The right to clean water Access to clean water and sanitation are internationally recognised human rights.65 However, business activities related to the tourism sector can lead to water scarcity and contamination.66 Climate change is also impacting the availability of water, often leading to a competition for scarce resources.67 Those operating in the tourism sector have a vested interest in ensuring that they reduce their water consumption and eliminate contamination. The UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate seeks to establish a critical mass of business leaders to address global water challenges through corporate water stewardship, in partnership with the United Nations, governments, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.68 By endorsing the Mandate, businesses commit to advancing water stewardship across the six key areas of: • • • • • • Direct Operations Supply Chain & Watershed Management Collective Action Public Policy Community Engagement Transparency 4. Land rights and cultural rights Access to land is closely linked to the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights. The development of tourist facilities and infrastructure – such as hotels, parks or airports – may lead to the displacement of people, housing and, indeed, whole communities.69 Such displacement may deny local communities access to natural resources including agricultural lands, forests, water and other essentials. Cultural rights are often closely connected to land.70 When local communities are displaced, they lose access to traditional ways of living, farming and fishing resources, and traditional and sacred sites.71 People in local communities in existing or emergent tourism destinations, particularly those living in poverty, may have little power or choice when faced with development projects. Any real or perceived power imbalance must be taken into consideration when engaging with communities and/or individuals around the use of land. Vietnam has legal provisions that protect local communities from being displaced for development, including the Law on Land (2013), the Law on Environmental Protection (2014), and the Decree from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment covering compensation, support and resettlement options when the displacement occurs on staterelated land. However, challenges exist in law and practice, particularly around the lack of free, prior and informed consent processes.72 Responsible business conduct and the tourism industry in Vietnam • Guidance for companies • 2022 | 31