Guidance for Assessments in Sudden Onset Emergencies

How to assess environmental consequences for sudden onset emergency response and recovery

• Include environmental assessments as an integral component of the disaster assessment phase. Conduct an environmental assessment as soon as possible after the disaster even if the environmental consequences do not seem obvious.
  • Make use of cluster and/or sector meetings to collect and share information, to raise awareness for cluster-specific environmental issues and to create a sense of joint responsibility for dealing with the issues after they are identified in the assessment phase.
  • Include key environmental considerations in joint assessments such as the Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) when assessing the crisis impact. This is the type of information gathered as part of the Situational Analysis. Information could include:
    • Are there any environmental issues that can be considered drivers of the crisis, e.g. soil degradation causing landslides?
    • What are the main environmental impacts and risks that might negatively impact the conditions of affected populations? Table 2, page 7, of the Handbook for Estimating the Socio-economic and Environmental Effects for Disasters lists various effects of natural hazards on physical, biotic and perceptual environments
  • Conduct a specific environmental assessment as soon as is practical after a warning or start of a disaster:
    • To assess environmental issues affecting the disaster wide context conduct a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (REA).
    • To assess environmental sensitivities and potential impacts of specific humanitarian project interventions, conduct a NEAT+ environmental screening.
    • If operating in a refugee setting, see Module II and III of UNHCR’s FRAME for environmental assessments in refugee-related operations and the How To Guide for environmental assessments in protracted crises.
    • If there is a threat of release of hazardous substances from infrastructure or industry, conduct a rapid assessment using the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT) and share information with the local authorities.
    • Engage in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) if it is taking place, by providing information on environmental impacts and needs, such as restoration activities.
• Invite environmental actors to participate in environmental assessments.
  • For environmental actors: Proactively engage humanitarian country teams or cluster coordinators to offer assistance on environmental assessments.
• Know how and where to request additional environmental expertise if necessary – consider the host government and national organizations for expertise. For details on how to request international assistance see the Environmental Emergencies Guidelines.
• Pay attention to the communities’ perceptions of environmental issues and concerns.
  • The REA includes a community assessment to capture the environmental concerns and needs of disaster affected people.
  • Document community concerns about environmental issues as part of any needs assessments.
• For donors: Make environmental assessments a donor requirement to ensure their systematic integrating in humanitarian programming.
• Although this guidance relates to external assistance, it is important to look into the role that the host country government will play in the environmental assessment process and what environmental impact assessment laws and regulations exist (these may be exempt in emergency contexts).