Resilience

Resilience

The links between resilience and the environment

Resilience

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Resilience refers to the ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management (UNISDR, 20171).

Resilience and resilient livelihoods are becoming an increasing priority for both humanitarian and development actors as a means to reduce the frequency and intensity of disasters and the amount of people affected by disasters. However, the best means to building resilience can be difficult to identify. While there clearly is a material and resource component to resilience, it also heavily depends on, amongst others, the wider human-environment interaction, existing capacities and social support systems, and the interplay of access to power structures, social organizations, and the institutional and legal system. In addition, a healthy and sustainable environment is fundamental to the resilience of societies. No system can be resilient if it operates in an unsustainable way that degrades the very basis upon which that system fundamentally relies. Degraded ecosystems are key drivers of vulnerability and can impair livelihood activities. Natural capital and healthy ecosystems are therefore key characteristics of a resilient community (see for example IFRC Framework for Community Resilience).

Environmental stewardship during humanitarian action reduces secondary hazard risk and conflict drivers, e.g. through improved natural resource management, thereby preventing to further undermine the resilience of disaster affected populations. Avoiding damage to ecosystems as best as possible is vital to not diminish the existing asset base of communities. Preserving natural productive capital of affected populations and linking humanitarian action to immediate livelihood support can reduce vulnerabilities and improve the social, economic and ecological systems and structures that are critical for the resilience of communities. Integrated thinking and approaches to risk, the environment, as well as human well-being and livelihoods is necessary to adequately build resilience. Improved coordination of the humanitarian-development nexus and new partnerships to harness existing knowledge and experience will help to increase capacities where needed.

Preparedness and recovery interventions are good entry points for building resilience. Key elements of resilience include:

Resources

Tool

CARE: Resilience Marker

CARE's Resilience Marker is a tool that allows teams to self-assess how well resilience has been integrated into their work. It supports CARE members, affiliates, country offices, and partners with assessing projects, programmes and the overall portfolio.

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Tool

CDEMA, IFRC & UNDP – Early Warning System Toolkit

The Early Warning Systems Toolkit is an information resource for sector practitioners, policy and decision makers which can assist in developing and/or strengthening early warning systems for hydro-meteorological and coastal hazards within the Caribbean context. The Toolkit is a compilation of guidance and operational documents in an online platform.

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Tool

Quantifying Sustainability in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters (QSAND)

QSAND is a self-assessment tool to promote and inform sustainable approaches to relief, recovery and reconstruction after a natural disaster.

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Report / Study

Environment and Humanitarian Action: Increasing Effectiveness, Sustainability and Accountability

A study about the integration of environmental considerations in humanitarian action and recommended action to improve its effectiveness, accountability, and sustainability.

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Guideline

Operational Guidelines and Field Manual on Human Rights Protection in Situations of Natural Disaster

These guidelines help people in the field to understand the human rights dimensions of their work in disaster response while giving them practical examples and operational steps about how some of these seemingly abstract concepts may be implemented.

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Guideline

IASC Operational Guidelines on the Protection of Persons in Natural Disasters

The IASC Guidelines promote a rights-based approach in situations of natural disasters by laying out operational guidelines for humanitarian responders…

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Tool

Glossary of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Terminology

WHO has conducted a Glossary that aims to enable all actors, sectors and communities to work together more efficiently. The glossary is developed to remedy the lack of standardized terminology in the field of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM).

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Case Study

Remote Sensing for Risk Analyses in Fragile Contexts

This study, conducted in 2020, sheds light on a variety of potentials and pitfalls of remote sensing for disaster risk analyses in fragile contexts. This topic gains importance in light of the need to formulate more systemic and better-integrated approaches to risk-informed development. Evidence-based policy recommendations encourage organizational learning and…

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Humanitarian Needs Overview – Annex III – Developing an environmentally sensitive HNO

Download the two page annex here. Integrating environmental considerations…

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Tool

The Knowledge Hub on Health and Migration

The Knowledge Hub on Health and Migration is a joint effort committed to building expertise on the public health aspects of migration and makingĂ‚ information in this area widely available. The Hub provides tool kits, training materials, reports and schooling to better prepare for the health needs which arise during…

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Report / Study

Protection in Natural Disasters

The Brookings Bern Project on Internal Displacement paper discusses differences and similarities in the protection of people affected by natural disasters and by conflict, delineates some of the obstacles to effective protection, and describes a framework for protection response, the Inter Agency Standing Committee's Operational Guidelines on Human Rights in…

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Report / Study

Wetlands International – Water Shocks: Wetlands and Human Migration in the Sahel

A Wetlands International report on the situation of wetlands and human migration in the Sahel.

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Report / Study

UNHCR, The Environment & Climate Change Report

A UNHCR publication covering topics such as the impacts of climate change on displacement, climate change, armed conflict as well as the role and challenges of the work of UNHCR.

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Policy Document

GFMC Report – Vegetation Fires and Global Change

Challenges for Concerted International Actors - A White Paper directed to the United Nations and International Organizations.

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