News
Humanitarianism goes green
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has developed an innovative resource programme to help NGOs and other organisations lessen their impact on the environment while providing relief.
This initiative bases itself on the belief that while cutting trees to provide shelter and firewood can help a suffering community in the short term, in the long term it might impact the same community negatively, by threatening the natural balance of the forest’s habitat, declining the number of wild animals. Also, not disposing of medical waste in a proper way can lead to damage to the natural environment.
According to UNEP, following the Haiti earthquake, emergency food distribution resulted in a big increase in waste due to packaging, therefore when offering emergency relief, the environmental impact must be classed as one of the priorities.
The UNEP has put together a collection of guidelines, training materials, case studies and other tools in a handbook, created especially for humanitarian workers. Some of the recommendations include sending supplies by ship rather than by air, as well as coordinated planning of logistical operations, in order not to waste resources.
Access this unique resource on the UNEP’s website here.
Comments