VEHA

VEHA

Guidance

Virtual Environmental and Humanitarian Adviser Tool – (VEHA Tool) is a tool
to easily integrate environmental considerations in humanitarian response. Field Implementation guidances are useful for the design and execution of humanitarian activities in the field.

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VEHA - Field Implementation Guidance

Welcome
Nutrition
Management of wasting
Management of acute malnutrition
Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition through RUSF

Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition through RUSF

Context

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

Hunger and malnutrition are rampant among refugees, displaced populations, and people living in humanitarian emergencies. Many of them suffer from one or more of the multiple forms of malnutrition.

This is often connected to overuse of, damage to, or conflict over natural resources, and can also force people into unsustainable use of natural resources as they compete for food, nutrition, and cooking fuels.

Malnutrition is also increasingly being affected by the impacts of climate change – changing temperatures, temperature extremes, storms, rainfall patterns, and crop pest and disease spread.

Implications
Gender, age, disability and HIV/AIDS implications

RUSF is used for the management of Moderate Acute Malnourished (MAM) children of 6-59 months of age.

Impacts

Environmental Impact Categories

Air pollution
Soil pollution
Water pollution
Deforestation
Desertification

Eutrophication
Climate change
Loss of biodiversity and ecosystems
Natural resource depletion
Soil erosion
Noise pollution
Cultural acceptance
Impact on wellbeing / mental health
Increased drought/flood

Summary of Impacts
Summary of Potential environmental impacts
  • Provision and use of Ready to Use Supplementary Food, whilst life-saving, can harm the environment or expose affected people to environmental risks, which can ultimately drive further subsequent malnutrition.
  • Air, water, and soil pollution can be caused by the accumulation of waste and spills from piled wasted items. Waste can be caused by the provision of items that are unfamiliar or unwanted. Accumulation of packaging may result in contamination of waters sources and end up in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. This can lead to disease spread and cause harm to flora, fauna, and ecosystems.
  • Provision of RUSF can cause local or displaced unsustainable use of natural resources and unsustainable transport and logistics practices.
Impact detail
Detailed potential environmental impact information
  • Distribution of RUSF items, whilst life-saving, can have negative effects on the environment, or expose affected people to environmental risks if activities are not well planned or the needs and behaviour of individuals and communities are not appropriately assessed. This can ultimately drive further subsequent malnutrition. When delivered items do not match with the cultural preferences of affected communities, items may be unused and may be discarded. Also, when items are used but the resulting waste is not properly managed by people accumulation of waste can occur in places that have limited waste management and recycling capabilities and wasted items can be disposed of by open burning, causing air pollution. Improper disposal and management of breastmilk substitutes waste can harbour disease vectors. For example, ready-to-use infant formula in liquid form will have individual packaging, thus, increasing the amount of waste per user.
  • Air, water, and soil pollution can be caused by accumulation of waste and spills from piled wasted items. Waste can be caused through provision of items that are unfamiliar or unwanted. Accumulation of packaging may result in contamination of waters sources and end up in rivers, lakes and the ocean. This can lead to disease spread and cause harm to flora, fauna and ecosystems.
  • Provision of RUSF can cause local or displaced unsustainable use of natural resources and unsustainable transport and logistics practices.

Guidance

Summary
Summary of environmental activities

The following activities can reduce the environmental impact of RUSF support:

  • Source all ingredients, fuel, packaging, utensils from sustainable sources.
  • Source locally with no plastic packaging if quality can be assured
  • Store and transport products to minimise the risk of deterioration
  • Remove excess packaging
  • Encourage families to return solid waste
  • Plan efficient distribution routes, using efficient vehicles and driving methods
  • Raise awareness of environmental drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition and of the impacts of climate change.
Detail
Detailed guidance for implementing suggested environmental activities
  • Source all ingredients, fuel, packaging, utensils from sustainable sources. This should be locally produced if quality can be assured. Locally sourced RUSF can use fresh ingredients and avoid plastic packaging where transport and storage are minimal so quality can be ensured. Store and transport products well so as to minimise the risk of deterioration.
  • Remove all excess packaging prior to distribution. Provide facilities for families to return solid waste to you so it is less likely to be burned or discarded in a way that causes pollution.
  • Plan efficient delivery/distribution routes, using efficient vehicles, with drivers trained inefficient driving methods.
  • The GNC has the experience and technical material in inter-sector programming for nutrition which can be leveraged with a strengthened environmental lens. The GNC -TA also has a sub-working group on Wasting Prevention. FAO is working on a paper on “Climate change, biodiversity, and nutrition nexus”
  • Raise awareness of environmental drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition and of the impacts of climate change on food security and malnutrition, and on steps, people can take to become more resilient
Lessons Learnt
Lessons from past experiences

In South Sudan, Humanitarian agencies provided nutritional supplement feeding and found that over time waste was accumulating on land and in watercourses, causing pollution. Agencies responded by setting up feeding centers and removing packaging prior to distribution where possible; providing safe comfortable feeding areas and encouraging their use, followed by encouragement to return all waste packaging prior to leaving the feeding center.

Activity Measurement
Environmental indicators/monitoring examples
  • #RUSF items sourced sustainably locally
  • %of RUSF packaging reduction
Priority
Activity Status
Medium
Main Focus
Focus of suggested activities

Prevention of environmental damage

Implications
Resource implications (physical assets, time, effort)
  • Time and budget to procure RUSF sustainably (and locally without plastic packaging if possible).
  • Time to plan and implement effective solid waste management and to support families in understanding and reducing environmental impacts.
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