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EVs in Kathmandu
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Global Resources Institute (GRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to address environmental and developmental issues internationally and within the United States. GRI was founded in 1993 and is based in Eugene, Oregon. The organization's two main focus areas have been clean water and clean air.

From 1993 to 1996, at the request of the Municipality of Kathmandu, Nepal and with the support of USAID/Nepal, US-AEP, and US-AEP/NASDA, GRI initiated a very successful electric vehicle program to help alleviate the city's severe air pollution. The program gave rise to a Nepalese electric vehicle industry which has produced more than 600 electric mini-buses providing public transportation in Kathmandu and other cities in Nepal. USAID publicized this program as one of its "success stories." Since 1997 GRI has consulted on electric vehicle development in South Asia and Latin America.

In 1998 GRI started a program to increase access to clean water in Nepal through the introduction of simple water quality testing technology and low-cost, small scale water purification systems. With the support of US-AEP/NASDA, GRI worked with the International Buddhist Society and its medical clinic to introduce solar disinfection, a process which uses the ultraviolet of daylight to purify water. The medical clinic reported that after nine months of using solar disinfection 5,000 villagers experienced an 80% decrease in diarrhea.

Based on the success of this clean water program, GRI initiated a SunWater Program to promote the use of solar disinfection as a process to produce clean drinking water in the developing world. This program focuses primarily upon developing and disseminating educational material on solar disinfection for use in emergencies, disasters, and daily life wherever clean drinking water is not available.

With support from the Eugene/Kathmandu Sister City Committee, private individuals and volunteers in Nepal and the U.S., GRI has continued the SunWater program in Nepal, working with the International Buddhist Society and the Self Reliant Center to provide training and materials for schools, health clinics, and community learning centers. GRI has also worked with organizations in Kenya and Haiti on the SunWater program.

Global Resources Institute can be contacted at
P.O. Box 11752, Eugene, Oregon 97440, USA
Tel: 541.345.2204  Fax: 541.344.0796  email <gri@grilink.org>

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last modified January 2006