Ecological Management Foundation (EMF) was an environmentalist think tank and policy advocacy organization based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. During its active years, EMF focused on water technologies such as desalination and water purification. It was a partner of the Dutch grantmaking organization Adessium Foundation, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC). It closed its doors in 2023. ¹

Background

Ecological Management Foundation was founded in 1990 by Dutch investment executive and author Allerd Stikker. Stikker claimed that environmental concerns intersected well with business profitability, a line of thought he developed after observing a government-led project in Taiwan. This led Stikker to create the concept of “Environmental Performance Indicators,” environmental factors that would be considered by financial institutions when evaluating a business’ overall credit rating. Following years of lobbying with large banks, publishing articles on the subject, and networking with business executives and corporation in the Netherlands, the end result was that “all the major banks now have environmental procedures in place, and these are extensively documented in their annual reports.” ²

Projects

Micro Water Facility

The Micro Water Facility (MWF) project was founded by Ecological Management Foundation to coordinate water sanitation and desalination technology work between nonprofit organizations, water technology innovators, investors, and local communities in need of clean drinking water. It was originally a partner of the Netherlands-based environmental nonprofits Aqua for All, Aidenvironment, and the grantmaking organization Addessium Foundation. In 2007, MWF was established as its own independent nonprofit. In 2010 Micro Water Facility partnered with EMF on the Sujol project, which focused on testing and treating arsenic-tainted water in Bangladesh. ^{3 4}

Rain for Sale

In 2016 EMF spearheaded a project in Uganda to finance the construction of tanks for the collection and sale of rainwater in African countries. Noting that previously a community tank for a rainwater collection had simply been donated in areas experiencing dry seasons, EMF theorized that this need could be monetized by local business owners. It commissioned a local study to assess if residents would be willing to “pay a small fee” to avoid having to walk long distances to acquire water. Local entrepreneurs would pay an initial partial investment, and the rest of the costs were financed with a five-year loan, which would be paid back by the sale of rainwater. After the Ugandan test program, the project was expanded to Rwanda in a partnership with the Dutch environmental research group VIA Water. ^{5 6}

Ecological Temple Project

Along with the Chinese government, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), EMF launched a project in 2005 that focused on the restoration of Taoist temples in China. Playing on that religion’s purported connection with nature and environmental conservancy awareness, this project sought not only to refurbish temples in China, but to establish them as “ecological temples” where Taoism and environmental concerns would be explored together. This program began with 15 temples in the Taibai Shan province, eventually expanding to more than a dozen other provinces. ⁷

WaterSchools

Waterschools was started in 2010 with the aim of reducing student illness and school truancy caused bymicrobe-contaminated water. In conjunction with ARC, EMF founded the Waterschools sanitation and education program following the 2009 “Faith in Water” symposium which took place in Salisbury, United Kingdom. This initiative was concentrated in faith-based schools in Uganda and highlighted the importance of hygiene and handwashing among children, as well as working to provide water sanitation and clean drinking water to poor communities. ^{8 9}

Documentaries

In 1999 EMF began producing documentaries with the aim of raising awareness about water-focused environmental issues. Its first project, a six-part documentary called Water, the Drop of Life was followed by other titles such as Blue Gold, A Dollar a Day, and Private Sector Projects in Developing Countries. ^{10 11}

People

Allerd Stikker, founder of Ecological Management Foundation, is a former Dutch investment executive. He is also the author of numerous books including Water: The Blood of the Earth, Three Windows on Eternity: Exploring Evolution and Human Destiny, and Closing the Gap: Exploring the History of Gender Relations. ^{12 13}

1. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf.
2. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf.
3. “Micro Water Facility.” AKVO RSR. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://rsr.akvo.org/en/organisation/382/
4. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf.
5. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf.
6. “Rain4Sale Rwanda.” Accessed September 25, 2023. VIA Water. https://aquaforall.org/viawater/projects/rain4sale-rwanda.html.
7. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf
8. “Projects.” ARC. Accessed September 25, 2023.  http://www.arcworld.org/projectsfc15.html?projectID=524.
9. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf
10. “Ecological Management Foundation.” Environment and Ecology. Accessed September 25, 2023. http://environment-ecology.com/environment-organisations/515-the-ecological-management-foundation-emf.html
11. “Looking Back on 28 Years of Ecological Management Foundation.” EMF. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://allerdstikker.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Looking-back-on-28-years-of-EMF.pdf
12. “Allerd Stikker: Code Orange for Life on Earth.” November 13, 2018. Accessed September 25, 2023.  InnovationX. https://www.innovatiex.nl/nieuws/nieuws/2018/11/13/allerd-stikker-code-oranje-voor-het-leven-op-aarde.
13. “Allerd Stikker.” Amazon. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.amazon.com/Books-Allerd-Stikker/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAllerd+Stikker.