UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit – IKI Project Factsheet

This factsheet provides an overview of the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit's IKI Project, an inter-agency project which aims to strengthen climate change adaptation in target humanitarian hotspots. The project supports vulnerable communities, internally displaced people, refugees and host communities that face climate-related risks.

The projects involves three implementing countries, Burundi, Chad and Sudan. The partners involved in the project involve the United Nations World Food Programme, the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit,, UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA).

The IKI Project aims to improve understanding and integration of climate-environment risk planning. It aims to improve clean energy access, proper waste management and encourage reforestation. It also aims to empower communities on a local level so they have the capacity to address the impacts of climate change.

Download the factsheet here.

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Evaluating Climate Vulnerability in Humanitarian Hotspots

This study, conducted in 2019, focuses on the definition of climate vulnerability with operational and political perspectives and delivers guidelines for assessing climate vulnerability in long-term crises, such as in conflict-affected countries and recurrent disaster-prone areas.

The research draws on an extensive academic literature review in the fields of biology, political science, sociology and geography. It derives data from a variety of innovative projects and methods in the field of development and humanitarian aid, induced and encouraged by the Grand Bargain. In addition, the research offers a contribution to the IKI Project carried out by the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit in the refugee camp of Gitega Province in Burundi.

The study is available in French only. Read More

Remote Sensing for Risk Analyses in Fragile Contexts

This study, conducted in 2020, sheds light on a variety of potentials and pitfalls of remote sensing for disaster risk analyses in fragile contexts. This topic gains importance in light of the need to formulate more systemic and better-integrated approaches to risk-informed development. Evidence-based policy recommendations encourage organizational learning and action such as resource pooling, project evaluation and multi-stakeholder cooperation.

The research reveals cutting-edge practical experiences from a dozen in-depth expert interviews, including the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit and UN-SPIDER, the aerospace community NASA, DLR and Maxar, the German development agency GIZ and civil protection authority BBK. Supported by an extensive body of interdisciplinary literature, this work offers a contribution to understanding ambiguous feedback effects of digital technologies in dynamic environments.

The study is available in English only. Read More

Reducing environmental impact in humanitarian response – Sphere Thematic Sheet

Sphere recently published a new resource that offers hands-on guidance to practitioners looking to consider environmental issues in their humanitarian programmes. It is the first in a series of thematic sheets that will discuss some of the core issues in humanitarian response.

[caption id="attachment_2417" align="aligncenter" width="633"] Photo: Kate Holt/IRIN[/caption]

To understand what a thematic sheet is and discuss environmental issues for humanitarians more broadly, Sphere talked to the author, Amanda George. A humanitarian professional with extensive experience in environmental and sustainability issues and climate change adaptation, she was directly involved in drafting the Sphere Handbook as a thematic expert, engaged through the Swedish Red Cross.

She is currently an international Environment in Humanitarian Action consultant, working closely with the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit.

To read the full interview with Amanda George, click here.

To download the Sphere Environment Thematic Sheet, choose from the four languages below:

English - Thematic Sheet Environment;

French - Thematic Sheet Environment;

Arabic - Thematic Sheet Environment;

Spanish - Thematic Sheet Environment. Read More