Scoping Study: Coordinated Assessment for Environmental and Humanitarian Action

This scoping report provides a situational analysis, outlining the challenges and providing draft recommendations regarding the use of environmental assessment tools, with focus on the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters (REA)." Read More

Climate Change and Health: An Urgent New Frontier for Humanitarianism

A policy briefing provided by the international research collaboration The Lancet Countdown, offering an updated analysis of the intersection of climate change and global health. The briefing integrates the findings of the 2018 Lancet Countdown on Climate Change’s International Report with MSF’s documented on-the-ground experiences. Read More

UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit Factsheet

Factsheet summarizing the work conducted by the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit in its role to coordinate expertise for environmental emergencies and integrating environment in humanitarian action. Read More

World Agroforestry: Restoring Natural Capital Through Tree-Based Interventions to Deduce Social Tensions in Humanitarian Settings

This document published by World Agroforestry details its initiative in Northern Uganda landscapes. The initiative focused on identifying potential tree-based approaches to protecting and restoring the ecoystem and assessing the enablers for fast-tracking ecosystem restoration in Rhino Camp and Imvepi settlements. 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

FAO – Rapid Assessment of Natural Resources Degradation in Areas Impacted by the South Sudan Refugee Influx in Northern Uganda

A technical report on the rapid diagnostic assessment of land and natural resources degradation in Uganda undertaken by the FAO in collaboration with the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) in 2018. Read More

Research Article – Impacts of Forests on Children’s Diet in Rural Areas Across 27 Developing Countries

A research study looking at the impacts of forests on diet. The results indicates that forests could help reduce vitamin A and iron deficiencies and the study establishes the causal relationship between forests and diet, thus strengthening the incentives for integrating forest conservation and management

into nutrition interventions. Read More

Reducing Environmental Impacts of Vector Control Chemicals in Emergencies

Disasters can create environments in which vectors can increase dramatically and spread diseases. However, the chemicals most commonly used to dispose of these vectors can damage the environment and health. This paper provides guidance on how to create post-disaster sanitary efforts that remove the amount of vectors. Read More

WHO UNFCCC – Climate and Health Country Profile Project

The WHO UNFCCC Climate and Health Country Profile Project provides country-specific estimates of current and future climate hazards. It also identifies the effects of climate change on human health and identifies mitigation and policy change actions. The data is collected via biennial surveys and was completed in 2017. Read More

The Knowledge Hub on Health and Migration

The Knowledge Hub on Health and Migration is a joint effort committed to building expertise on the public health aspects of migration and making information in this area widely available. The Hub provides tool kits, training materials, reports and schooling to better prepare for the health needs which arise during large-scale migration events. Read More

Moving Energy Initiative

The Moving Energy Initiative is an initiative which seeks to integrate clean energy in displacement settings with the help of original research. The Initiative provides reports and tool kits which details the costs, risks and benefits of various energy systems when organizing cooking, power and future sustainability in refugee camps. Read More

Moving Energy Initiative (MEI) – Infrastructure Management Contracts: Improving Energy Asset Management in Displacement Settings

This paper highlights a number of options for managing electricity infrastructure in refugee camps. It outlines the challenges, opportunities and operational implications associated with them using the Kalobeyei settlement in Kenya as a case study. Read More