Tsunami Relief: Corporate Involvement
Category: Science, Nature & Medicine...
Posted Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 01:49 PM [GMT-6]

I tend to think of the Southeast Asian tsunami relief efforts in terms of work being done by non-profit and governmental agencies and organizations but the fact is that many corporations are also contributing in ways that cash simply can't provide. Take the example of DSM.

Koninklijke DSM N.V. is a corporation based in the Netherlands that engages in research and manufacturing of a mind-boggling array of products. If you take a look at the popup menus on its Product Finder webpage, you'll see markets listed as diverse as animal nutrition, biocides, bio-armor, dyes and pigments, and pharmaceuticals. DSM is the epitome of the "global conglomerate," albeit one with a very low profile.

In the wake of the tsunami disaster and in addition to donating cash, DSM has stepped up to provide resources in two critical areas: it is donating active ingredients for antibiotics and speeding up plans to install a self-sustaining water purification facility in southern India. The former will be critical in helping ensure that the post-disaster diseases can be effectively fought; one of DSM's subsidiaries is the world’s leading bulk producer of the antibiotics Amoxicillin and Ampicillin, and these ingredients will be donated to local producers of the final product.

DSM is also underwriting research into sustainable local water purification via Water4Life, a longterm research project that is now being accelerated to provide more immediate relief to disaster victims. Once in place, the aforementioned filtration facility will provide safe drinking water to people in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Ultimately, it will make 500 filters available per day; each filter can support 10-15 people in their daily need for safe drinking water.

I'm sure these kinds of stories are being replicated scores of times around the world. They don't get a lot of press, but the efforts by these "uncaring corporate giants" will help save and rebuild countless lives.