The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on Tuesday awarded a $20,000 biennial prize for rural communications to leading Kerala [Images] daily Malayala Manorama.

The honor was bestowed in recognition of the daily's imaginative campaign for water conservation.

The paper launched its 'Many a Drop' campaign in May 2004 to disseminate a new perspective on water to local population through articles, seminars, workshops, videos and brochures.

It also ran a contest for school students to spread awareness.

Water conservation is a concern of the World Water Forum currently underway in Mexico, UNESCO said.

The prize was awarded during a meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Program for the Development of Communication, the a forum within the United Nations system organized to promote the development of independent media in developing countries.

The meeting of the IPDC, which since its creation in 1980 has provided financial aid to over 1,100 projects in 137 countries, continues through 23 March.

As world leaders discuss solutions to the growing water crisis at the World Water Forum in Mexico City, a meeting of children calling for urgent help for 400 million children struggling to survive without safe water around the globe is on in the sidelines.

"Waterborne illness kills a child every fifteen seconds and underlies much of the world's disease and malnutrition," said Ann Veneman, Executive Director of the UNICEF, which co-sponsored the event.

"Solutions to the world water crisis must ensure that children survive, thrive, learn and live in dignity," Veneman said.