HORIZON INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS SITE

Rick to human health from polluted waste water. Temporary settlements in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. Photograph courtesy of UNEP.Photograph courtesy of UNEP.

Humanitarian action and relief efforts save lives and provide essential aid in the aftermath of natural disasters, conflicts and other crises. But despite this critical role, humanitarian actions can result in damage to the environment, which is not often prioritized as a life-saving issue.

A new online resource centre developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will help efforts to reduce the environmental impact of humanitarian relief and recovery operations around the world.

Launched on August 19, 2010, on World Humanitarian Day, the Resource Centre for Mainstreaming Environment into Humanitarian Action is the first online collection of practical information explaining how to integrate environmental considerations into humanitarian action.

The new website features guidelines, training materials, case studies and other tools and is intended as a handbook for humanitarian workers. The site can be accessed at http://postconflict.unep.ch/humanitarianaction

Dry river beds resulting from deforestation. Photograph courtesy of UNEP.

Actions like cutting down trees to provide shelter and firewood and the inadequate management of medical waste can impact the success of both humanitarian relief and recovery activities. Additional stress placed on natural resources and livelihoods can also leave populations vulnerable to future crises.

In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, the size and density of settlements for internally displaced persons has led to severe degradation of wildlife populations, trees and other natural resources in some areas, even encroaching on the Virunga National Park.

Shelter camps. Temporary settlements in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. Photograph courtesy of UNEP. Photograph courtesy of UNEP.

Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January, emergency food distribution resulted in a big increase in solid and liquid waste, mainly due to packaging. Additionally, the distribution of raw food has increased the need for charcoal, which can lead to the removal of even more trees in a country with an estimated total forest cover of just 2-4%.

Temporary settlements in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. Photograph courtesy of UNEP.

Making relief and recovery operations more environmentally-sound will ensure that both human welfare and the environment are protected and conserved in response to a disaster or conflict.

Several best practices have proven that including environmental considerations in humanitarian operations is not only better for the environment but also cost-effective, such as sending supplies by ship rather than by air, as well as predictable and coordinated planning of logistical  operations.

Deforestation as wood is taken for shelter. Temporary settlements in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake. Photograph courtesy of UNEP.

UNEP has set up the resource centre in response to a clear need from humanitarian organizations for reliable and current information on incorporating environmental considerations into their policy and strategy development, program design and relief activities.

More than 150 resources from over 20 organizations are already featured on the website, arranged according to sector and environmental issue.

To ensure the resource centre provides the best available current information, UNEP is calling for contributions of resources in any language from NGOs, Governments, UN agencies, private sector and academic and research institutions.

UNEP also welcomes further feedback via email at postconflict@unep.org to make the resource centre as useful and relevant as possible for a wide range of humanitarian personnel.

UNEP will continue to work with partner organizations to ensure environmental considerations are effectively integrated in the international humanitarian system.

UNEP’s Environment, Humanitarian Action and Early Recovery Programme

UNEP is focused on ensuring that environmental issues are integrated into humanitarian action at every phase of response efforts – relief, recovery and reconstruction – in order to adequately address environmental needs in emergency and post-emergency situations.

Most humanitarian programs and operations intersect in a variety of ways with the environment, from providing shelter and protection to logistics and energy. UNEP works with humanitarian actors to build capacity and awareness to improve the way in which operations are carried out.

As part of its Disasters and Conflicts Programme, UNEP leads training, serves as the liaison with clusters and partner organizations regarding environmental issues, provides in-country expertise and facilitates policy and advocacy efforts for members of the international humanitarian

community.

Further Resources

Resource Centre for Mainstreaming Environment into Humanitarian Action --

http://postconflict.unep.ch/humanitarianaction

Disasters and Conflicts -- http://www.unep.org/conflictsanddisasters/

One Response --

http://oneresponse.info/crosscutting/environment/Pages/Environment.aspx

This news was provided by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 19 August 2010.