Planet under Pressure

THE SDGs AS A WAY TO BUILD
RESILIENCE
The last few months introduced a completely new world to us when the pandemic started. The
novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc on society while putting the lives and livelihoods of millions
into disarray. The toll that the coronavirus has taken on people is very painful. The actions taken
to stop the vigorous spread of the pandemic has left a massive impact on the global economy and
the prospects for sustainable development.
By Md. Moniruzzaman Khan, Green Delta Insurance Company
Bangladesh was not spared from this
easily transmitted deadly virus. With
the very first Covid-19 case, detected
on March 8, 2020, Bangladesh started
its journey as a country with steadily
increasing cases. Since then, businesses
and operations have come to a complete
halt to reduce the number of deaths, and
the economy started to drop drastically,
jeopardizing economic forecasts and
targets for 2020 and 2021.
There is no doubt that the world economy
has entered a stage where it will take
years to recover – not only for developed
economies but especially developing and
least-developed countries. Countries such
as Bangladesh have to be very proactive
to rebuild themselves to overcome their
internal crises. With the sudden closures
of workplaces, people at all levels have
been challenged to adapt to the rapid
changes in industries.
While following the footsteps of the
global leaders and their examples, Green
Delta also started to work toward building
a better future and utilizing the crisis
for opportunities. These timely initiatives
were undertaken to make the best of the
sudden lockdowns and use the resources
that Green Delta had created to build
a resilient workforce. This ensured its
contribution to the economy as well as
minimize the impact of the pandemic
at the company level.
The following offers a glimpse of how
Green Delta initiatives provide a framework
for achieving resilience and will
also help achieve the SDGs in a postpandemic
era:
Building a Resilient Workforce:
Decent Work and Economic Growth
(Goal 8)
Most of the initiatives taken by Green
Delta during the lockdown were centered
on building a workforce that could serve
even if the situation got worse. Starting
with creating massive awareness regarding
safety measures and good practices
among the employees and community
as well as clients and valued customers,
Green Delta has enforced social distancing
at its workplaces and informed
personnel about taking care of their
surroundings during the crisis.
While ensuring a healthy work environment,
Green Delta has offered unique
approaches to ensure the health and
safety of employees.
Soon after workplaces were closed, employees
were trained to carry out their
duties for the company while working
from home. There were a number of
online training sessions, motivational
sessions, and awareness-creation sessions
to keep the spirits of the employees up
and to increase employee engagement
through various online platforms.
Thus, Green Delta believes that building
a resilient workforce can help to reduce
the negative impacts on profits. It is
also helping to strengthen the current
workforce to cope with the prolonged
aftermath following the crisis.
Ensuring Good Health and Well-
Being: Good Health and Well-Being
(Goal 3)
As the pandemic spread across the country,
creating a health hazard throughout
the entire population, the impact was
much stronger on mental health, as
everything started to shut down and
human life became immobile under
strict lockdowns.
Green Delta looked after the mental and
physical well-being of its employees as
well as the community at large so that
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Global Goals Yearbook 2020