Environmental Preparedness Planning

Environmental Preparedness Planning

Including environmental considerations in the planning of emergencies preparedness

Environmental Preparedness Planning

Addressing environment as part of preparedness planning lays the foundation for its integration into humanitarian action. Preparedness planning allows various actors to come together and engage in risk mitigation, allowing synergies between fields such as land use planning, environmental protection and health, and safety protection (Alexander, 20161). Emergency planners should actively seek to involve other stakeholders in order to maximize these synergies. Inviting environmental actors to take part in the preparedness planning process, as well as assigning roles and responsibilities for them throughout response and recovery, significantly advances environmental mainstreaming.

The planning process also facilitates building trust and familiarity amongst emergency responders and environmental actors, which is especially important during an emergency. Additionally, based on risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments, the emergency plan helps to identify which capacities and resources should be produced or obtained to be able to respond to various (environmental) contingencies. If done thoroughly, the planning process is instrumental for developing the necessary capacities for managing environmental risks. Ideally, environmental factors will be mainstreamed throughout preparedness and contingency plans.

Back
to top
icon-menu icon-close icon-account icon-arrow icon-down icon-back icon-pointed-arrow icon-left icon-up icon-bookmark icon-share twitter facebook2 printer envelope icon-close-alt icon-top icon-loading icons / login