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Tools and ResourcesWith a focus on assessment methods and

Emergency Shelter EIA & Action Checklist

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Focus of this Session

• Community-based rapid assessment methods

• How to use the Emergency Shelter Environmental Impact Assessment and Action Checklist

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What do disaster assessments determine?

• The impact that a hazard had on a society

• The needs and priorities for immediate emergency measures to save and sustain the lives of survivors

• The resources available

• The possibilities for facilitating and expediting longer-term recovery and development

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Quick Exercise: Rapid Information collection methods

– Brainstorm a list of rapid information collection methods that can be used in disaster assessments.

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Observe and assess:

• Physical conditions of surroundings

• Damages

• Condition of crops and livestock

• Collect information on relevant infrastructure, supplies and activities

Direct Observation

UNFPA photo

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Fly Overs

USAID: flooded river in AfghanistanNOAA Minnesota River flooding 2001

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Key Informants

• Individuals who can provide needed information, ideas and insights

• Based on semi-structured interview guides

• Informal atmosphere

• Diverse set of informants: government, private entrepreneurs, traders, community leaders, women of different ages & occupations

Photo:MDG Report, Bangladesh

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Group Interviews

Interactions generate new ideas and insights

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Household Interviews

• Sometimes segregated according to gender or livelihood group

http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pakistan/img/assets/4467/usaid_05071801_180.jpg

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Community Meetings

• Public meetings open to all community membersto discuss needs and projects

http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/econhd/2002/kirshen/img29.html

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Other Assessment Reports?

It is also possible to extract information from other legitimate disaster assessment reports

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Issues to consider: Inclusion

USAID photo- Algeria, post-earthquake 2002a

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Reaching Urban, Isolated, or Elderly Community Members

UNHCR Chad reugee camp http://www.unrefugees.org/emergency.cfm

Pakistan Earthquake, 2005

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Emergency Shelter Environmental Impact Assessment

and Action Checklist

Identifying Critical Environmental Considerations in Shelter Site

Selection, Construction, Management and Decommissioning

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The Emergency Shelter EIA and Action Checklist provides emergency shelter project managers and field staff a means to:

• Quickly assess shelter-related environmental impacts and,

• Quickly identify practical local actions to address these impacts.

Its purpose…

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The Checklist is explicitly design for emergency and transitional shelter

situations

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The Checklist focuses on four stages in the shelter life cycle:

1. Selection of the shelter site

2. Construction of buildings and infrastructure on the site,

3. Management of the site while it is occupied, and

4. Decommissioning (closing) of a sitewhen it is no longer needed.

Form 1

Form 2

Form 3

Form 4

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Six steps are required to complete each form

Step One: Complete the information at the top of the form

Step Two: Answer the question in the first column of each form with a yes or no.

Step Three: Circle the appropriate answer to the question in the second column

Step Four: Refer to the 3rd column (Guidance) to determine whether the yes or no answer identifies a potential environment-linked issue (“If the answer is…”).

Step Five: If the answer does identify an environmental issue, then review the guidance in the 3rd and 4th columns as to what actions should be taken to address the issue.

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Step Six

If actions do need to be taken to address an environmental issue, use the 5th column to:

• Describe the action to be taken• Who will take the action• When the action will be completed

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Emergency Shelter Site Selection Checklist

Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions & Comments

Has the community near or surrounding the site been consulted about the site selection?

Yes/No

IF NOCommunities near or surrounding the site should be involved in the site selection process.

ALNAP Global Study: Participation by Affected Populations in Humanitarian Action: Practitioner Handbook

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Shelter Site Construction Checklist

Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions & Comments

Does the site physical plan meet the requirements set out in Sphere?

Yes/No

IF NOReview and incorporate appropriate Sphere standards into the site plan (see the Sphere web site for information on Sphere).

Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards, Chapters 1 to 5,

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Shelter Site Management Checklist

Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions & Comments

Is there a site management plan?

Yes/No

IF NODevelop a site management plan.

transitional settlement: displaced populations (part b), Chapter 8: Camps and Chapter 6: Construction.

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Shelter Site Decommissioning Checklist

Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions & Comments

Is there a site decommis-sioning plan?

Yes/No

IF NODevelop a decommis-sioning plan.

Camp Management Toolkit, Norwegian Refugee Council (2004), Chapter 18: Camp Closure

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A word about transect walks

• Transect walks are walks which PLA teams take around the community in order to observe the people, surroundings and resources. Transect walks are therefore spatial data gathering tools

• Draw a “transect line” through a map of all zones of the community in order to provide a representative view.

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Field Exercise

Place a photo here from the site you will visit

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Assignment for today

• Form teams of 4 – 6 participants

• Interview key informants at your site

• Make a transect walk through the community

• Make direct observations of environmental-related conditions – Photograph them

• Completely fill out Form 3, Shelter Site Management Checklist

See Handout 2.4.1

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Assignment for tomorrow

• Report which questions on the checklist resulted in the identification of environmental issues and recommendations.

• Be prepared to prioritize those recommendations.

• Please use graphics in your presentation. (Photos, Pictures, Drawings, Maps, Satellite images…)

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Team assignments

Determine:• Who is the Team Leader?• Who is taking notes?• Who is translating?• Who is monitoring the gender perspective?

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Remember!

• Please be respectful of the community where we are going for the field trip

• We are their guests

• They are doing us a favor by allowing us to visit their community.