Aquamatch, a Turkish water treatment company, joined BCtA in November 2018 with a commitment to provide clean drinking water to water-scarce communities and hire low-income youth to create local jobs in the villages where their factories operate. By 2022, Aquamatch plans to supply five water-scarce communities in South Asia and the Middle East, impacting 2.5 million people, and to employ 20 additional low income individuals from Turkey, with a focus on youth.

Aquamatch’s BCtA commitment not only ensures the company is actively contributing to the SDGs, but it also provides an opportunity to increase their revenues by entering new target markets that are generally underserved. New target markets for Aquamatch have been determined based the following criteria: a lack of water infrastructure, vibrant private sector, need of water and the scale of water crisis. 

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is most water stressed region in the world; over 60 percent of the population live in areas of high or very high-water stress. The majority of economic output in the region is also produced in high water stress areas. Recognising the need for more reliable and quality water supply, Aquamatch has expanded its reach to this region, as well as South Asia, initiating wastewater and desalination water treatment projects to produce clean water. To better serve these communities, Aquamatch transformed its business model to be more in line with the SDGs, ensuring social and environmental factors are included in its in its impact and needs assessments, adopting a circular business model and integrating low income communities as workers and beneficiaries.

In areas where it operates, Aquamatch engineers provide aftersales technical support to educate the local stakeholders on how to use the systems, and works with local engineers to install its systems. The company takes a holistic approach, engaging low income communities along its value chain as customers, workers and beneficiaries.

In its Turkey factories, Aquamatch currently employs 53 low income individuals. Half of these are young men below the age of 29, and two-thirds come from nearby low income villages. According to a 2018 Workers Satisfaction Survey, Aquamatch was the first job for two-thirds of its factory workers. Recognising the life-changing impact that regular employment can bring, Aquamatch aims to hire a further 20 young people in its Turkey factories by 2022.

For Aquamatch, providing decent work conditions and clean water for the communities where it works go hand in hand with business profitability.