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.
Related Articles
Situation Analysis
A situation analysis following a crisis typically looks at key crisis drivers, affected areas, the number and type of affected people, the ways in which people are affected, the most urgent needs and available capacities.
Assessments
Assessing the environmental consequences of an emergency and prioritizing the response actions based on the needs, forms the foundation of a coherent, efficient and sustainable humanitarian response.
Response and Recovery Planning
Environment is included into response plans in order to improve programme quality and accountability to disaster-affected people.
Implementation
Successful integration of environment into the implementation of humanitarian response requires that environment be included into preparedness and planning phases, but also effective coordination with national actors.
Response Monitoring
Response monitoring is about creating evidence for humanitarian actors about what actions should be taken to address shortcomings and fill gaps in in the response, with the aim of improving accountability towards affected populations, local government, donors and the general public.
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