Guidance for Resource Mobilization in Sudden Onset Emergencies

How to mobilize resources for sudden onset emergency response and recovery

• Funding requests for environmental activities in sudden onset disasters must be linked to broader programming goals and strive to save and sustain lives. All requests should focus on these overarching objectives in order to justify environmental spending, and will also have a higher chance of securing funding.
• Environmental activities should be budgeted into proposals based upon the findings of initial assessments using tools like the NEAT+. Technical and budget staff need to collaborate closely. Environmental costs do not necessarily stand alone but can be integrated into relevant sectors such as infrastructure, water or agriculture. The following questions will help identify environmental costs:
  • Do you need further environmental assessments?
  • What environmental staffing and training do you need?
  • What field visits do you need?
  • What equipment and supplies are needed, e.g. water testing kits, vegetation for erosion control, waste management costs?
• The benefits of addressing key environmental issues should be highlighted to donors and clusters, underlining the links between environment, community resilience, risk reduction and conflict drivers and highlighting how the accountability and sustainability of humanitarian action can be improved.
  • Key environmental considerations that can be relevant to include, depending on the context, are the state of natural resources (specifically water resources), natural hazard risks, disaster waste, hazardous pollution and human-wildlife conflicts.
• One of the most effective environmental mainstreaming strategies is when donors tie restrictive environmental criteria to funding. Such a ‘hard mechanism’ ensures greater environmental consideration on the side of the recipient agency.
  • Donors should integrate environmental concerns systematically in the analysis of programme proposals, and consider the inclusion of environmental markers or safeguards into their policies.
  • Best practice for donors is to have an environmental mainstreaming policy for humanitarian funding, as is often the case for development funding
    • For instance, under Principle 9, the Good Humanitarian Donorship recognizes the importance of supporting sustainable livelihoods and linking humanitarian assistance to development.
• Evidence produced by environmental assessments and the inclusion of environmental concerns in response plans makes fundraising for environmental matters easier.