1. Environmental Impact Analysis and Shelter Activities
C. Kelly, REA Project
and
David Stone, FRAME Project
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

2. Objectives
Briefly discuss 3 tools available to analyze the environmental impacts of shelter activities.
Raise moral and ethical obligations, policy and best practice with respect to the environment and shelter activities.
Identity gaps and needs for additional training and tools for disaster EIAs focusing on shelter.
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

3. The Problem Environmental conditions can contribute to disasters.
Disasters can result in negative environmental impacts.
Relief aid can have positive or negative environmental impact.
Failing to corporate environmental impact assessment into shelter activities can result in “building back worse”, with increased hardship and risk to the disaster survivors.
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

4. Key Origins Post-Disaster Shelter Environmental Impacts
Rapid and significant replacement of resources lost in a disaster. Replacement of resources accumulated over years in 2-3 years.
Minimal reuse/recycling in the project approach.
Changes in land use and occupation patterns: Transitional and Permanent Shelter.
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

5. Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters (REA) Components
Four “Tools”:
Organization Level Assessment
Community Level Assessment
Consolidation and Analysis
4. Green Emergency Procurement Checklist
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

6. The Environmental Impact Review of Shelter Checklist
Developed after Tsunami in Sri Lanka.
Designed to Sphere and other good practices.
Recognizes post disaster shelter is an incremental process.
Balance between detail and speed.
Voluntary compliance.
Non-specialist user.
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

7. The Checklist Forms Built around the shelter life cycle.
Four forms: Site Selection, Construction, Management, Decommissioning.
Completed
As a review of plans before construction to identify need for changes
As a review of existing sites to identify need for “upgrades”
20 – 30 min. to do full set, plus time for walk around site.
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

8. Sources of Information
The Format and Process
Question
Answer
Guidance
Sources of Information
Has the community near or surrounding the site been consulted about the site selection?
Consultation is an important way to avoid or limit conflict over the location of a shelter site. This conflict often revolves around access or control over natural resources.
Yes – No
If the answer is No:
Communities near the site should be involved in the site selection process.
ALNAP Global Study: Participation by Affected Populations in Humanitarian Action: Practitioner Handbook (draft) especially Chapter 10 (
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

9. REA and Shelter Checklist Available at
Or just Google:
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project

10. SHELTER, OUTSIDE THE BOX
RELEVANT WHEN?
Contingency planning
Site selection
Site planning
Site management
Decommissioning
The return process
CONSIDER
Physical site assessment (EA/REA)
Needs assessments
Resources needed and available - procurement
Options available
Governance and tenure
Inter-agency co-ordination

11. SOME SHELTER IMPACTS
Most damage to natural resources and ecosystem services probably happens during the early phases of site planning and establishment.
“Providing” shelter is often one of the starting points of this damage.
Livelihood prospects and opportunities are affected throughout, with a shift to hosting and receiving communities when camps close.

12. FRAME Project
FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, MONITORING AND EVALUATION IN REFUGEE-RELATED OPERATIONS UNHCR CARE International

13. WHY FRAME?
Recognised gaps in the tools available to address certain aspects of environmental management
Lack of tools appropriate for HCR/IPs
Needed innovative and appropriate approaches
Needed something which addressed the whole cycle of project/programme management – and which could reach across all sectors
Wanted a product that could be used by different stakeholders and capable of being adapted for different situations

14. AUDIENCE Specialist consultants UNHCR’s Implementing Partners
UNHCR Environmental Co-ordinators or Focal Points
Camp and settlement managers
UNHCR management
Government authorities
Representatives from refugee and host communities, e.g. Environmental Committees
Some Modules will be more appropriate to specific users

15. PROCESS ADOPTED Expert consultation – drafting
Field applications (Guinea & Uganda)
Field testing (Chad, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Guinea, Nepal)
Training (REA + CEAP)
Revisions
Peer review
Pilot launch

16. FRAME TOOLKIT Module I Introduction
Module II Environmental Assessment (EA)
Module III Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA)
Module IV Community Environmental Action Plan (CEAP)
Module V Environmental Indicators Framework
Module VI Geographic Information System (GIS) Applications for Environmental Management
Module VII Evaluation

17. USING THE TOOLKIT Some Observations
FRAME’s tools respond to user needs - relevant
Appreciation at field level – relevant and appropriate
Gives managers information they can understand and use
Flexible and offers different approaches to different situations
Some users will need training and technical back-up support
On balance, if the Toolkit is used in a comprehensive manner, it will add value

18. CAN THIS HELP? Timely assessments, for example, can:
Identify problems, issues and risks in a timely and consistent manner
Help develop more appropriate responses – some traditional approaches may need to change; new social skills may need to be applied
Results easily interpreted, integrated and applied
Institutional commitment and follow-up

24. Our Four Little Questions
Are the current tools adequate?
Are there adequate capacities to assess and act on assessment results?
Are policies and funding adequate?
Do shelter experts have other more important things to do that worry about the environment?
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Project