Together for clean water:
- 25 years of partnership for clean water in the Global South: Global Nature Fund (GNF) and Kärcher
- Successful “Clean Water for the World” initiative in 13 countries – over 480,000 people are already benefiting.
- Projects with a sustainable impact on the ground with local partners for long-term, self-reliant solutions
Winnenden/Radolfzell, June 16, 2025 – Constructed wetlands, rainwater treatment, well drilling and pumps: For 25 years, the international environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) and the family-owned company Kärcher have been working together to improve access to clean water in the Global South. The flagship of this cooperation is the joint initiative “Clean Water for the World”, which has seen a total of 18 constructed wetlands and 17 drinking water plants built in 13 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. These measures have improved the sanitary situation of over 480,000 people and secured their supply of clean water. The projects are always implemented in cooperation with local stakeholders. The aim is to create efficient solutions that local people can operate independently and sustainably.
2025 is an anniversary year for Kärcher in more ways than one: the company is celebrating its 90th anniversary, 75 years of high-pressure cleaning – and 25 years of cooperation with the Global Nature Fund. “Community and social commitment have always been part of Kärcher’s DNA,” emphasizes Hartmut Jenner, Chairman of the Kärcher Management Board. “For us, the Global Nature Fund is a partner with whom we can successfully make a sustainable difference for local communities and nature on an equal footing. The shared topic of water is also of great importance for our core business of cleaning.”
Joint projects in the Global South
The projects initially focused on constructed wetlands in Latin America. The unique technology cleans the wastewater of small communities independently and naturally and can be adapted very flexibly to local conditions. When the water is returned to the natural cycle, it is 95 percent clean, which benefits the local flora and fauna and therefore also the people. As part of a holistic commitment to water, the partners have also been implementing drinking water projects since 2019.
“The cooperation of a company with an environmental association over 25 years is something special,” says Udo Gattenlöhner, Managing Director of the GNF. “We would like to thank Kärcher and our local project organizations for this reliable partnership. It shows how projects can be successfully developed and implemented across sectors. We have recently built constructed wetlands in Jordan, Burundi and the Philippines. The plant in the Panguil River Eco Park near Manila in the Philippines, for example, reduces water pollution from the visitor center, improves water quality and thus protects the river ecosystem.” Various animal and plant species are settling again. The park is thus ecologically enhanced and a recreational and educational place for people is created. A drinking water plant is currently being built at an elementary school in Burundi, and another constructed wetland is being prepared in Colombia.
Project examples:
- Project page constructed wetlands Global Nature Fund | constructed wetlands
- Constructed wetland Colombia, Bocas del Carare
https://www.kaercher.com/de/inside-kaercher/themenwelten/zu-besuch-im-dorf-der-hoffnung.html - Drinking water supply and sanitary facilities in schools, Burundi
Global Nature Fund | Drinking water supply and sanitary facilities in schools, Burundi - Access to clean drinking water Kenya
https://globalnature.org/project/zugang-zu-sauberem-trinkwasser-fuer-die-gemeinde-ulamba-kenia/
About Alfred Kärcher SE & Co KG
At Kärcher, a team of 17,000 people in 85 countries and 170 companies work together to make the world a little cleaner. As the market leader in cleaning technology, Kärcher offers global cleaning and care solutions, generating a turnover of 3.446 billion euros in 2024.
About the Global Nature Fund
The Global Nature Fund is a non-profit foundation based in Radolfzell. Since its foundation in 1998, the GNF has been committed to the protection of nature and the environment worldwide. The focus is on projects for the conservation of biodiversity – especially lake protection -, the promotion of sustainable development and the improvement and sustainable orientation of the living conditions of people in the project regions. https://www.globalnature.org