54 |2020 Sustainability Report |Global challenge X-ray of a changing planet: risks and opportunities in the water market and established policies to address them The health crisis caused by COVID-19 has been the driving force behind a greater commitment by businesses to society. The priorities of organisations now include facing challenges such as the climate emergency, inequality and lack of access to technologies. Main risks Associated opportunities, policies and derived actions Global health crisis Aqualia guarantees access to water COVID-19 entered the global risk landscape in 2020, During the most critical moments of the pandemic, showing firstly the vulnerability of society to a pandemic Aqualia ensured the provision of the necessary services and, secondly, acting as a catalyst for the many changes so that all citizens had access to water. To do this, the already in the making. company even suspended water cuts that had already been envisaged. In the wake of the health crisis there is an economic and social crisis, as well as systemic changes in the labour Aqualia is all about people who take care market, accelerated by technological advances. of people Protocols were strengthened to protect employees and Another of the terrible consequences was the shut- clients by activating prevention and contingency systems: down in the global economy, which could return Contingency plans for workers, clients, users, etc. 150 million people living in developing countries to extreme poverty.13 Strengthening of public-private collaboration Aqualia helped in the fight against the virus by So the health crisis appeared like an authentic black collaborating with the authorities in the early detection swan, leaving us with an important issue to be resolved: of infections by detecting the presence of COVID-19 How to face the multiple challenges that have arisen in wastewater. in an increasingly interdependent world. The company also guaranteed users high-quality tap water, which remained subject to the usual, normal disinfection treatments, provided by companies in the 150 Million sector, both public and private. people could return to extreme poverty as a result of the crisis caused by COVID-19 13 2021 WEF Report.