Marriott International is to invest US$500,000 (£349,396) in seed money over the next two years to support a water conservation programme in south west China.

The project - called the 'Nobility of Nature' and operated by Conservation International - will focus its work in Sichuan Province, an area hit by the 2008 earthquake. It is designed to assist rural communities in the region with sustainable businesses, such as mushroom farming and honey production, which will place less stress on the environment. Reducing erosion and sedimentation will also improve water quality downstream in both rural and urban areas.

Conservation International, based in Washington, DC, US, will join the Pingwu County Government and a local environmental group, Shan Shui, to provide training and resources to the local communities involved in the project. At the same time, Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels throughout China have committed to reducing their water and energy use by 25 percent by 2017. Marriott expects to operate 60 hotels in China by the end of 2010, making China the company’s most important market outside of North America.