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Respecting the Human Rights to Water & Sanitation (2015)Respecting the Human Rights to Water & Sanitation (2015)
  • Navigate
    • About
    • Understanding Impacts
      • Understanding the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation
      • Impacts on People
      • UN Guiding Principles and Corporate Water Stewardship
    • Respect in Practice
      • Develop a Policy Commitment
      • Assess Impacts on the HRWS
      • Integrate and Take Action
      • Track and Communicate Performance
      • Remediation and Grievance Mechanisms
    • Supporting Human Rights
    • Resources
      • Diagnostic Questions
      • Glossary
      • Human Rights and Corporate Water Stewardship
      • Specific Sections of the Guidance
      • Standards and Instruments Related to the HRWS
  • Download Full Report (PDF)

Impacts on People

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Translating Impacts on People into Human Rights and Water Stewardship Terms

What is different when a company brings a human rights lens to its water management efforts? At its core, this means focusing on water-related risks to people rather than water-related risks to the business. This means that company efforts to understand their actual and potential impacts need to take full account of the severity of such impacts on “affected stakeholders,” as defined in the UN Guiding Principles. This could include workers, local community members, or other individuals or groups whose rights may be negatively affected. These impacts may involve the HRWS, but they may also have an effect on other human rights, such as the rights to health, life, and food.

Many impacts on the HRWS start as less severe social or environmental impacts, so it can be helpful to consider impacts as existing on a continuum. Preventing less severe social or environmental impacts can therefore help prevent negative impacts on the HRWS, as well as prevent negative impacts on other human rights.

The case examples below seek to draw out the differences between the human rights and the water stewardship lenses in understanding impacts on people.

Case Study #1: Lack of access to water and/or sanitation services in the workplace

HRWSCaseStudy1

Case Study #2: Scarcity of water

HRWSCaseStudy2

Case Study #3: Pollution of water

HRWSCaseStudy3

Case Study #4: Physical Barriers to Access Water

HRWSCaseStudy4

Case Study #5: Inequitable access to water

HRWSCaseStudy5

Continue on with the Guide

Published

January

2015

In partnership with

Table of Contents

  • About
  • Overview
  • Understanding Impacts
    • Understanding the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation
    • Impacts on People
    • UN Guiding Principles and Corporate Water Stewardship
  • Respect in Practice
    • Develop a Policy Commitment
    • Assess Impacts on the HRWS
    • Integrate and Take Action
    • Track and Communicate Performance
    • Remediation and Grievance Mechanisms
  • Supporting Human Rights
  • Resources
    • Diagnostic Questions
    • Glossary
    • Human Rights and Corporate Water Stewardship
    • Specific Sections of the Guidance
    • Standards and Instruments Related to the HRWS
  • Download Full Report (PDF)
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