GWOPA and UN Habitat ask utilities to fight Covid

With the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the globe, water and sanitation professionals will play a vital role in ensuring the safety of the public over the coming months. Whether through awareness raising campaigns or improved services, these service providers will help determine public opinion and health during this unprecedented crisis.

To raise awareness of the importance of utilities at this time, GWOPA and UN Habitat have launched the #utilitiesfightcovid initiative. As part of this initiative, professionals from water and sanitation are encouraged to share their experiences and ideas for tackling COVID-19.

How to take part

1. Consider the following questions:

• How are you raising awareness in your community about hygiene practices?
• How are you communicating with staff about the situation?
• How are you maintaining services in the current situation (social distancing, reduced staff numbers, etc.)
• What advice would you give to other utilities preparing for the pandemic?

2. Send us a short article (info@gwopa.org) responding to the question(s) above. You can include pictures (staff, infrastructure, field missions, etc.) and submit in English, French or Spanish. GWOPA will publish these on our social media channels and website.

3. Record and send us a short video/interview (see guidance below) responding to the question(s) above. GWOPA will publish these on our social media and website.

4. Post on the utility’s social media channels using the hashtags #UtilitiesFightCOVID and #COVID19 and/or tagging @gwopa

Recording video

1. Place the smartphone on a surface that is at the level of your eyes.

2. Make sure there is enough battery – or keep the phone charged during the recording.

3. Make a test video to make sure your eyes, mouth and shoulders are visible

4. As shown in the above example, leave some “air” to one of the sides – left or right – and look at the picked side while answering.

5. Use the test video to check the quality of the audio – if you are 1 meter away from the phone, the audio should be ok

6. Getting the best-recorded audio for accessibility all comes down to the physical place. Ideally, the perfect recording spot is indoors in a private room. If that isn’t possible, find a room that has little to no noise or echo.

To send large files, you can use wetransfer.

For more information on how utilities can help fight COVID-19, take a look at the GWOPA video "What Can Water Utilities Do To Contain COVID-19?"