Minimising harm

VEHA - Field Implementation Guidance

Welcome

Logistics

Transport

Transport operations

Minimising harm

Context

Overview

Environmental factors causing/contributing to the needs and affecting the humanitarian activity

Legal and regulatory requirements are often weak or poorly enforced in countries vulnerable to humanitarian crises. This can mean that environmental hazards are greater and the environment is more fragile to the impacts of pollution and transport activities.

Implications

Gender, age, disability and HIV/AIDS implications

Promote equality of opportunity and inclusion for drivers, technicians, and logisticians including minorities and people living with disabilities.

Impacts

Environmental impact categories

Air pollution
Soil pollution
Water pollution
Climate change

Summary of Impacts

Summary of potential environmental impacts

· Vehicle greenhouse gas emissions
· Soil and water pollution from fuel spills or inappropriate vehicle washing
· Wear and tear/erosion of roads, especially unpaved roads
· Waste and pollution

Impact detail

Detailed potential environmental impact information

Carbon footprint of transport methods and the use of fossil fuels for the production of sourced items or the life cycle of the packaging;

Poor or non-existent waste management and recycling at point of distribution;
Inefficient, polluting driving practices.

Lack of facilities to maintain goods or to return, recycle or repurpose them once their initial purpose has ended.

Guidance

Summary

Summary of environmental activities

Ensure that risks affecting personnel, communities, and the environment are included in the risk analysis.

Assess environmental impacts of

transport and reduce.
Train transporters on environmental sustainability and reducing environmental impacts of transport.

Plan for reverse logistics when required to deal with hazardous materials, recycling of goods and packaging, and obsolete equipment or unused commodities.

Detail

Detailed guidance for implementing suggested environmental activities

Ensure that risks affecting personnel, communities, and the environment are included in the risk analysis. Implement the measures required to minimise and mitigate such risks.

Organise briefing sessions and training for transporters to sensitise them to environmental and protection topics.

Assess environmental impacts of transport and reduce.

Train transporters on environmental sustainability and reducing environmental impacts of transport.

Plan for reverse logistics when required to deal with hazardous materials, recycling of goods and packaging, and obsolete equipment or unused commodities.

Basic ways of minimising potential negative transport impacts on the environment can include:

· using criteria based on environmental considerations when selecting the most appropriate transport means and planning routes: carbon footprint, the use of fossil fuels or the life cycle of the packaging;

· considering waste management and recycling as selection criteria when planning and identifying packaging alternatives for transport;

· training on low-emission driving practices.

In addition, some products may have to come back or go to another location to be reused or disposed of properly (when no recycling facility is available locally). Transportation and reverse logistics processes can contribute to recapturing the value of these items or reducing the environmental burden in crisis-affected places.

The opportunity given by casual visits and the imbalance of power between transporters and the population we serve make the latter (and especially, but not only, women and girls) highly vulnerable to abusive practices such as sexual exploitation and abuse.

Basic considerations to minimise these practices can include:

· transparency and a clear exchange of information with the transport service providers;

· inclusion of specific terms in the transport contract, in line with sector-wide safeguarding principles;

· a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of exploitation and abuse, and a requirement to have relevant safeguarding policies and practices in place (including requiring suppliers to do everything in their power to prevent it from happening) and to rigorously address and report safeguarding concerns as they arise;

· sensitisation sessions on safeguarding requirements and power balances;

· accessible, safe, and confidential complaint mechanisms;

· the inclusion of specific safeguarding risks in risk assessment and mitigation documents.

Lessons Learnt

Lessons from past experiences

Independent monitoring of agencies responding to the Nepal earthquake found that drivers all came from the same caste and gender.

When this was highlighted, action was taken to improve diversity. This brought an additional benefit of diverse contribution to local knowledge, customs, and even engagement with beneficiaries and understanding of the local environment.