Geneva,
19 August 2010 - Humanitarian action and
relief efforts save lives and provide essential
aid in the aftermath of natural disasters,
conflicts and other crisis. But despite
this critical role, humanitarian actions
can result in damage to the environment,
which is not often prioritised as a life
saving issue.
A new online resource
centre developed by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) will help boost efforts
to reduce the environmental impact of humanitarian
relief and recovery operations around the
world.
Launched today, 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.
Actions like cutting down
trees to provide shelter and firewood and
the inadequate management of medical waste
can impact the success of recovery activities
by putting stress on natural resources and
livelihoods, thereby leaving 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.
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%.
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.
UNEP has set up the
resource centre in response to a clear need
from humanitarian organisations for reliable
and current information on incorporating
environmental considerations into their
policy and strategy development, programme
design and relief activities.
More than 150 resources
from over 20 organisations 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 organisations to ensure
environmental considerations are effectively
integrated in the international humanitarian
system.
Notes to Editors
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 programmes
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.
