiaries and intermediaries.  The winning
project was submitted by Resources, Environment and
Economics Center for Studies, Inc. (REECS), Quezon City,
Philippines. 
 
    Runners-up: Water conflict mitigation in Cameroon;
Bolivian highlands support  

    For the first time a project from Africa is also
receiving support from Swiss Re.  The Ntunir watershed
project in the Jakiri Council municipality in Cameroon's
North West Province,  spreading over 700 hectares of 
moorland, will receive USD50,000. Submitted by KivenK
development, a local NGO, the project mitigates conflict
among people of different cultures who are either concerned
about protecting the catchments for quantitative and
qualitative water supplies; or grazers who need the
catchment areas for fresh grass to browse their animals. 

    An equal runner-up prize of USD50,000 was granted to a
project in the Suches River basin, in the Bolivian
highlands.  This proposal aims to establish best practices
in water management along the full length of the Suches
River, from Alpaca grazing grounds at 4,800 meters to the
shores of Lake Titicaca.  The project is unique in its mix
of traditional farming techniques, culture and modern
approach to sustainable use of natural resources.  It was
submitted by Grupo de Voluntariado Civil (GVC), La Paz,
Bolivia.

    The International ReSource Award

    Launched in 2002, the ReSource Award is an
internationally recognised prize for leadership in
implementing the principles of sustainability in watershed
management.  It is conferred annually.  As one of the
world's leading reinsurers, Swiss Re is committed to
supporting the planning, evaluation and implementation of
water-related projects with the aim of promoting awareness
and encouraging the efficient use of this precious
resource. 

    Notes to editors

    Swiss Re 

    Swiss Re is one of the world's leading reinsurers and
the world's largest life and health reinsurer.  The company
operates through more than 70 offices in over 30 countries. 
Swiss Re has been in the reinsurance business since its
foundation in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1863.  Swiss Re
offers a wide variety of products to manage capital and
risk.  Traditional reinsurance products, including a broad
range of property and casualty as well as life and health
covers and related services, are complemented by
insurance-based corporate finance solutions and
supplementary services for comprehensive risk management. 
Swiss Re currently has the following ratings: (i) from
Standard & Poor's: long-term counterparty credit,
financial strength and senior unsecured debt ratings of
"AA (CreditWatch negative)", and a short-term
counterparty credit rating of "A-1+", (ii) from
Moody's: insurance financial strength and senior debt
ratings of "Aa2" (on review for possible
downgrade), and a short-term rating of "P-1" and
(iii) from A.M. Best: a financial strength rating of A+
(superior) (under review with negative implications).

    Swiss Re has been associated with Asia since 1913, and
now has more than 900 staff in Asia Pacific.  The company's
Asian headquarters are in Hong Kong.  In 2006 Swiss Re
celebrates 50 years since it opened its first offices in
Asia Pacific.   

    For more information, please contact:

     Eileen Lim
     Corporate Communications, Asia
     Tel: [phone]
     Web: http://www.swissre.com

SOURCE  Swiss Re