Alcan rewards poverty group

The Utthan Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation in northern India has been awarded the 2007 $1million (£503,000) Alcan Prize for Sustainability.

The prize, given annually by Rio Tinto Alcan and the International Business Leaders’ Forum, recognizes non-governmental organizations, non-profit bodies and civil society groups that work to build sustainable societies around the world.

Dina Nath Teswari, president of the Utthan Centre, which was founded in 1996 to support the ecological, economic and social development of poor communities, said: ‘The money associated with the Alcan Prize will allow us to do so much more for disadvantaged communities. But, perhaps even more importantly, the recognition of our efforts on the international stage will lead to learning and partnerships that we might not have been able to access on our own.’

Corey Copeland, a senior vice-president at Rio Tinto Alcan, observed: ‘Utthan has made remarkable strides on behalf of disadvantaged communities in India, and we’re delighted to think that the Alcan Prize might further advance the fine work this organization does.’

One of the Uttan Centre’s achievements has been to identify super clones of the Jatropha curcas plant used for making biodiesel, so that the crop can be grown on degraded land with no other economic use. Today the cultivation of Jatropha covers more than a million hectares in south Asia, primarily in India.

Another achievement has been the reclamation of 85,000 hectares of degraded land around cities, directly benefiting 90,000 families by adopting a watershed development programme and promoting the planting of bamboo, Jatropha and medicinal plants. This work has also reduced the frequency of dust storms.

At the same time the Utthan Centre has provided immunization for 600,000 infants and children against preventable diseases, and has ensured full health coverage to more than 300,000 people in 96 villages in Allahabad.