tools and resources

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Tools and Resources

With a focus on REA

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In this session, we will…

• Identify the key tools and resources regarding environmental activities

• Describe the REA and its strengths and

• Identify appropriate situations for its application

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Some Tools and Resources

• Environmental Stewardship Review for Humanitarian Aid (WWF)

• ECLAC, Handbook for Estimating the Socio-economic and Environment Effects of Disasters

• UNEP, Environmental Needs Assessment in Post-Disaster Situations: A Practical Guide for Implementation

• Flash Environment Assessment Tool (FEAT)

• IUCN Ecosystems, Livelihoods and Disasters

• Guidelines on Camp Closure

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Some More Tools and Resources

• Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters (REA)

• Framework for Assessing, Monitoring and Evaluating the Environment in Refugee-related Operations (FRAME)

• Emergency Shelter Environmental Impact Assessment and Action Checklist

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Environmental Stewardship Review for Humanitarian Aid (WWF)

Environ-mental IssueThis column asks questions related to key envir. issues.

To answer…This column suggests ways to obtain the information

Yes No Not sure

If Yes, then…Guidance on how to address the environmental issue

Action TakenThis column provides space to identify what further action needs to be taken to address the environmental issue.

Will the project result in the emission of air pollutants (e.g., smoke, gases, dust particles)?

Review project proposal.Consult local natural resources department

Consider alternate activities which generate lower emissions..

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Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

Section Five: Overall Effects of Damages

I. Environment

II. The impact of disasters on women

III. Damage overview

IV. Macroeconomic effects of damages

V. Employment and income

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THE PHASE-OUT AND CLOSURE OF CAMPS FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE – A GUIDELINE

• PREPARED BY THE GLOBAL CAMP CO-ORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT CLUSTER

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Emergency Shelter Environmental Impact Assessment and Action Checklist

Identifying Critical Environmental Considerations in Shelter Site Selection, Construction,

Management and Decommissioning

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Overview of the REA

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The Problem

• Environmental conditions often contribute to disasters.

• Disasters can result in negative environmental impacts.

• Relief aid can have positive or negative environmental impacts.

• Lack of a systematic way to incorporate environmental impact assessment into disaster management.

+/-

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Review: What is the REA?

Guidelines for Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters

REA is a rapid assessment tool to:

identify, define, prioritize environmental issues in disaster situations threatening HUMAN LIFE & WELFARE so that their effects can be minimized

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• Simple and rapid…

• Designed for use in natural, technological and/or political disasters

• A useful way to organize and make sense of environmental information available in disasters

• A consensus-based qualitative assessment process

• Used to identify follow-up actions during a disaster (… Not a tool which provides answers on how to resolve environmental issues)

The REA is…

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• REA does not replace an Environmental Impact Assessment

• REA fills a gap when an EIA process can’t be used (disasters, rapidly changing situations).

• REA results can serve as a “scoping” assessment for an EIA

• REA results can set a baseline for EIA data analysis

REA and EIA…

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• Those who respond to disasters have little time for in depth research and are not likely to be environmental specialist.

Why RAPID?

• Actions must be taken quickly and can’t wait for a lengthy, quantitative and thorough assessment process

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4 Modules & 11 Tasks of REA

1. Organization Level Assessment

2. Community Level Assessment

3. Consolidation and Analysis(of 1 + 2)

4. Green Review of Relief Procurement

See “table” page v in

Guidelines.

See “table” page v in

Guidelines.

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The REA Process

Green

of Relief Community

Assessment Summary Form

See Session 2.3 in your “Workbook”See Session 2.3 in your “Workbook”

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Module IOrganization Level

Assessment

Context Statement

Factors Influencing Environmental Impacts

Environmental Threats of Disasters

Unmet Basic Needs

Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities

Task 1

Task 3

Task 4

Task 5

Task 2 Task 6

Module II

Community LevelAssessment:

Module IIIConsolidation and

Analysis

Consolidate the Issues

Identify Critical Issues and Actions

Prioritize Issues and Actions

Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities Review

Task 7

Task 8

Task 9

Module IV

Review

Procurement Act

ion

Task 11

Task 10from communities

Based on information

collected directly

or from secondary sources.

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The ContextThe Context

National Geophysical Data Center

Organization Level Assessment

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Spatial, social, cultural, economic conditions of affected populationsSpatial, social, cultural, economic conditions of affected populations

Factors InfluencingEnvironmental Impact

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• Salination and sedimentation ruin agricultural land

• Damage to chemical plants, rivers carrying pesticides, toxic materials

• Destruction of wooded areas creates future flooding hazard

• Salination and sedimentation ruin agricultural land

• Damage to chemical plants, rivers carrying pesticides, toxic materials

• Destruction of wooded areas creates future flooding hazard

PAHO photo – Dom. Rep.

In addition to the immediate loss of lives and damage to buildings, what are secondary environmental threats or hazards that may further imperil human life, health, welfare and/or their environment

Cyclones / Floods?

Environmental Threats of Disasters

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What are typical basic needs in disasters?

Unmet Basic Needs

In REA “Unmet basic needs” we are concerned with: Basic needs which are not being met which result in survivors turning to their surrounding environment to extract from it what they need.

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Unmet Basic Needs - Tsunami

What are some of the unmet basic needs of this disaster?

Which of these may result in survivors extracting from their environment to meet their unmet needs?

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Negative EnvironmentalConsequences of Disaster Relief

UNEP Photo, Radusa refugee camp, Macedonia 1999 – Nearby Waste Disposal Area

e.g. Camps: plastic & packaging waste, waste disposal site, latrines fill up, then what?

Sanitation and water quality issues

For example, negative environmental consequences of refugee camps?

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Community Level Assessment

Identifies critical environmental issues related to the disaster from the perspective of communities and groups affected by the disaster.

Why do it? How?

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REA Rating Forms

Organizational Level Assessment Templates and Forms

“Community Level Assessment Form”

Issues Consolidation Table

Issues and Action Table

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What do we do with all data?

Module 3: Consolidation and Analysis

Consolidation and analysis of

- Organizational Level Assessment and

- Community Level Assessment

Identifies and prioritizes environmentally-linked issues involving significant immediate threat to lives, well

being and the environment

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Recovery Issues

Proposed ActionsConsolidated Issues (Urgent / immediate)

Disaster Scenario:

Recovery Issues

Proposed ActionsConsolidated Issues (Urgent / immediate)

Disaster Scenario:

Issues which do not pose an immediate threat to life, welfare or environment will need to be addressed during a longer-term recovery phase

REA Outcome: Priorities & Actions

Focus of the REA is to identify and prioritize environmental issues resulting from the disaster and disaster response which pose an IMMEDIATE threat to life, welfare or the environment

Re-design or reorient the existing relief and recovery efforts

Design new projects

Advocate for action

Identify where additional information or specialized assessment is required before deciding on actions

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Green Review of Relief Procurement

Screens procurement of relief commodities and services to minimize negative environmental

impacts.

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Green

of Relief Community

Assessment Summary Form

See Session 2.3 in your “Workbook”See Session 2.3 in your “Workbook”

+

Module IOrganization Level

Assessment

Context Statement

Factors Influencing Environmental Impacts

Environmental Threats of Disasters

Unmet Basic Needs

Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities

Task 1

Task 3

Task 4

Task 5

Task 2 Task 6

Module II

Community LevelAssessment:

Module IIIConsolidation and

Analysis

Consolidate the Issues

Identify Critical Issues and Actions

Prioritize Issues and Actions

Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities Review

Task 7

Task 8

Task 9

Module IV

Review

Procurement Act

ion

Task 11

Task 10from communities

Based on information

collected directly

or from secondary sources.

The REA:Any questions? Clarifications?

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Exercise

Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief

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Exercise Objectives

• Complete Rating Form 4 “Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities”

• Identify which relief interventions may create negative environmental consequences

• Propose general mitigation / prevention options to respond to the environmental threats

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The REA Process

Green

of Relief

Module IIIConsolidation and

Analysis

Consolidate the Issues

Identify Critical Issues and Actions

Prioritize Issues and Actions

Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities Review

Task 7

Task 8

Task 9

Module IV

Procurement Act

ion

Task 11

Task 10

Module IOrganization Level

Assessment

Context Statement

Factors Influencing Environmental Impacts

Environmental Threats of Disasters

Unmet Basic Needs

Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities

Task 1

Task 3

Task 4

Task 5

Task 2

+Task 6

Community

Assessment

Summary Form

Module II

Community LevelAssessment:

from communities

Based on information

collected directly

or from secondary sources.

Review

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This form…

…provides a way to quickly recognize and mitigate negative environmental impacts of disaster relief activities

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Negative Environmental Consequences of Disaster Relief

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What happens to all the shrink-wrap and packaging?

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Kagera, Tanzania, 1996

Firewood consumption: 1200 ton/dayForest affected: 570 km2Deforested area:167 km2

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Flooding caused by clearing forested area for temporary emergency settlement

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How to identify potential negative environmental consequences

Complete Rating Form 4

Step 1: determine if possible intervention is underway or planned.

Activity Is the activity underway or planned? (Yes or No)

Questions: Have potential negative environmental consequences been addressed?

Yes / No answer to the questions immediately to the left

Selected Avoidance or Mitigation Options

Local coping Strategies

To be added based on specific disaster conditions

Avoidance/mitigation options should be developed…

Agro-chemicals 1. Is the danger to applicators and humans…

1. Avoid or minimize use or use products…

Seeds, tools and fertilizers

1. Is the loss of agro-bio-diversity prevented..

1. Use local seeds where possible…

yes

no

yes

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How to identify potential negative environmental consequences

Step 2: determine if potential negative consequences have been addressed

Activity Is the activity underway or planned? (Yes or No)

Questions: Have potential negative environmental consequences been addressed?

Yes / No answer to the questions immediately to the left

Selected Avoidance or Mitigation Options

Local coping Strategies

To be added based on specific disaster conditions

Avoidance/mitigation options should be developed…

Agro-chemicals 1. Is the danger to applicators and humans…

1. Avoid or minimize use or use products…

Seeds, tools and fertilizers

1. Is the loss of agro-bio-diversity prevented..

1. Use local seeds where possible…

yes

no

no

yes

no

yes

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How to identify potential negative environmental consequences

Step 3: identify which of the interventions

1. should be changed to avoid negative impacts

2. need to be implemented despite negative impacts

3. should be canceled or avoided due to possible negative impacts

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An identification of negative impacts of relief assistance…

can lead to three outcomes:1. postpone or cancel relief action if it results in

environmental damage

2. change ongoing activities to incorporate environmental impact mitigation or avoidance measures

3. accept negative environmental impacts as unavoidable and preferable to no assistance

Which action is preferred?

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Exercise: Negative Environmental Consequences of Relief Activities

Objective: Identify and prioritize negative environmental consequences of relief activities

1. Turn to the instructions for this step in your handout.

2. Begin by reading the case study and reviewing the content on rating form 4.

3. Complete rating form 4 following the steps outlined earlier and making any assumptions that you must.

4. After completing the form, in your groups, select the top three priority negative environmental consequences and enter these in the corresponding section of your group’s “Issues Consolidation Table.”

15 minutes to complete15 minutes to complete