UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Latin America and Caribbean Office have developed a policy paper setting out the response services that UNEP can offer in the region. Both through continuing support to ongoing emergencies and response to new requests for support from governments and other UN agencies, UNEP will focus support on: Read More
These two documents from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)Â provides guidance for governments seeking to develop, review or strengthen their national chemical accidents prevention and preparedness programme.
UNEP is leading an international initiative to promote chemical accident prevention and preparedness. The initiative focuses on the development and implementation of a Flexible Framework for Chemical Accident Prevention and a Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness. Both offering guidance for governments wanting to develop, review or strengthen their national chemical accidents prevention and preparedness programme.
UNEP informs that almost every country experiences chemical accidents each year, occurring both at small facilities such as pesticide warehouses and large installations such as refineries, at public facilities (including water treatment plants using chlorine or private manufacturing facilities for the chemical, pharmaceutical, and consumer products industries), in urban settings and industrial parks or in rural areas where there might be mining operations or refrigeration facilities.
Find more information about the guidance on Flexible Framework for Chemical Accident Prevention and the brochure on Flexible Framework for Addressing Chemical Accident Prevention and Preparedness on the Environmental Emergencies Centre (EEC) here
Download the brochure here and the guidance here
Browse through the COVID-19-Cluster's page to find the latest updates and relevant information about how the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 impacts clusters. Find links to the general global updates on COVID-19, guidelines linked to the clusters, protection guidelines, webinars, among others. Read More
This note from the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week at the International Conference Center, Geneva on 7 February 2020 provides a summary of discussions and further actions to consider arising from a session on Asbestos and Humanitarian Response - a Life-Threatening Humanitarian Challenge includes key concepts of reducing the risk of asbestos in post-disaster operations. Read More
Developed as part of the RCRC Green Response initiative, these guidelines provide practical, sector specific information on how to better manage solid waste to improve emergency response operations. Key concepts and best practices in solid waste management are presented, Read More
The global battery market is estimated at USD 120 billion per year. 800,000 tonnes of automotive batteries, 190,000 tonnes of industrial batteries, and 160,000 tonnes of consumer batteries enter the European Union yearly. Proper disposal of batteries is essential because they contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel Read More
Lighting is defined as all the equipment whose primary function is to provide electric light.The global lighting market was valued at around USD 73 billion in 2011 and it is expected to exceed USD 100 billion by 2020.
However, most lights contain valuable and toxic metals that may leach into soils/waterways and take up space if disposed of in landfills. Read More
The term E-waste covers items of all types of electrical and electronic equipment and its parts that have been discarded by the owner as waste without the intention of reuse. This diverse and fast growing E-waste stream is often categorized as hazardous waste due to the presence of toxic metals, such as mercury and lead, and other hazardous substances. Read More
The UNEP division of Technology, Industry and Economics International Environmental Technology Centre has written a compendium which outlines the process of technology selection in the health-care sector based on UNEP's Sustainable Assessment of Technologies (SAT) methodology. Read More
This provides an overview of the Environmental Emergencies Centre an online tool designed to strengthen the capacities of national responders and humanitarians to respond to environmental dimensions of emergencies. Read More
This factsheet provides an overview of the five different eLearning modules on the environmental dimensions of disaster prevention, preparedness and response, hosted by the Environmental Emergencies Learning Centre.The courses aim to minimize the human and environmental harm caused by environmental emergencies through strengthened skills and knowledge. Read More
This preliminary scoping study, led by USAID's BHA in collaboration with a technical advisory group of humanitarian assistance stakeholders, is based on consultations with forty-seven organizations across the humanitarian, environmental, academic, and private sectors and provides a preliminary analysis of the environmental risks and challenges related to humanitarian packaging, Read More