Local environmental conditions can affect the mode of transport visiting teams use to travel between locations. Local environmental conditions will also significantly affect the types of infections/outbreaks that may occur in a country and therefore the equipment and resources a team may bring with them.

Changing climate and local environmental degradation will also influence the types of infections / diseases that a location is susceptible to.

Ensure traditions are safeguarded if needed, such as different transportation vehicles for men and women.

Air pollution
Natural Resource depletion

• Additional visiting staff can increase local air pollution from long-distance travel and if additional travel is required
• Increased potential for air, water, soil pollution, and solid waste production.

• Travel and transportation required to move the staff between different locations cause air pollution, this includes the transportation necessary for international staff/ex-pats.
• Visiting personnel tend to have quite intense impacts on a local environment, through increased international and local travel, local consumption, and creating waste that may not be possible to process locally.

Use of local staff and minimise transports when possible

• When recruiting or relocating staff, the environmental impacts of transportation and energy used need to be considered. Pollution due to travel, consumption, energy use, waste creation can normally be reduced through employing staff locally instead of international staff/ex-pats.
• Require staff to maximise vehicle sharing to reduce vehicle environmental impacts.
• Be aware of the displacement and departure of healthcare workers during the conflict.
• Promoting and enabling the use of public transportation and non-motorized transportation (cycling and
  walking) for staff as well as for patients and visitors.

The FCDO in responding to the Global Covid-19 response used returning staff repatriation flights to bring medical teams into countries, including Bangladesh. This both helped with the pandemic response and also reduced emissions from separate flights.

# of successful investigation teams

• Prevention of environmental damage
• Mitigation of environmental damage
• Environmental enhancement

Additional time to assess and mitigate the impacts