Disaster Preparedness

Disaster Preparedness

Environment in emergency response preparedness

Guidance for Preparedness

Top tips for including the environment in emergency response preparedness

  1. Be aware of the environmental context you are working in:
    1. Type of ecosystems, their health and livelihood functions – with emphasis on the affected population
    2. Assess and prioritize the risks posed to, and from, the environment, including from slow-onset changes such as climate change
  2. Develop and maintain cross-sectoral early warning and alert systems
  3. Engage environmental actors and communities in the emergency preparedness planning process, including in trainings, exercises and drills
  4. Develop capacities at relevant levels:
    1. for responding to environmental emergencies
    2. for addressing environment in recovery

Linkages between ecosystem services and human well-being

Key Activities

1.

Environmental Situation Analysis

Understanding the current and potential future environmental conditions of a region is essential for an efficient and sustainable response

2.

Assessments

Risk analysis provides a common understanding and prioritization of risks, and should include existing environmental conditions and threats

3.

Environmental Preparedness Planning

Addressing environment as part of preparedness planning lays the foundation for its integration into humanitarian action.

4.

Risk Awareness

Communicating risks effectively to populations and communities is essential for people to be able to be better prepared and to reduce the damaging impacts of hazards.

5.

Institutional and Legal System

Policies supported by institutional frameworks and legal arrangements make up the disaster risk management framework. In order to systematically integrate environmental concerns in humanitarian action, one must consider the institutional arrangements governing disaster preparedness, response, recovery and emergency funding.

6.

Risk Monitoring

An understanding of evolving risks is fundamental to a timely and effective response. The analysis of disaster risks informs the planning of a response, while monitoring ensures that the process is responsive to changing contexts

7.

Information and Data Sharing

Information management services support humanitarian actors in gathering, analyzing and disseminating key information about a humanitarian situation.

8.

Capacity and Resource Base

It is important to identify and close gaps between existing resources and anticipated emergency response needs. In preparedness, this entails an assessment of the current disaster risk management system and its available resources as well as capacities.

9.

Response Coordination Mechanisms

Environmental actors are assigned specific roles and responsibilities within the response, and interact with other responders within existing coordination mechanisms.

10.

Training and Exercises

Including environmental considerations in disaster response exercises and trainings encourages exchange among actors and lays the foundation for a sustainable response.

Back
to top
icon-menu icon-close icon-account icon-arrow icon-down icon-back icon-pointed-arrow icon-left icon-up icon-bookmark icon-share twitter facebook2 printer envelope icon-close-alt icon-top icon-loading icons / login