Tools and Resources

1
Tools and Resources

• With a focus on assessment methods and Emergency
  Shelter EIA Action Checklist

2
Focus of this Session

• Community-based rapid assessment methods
• How to use the Emergency Shelter Environmental
  Impact Assessment and Action Checklist

3
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

4
Quick Exercise Rapid Information collection
methods

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

5
Direct Observation

• Observe and assess
• Physical conditions of surroundings
• Damages
• Condition of crops and livestock
• Collect information on relevant infrastructure,
  supplies and activities

6
Fly Overs
NOAA Minnesota River flooding 2001
USAID flooded river in Afghanistan
7
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

PhotoMDG Report, Bangladesh
8
Group Interviews
Interactions generate new ideas and insights
9
Household Interviews

• Sometimes segregated according to gender or
  livelihood group

10
Community Meetings
http//www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/econhd/2002/kirshe
n/img29.html

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

11
Other Assessment Reports?
It is also possible to extract information from
other legitimate disaster assessment reports
12
Issues to consider Inclusion
USAID photo- Algeria, post-earthquake 2002a
13
Reaching Urban, Isolated, or Elderly Community
Members
Pakistan Earthquake, 2005
UNHCR Chad reugee camp http//www.unrefugees.org/e
mergency.cfm
14
Emergency Shelter Environmental Impact
Assessment and Action Checklist

• Identifying Critical Environmental Considerations
  in Shelter Site Selection, Construction,
  Management and Decommissioning

15
Its purpose

• 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.

16
The Checklist is explicitly design for emergency
and transitional shelter situations
17
The Checklist focuses on four stages in the
shelter life cycle

• Form 1
• Form 2
• Form 3
• Form 4

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.

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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
IF NO Communities near or surrounding the site
should be involved in the site selection process.
Has the community near or surrounding the site
been consulted about the site selection?
Yes/No
ALNAP Global Study Participation by Affected
Populations in Humanitarian Action Practitioner
Handbook
21
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 NO Review 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,
22
Shelter Site Management Checklist
Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions Comments
Is there a site management plan?
Yes/No
transitional settlement displaced populations
(part b), Chapter 8 Camps and Chapter 6
Construction.
IF NO Develop a site management plan.
23
Shelter Site Decommissioning Checklist
Question Ans. Guidance Sources of Info Follow-up Actions Comments
Is there a site decommis-sioning plan?
Yes/No
Camp Management Toolkit, Norwegian Refugee
Council (2004), Chapter 18 Camp Closure
IF NO Develop a decommis-sioning plan.
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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.

25
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

27
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)

28
Team assignments

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

29
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.