{"id":8428,"date":"2018-07-22T21:40:53","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T21:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ceowatermandate.org\/integrity2\/?page_id=8428"},"modified":"2021-01-18T05:08:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T05:08:14","slug":"front","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ceowatermandate.org\/covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Front Page"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Background<\/h3><\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1594067213841{margin-top: 25px !important;}”]COVID-19 has caused a worldwide public health crisis and severely disrupted the global economy. Proper handwashing plays a critical role in preventing the transmission of the disease and relies on an abundance of clean, accessible water. Yet an estimated 3 billion people worldwide<\/strong><\/a> do not have access to basic handwashing services in their homes and more than 2 billion live in water-stressed river basins<\/strong><\/a> where they may not have reliable access to freshwater resources.<\/p>\n

To combat the spread of the virus and rebuild our economies, collective action on water is vital. Such action will not only prove invaluable in containing the pandemic, but in realizing the human rig<\/strong>hts to water an<\/strong>d sanitation<\/strong><\/a> and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Water and Sanitation<\/strong><\/a>. Further it can be vital in accelerating a \u201cblue\u201d economy, one where economic well-being and water resilience mutually reinforce one another.<\/p>\n

The business community has a key role to play in responding to COVID-19, rebuilding the economy, and preventing and mitigating future shock events \u2014 both broadly speaking and specifically regarding water and handwashing. However, the roles businesses can play have not yet been clearly articulated.<\/p>\n

This site, developed by the Pacific Institute<\/strong><\/a> in its role as Co-Secretariat of the UN Global Compact\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> CEO Water Mandate<\/strong><\/a>, with the contribution and expertise of global WASH NGO WaterAid<\/strong><\/a>, aims to fill the gap. Specifically, it:<\/p>\n

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  1. Articulates the connections between water, COVID-19, and business<\/li>\n
  2. Offers a practical framework on the actions companies can take to advance COVID-19 response efforts in their operations, supply chains and the communities where workers live, paving the way for a \u201cblue\u201d economic recovery and long-term water resilience<\/li>\n
  3. Connects businesses to capacity building resources and practical examples of water-related actions companies are already taking with respect to COVID-19<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We will continuously refine this site based on our growing understanding of the crisis as well as user feedback<\/strong><\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1591280578024{margin-top: 25px !important;margin-bottom: 25px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_separator][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

    Key Principles<\/h3><\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1593460571761{margin-top: 25px !important;}”]Effective and responsible business action on the water- and handwashing-related elements of COVID-19 revolves around some key overarching principles:[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1591281002989{margin-top: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;background-color: #e8e8e8 !important;border-radius: 35px !important;}”]\n

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    Corporate risks and impacts \u2014 and therefore influence and responsibility \u2014 regarding COVID-19 go beyond the company fence line, extending to worker\u2019s homes and throughout the supply chain.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1591281011342{margin-top: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;background-color: #e8e8e8 !important;border-radius: 35px !important;}”]\n

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    Water stewardship and economic recovery go hand in hand. Companies can advance both through developing, implementing, and advocating for \u201cblue\u201d recovery strategies.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1591281023137{margin-top: 10px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;background-color: #e8e8e8 !important;border-radius: 35px !important;}”]\n

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    Companies can build resilience to catastrophic events by supporting multi-stakeholder collective action and effective, high-integrity public water governance.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

    The Framework<\/h3><\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text]The following high-level framework outlines the three core phases of responding to the water- and handwashing-related elements of COVID-19, as well as the various actions companies can take within each phase.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1591321818897{margin-top: 25px !important;margin-right: 15px !important;margin-left: 15px !important;padding-right: 15px !important;padding-left: 15px !important;background-color: #aecfe6 !important;border-radius: 25px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/6″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-lock” color=”white” size=”xl” align=”center”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”5\/6″]

    PHASE 1: Containing the Pandemic<\/h4><\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_tta_accordion color=”white” active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”Overview” tab_id=”1591321881283-1128dbcd-9df4″][vc_column_text]Workplaces where many employees congregate are at risk of amplifying the transmission of the virus through close contact and unsanitary conditions. Therefore, the first and most urgent phase of this framework is to implement concrete actions to: 1) identify risks and strategic responses, 2) safely and efficiently restore the flow of water at operations and business units (if facilities have been closed for a prolonged period); 3) provide trainings to employees on safe handwashing practices; 4) invest in handwashing facilities, materials, and protocols at the workplace, 5) encourage and facilitate proper water and handwashing practices among communities and suppliers, and 6) where appropriate and relevant, convert or focus business operations to develop products or services that combat COVID-19, such as soaps and hand sanitizers.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Conduct a self-assessment of the WASH- and water-related elements of your operations” tab_id=”1591233297059-69126c85-a2bb”][vc_column_text]Before implementing any solutions, companies must first understand the key risk points for exposing their employees to COVID-19 and other threats resulting from the shuttering of their operations in recent months. Ideally, such an assessment is conducted as early as possible, identifies and prioritizes a company\u2019s COVID-19 risks as they pertain to water and handwashing, and defines strategic solutions that effectively and efficiently manage those risks.<\/p>\n

    Risk identification will benefit from the completion of a Hazard Analysis in Critical Control Points (HACCP). The HACCP process can help identify opportunities for the virus to be contracted across various business settings, map out key points of exposure, and determine helpful mitigation actions. While such processes are typically employed for food safety, they can be contextualized for use on the water- and handwashing-related elements of COVID-19. NGOs such as WaterAid and others are available to help businesses and other organizations design relevant HACCP assessments across a variety of contexts and circumstances.<\/p>\n

    Strategic solutions should comprise both hardware (i.e., physical interventions such as new handwashing stations, signage, etc.) and software (i.e., training programs, protocols, etc.). Specific interventions are discussed below.<\/p>\n

    Practical Actions<\/strong><\/p>\n