If
you ignore the environment and the impact of emergencies
on it and on people, you risk both short and longer term
impacts that might affect the effectiveness of humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief. While every aspect of
disaster management can be related to environmental concerns
as a cross-cutting issue, InterWorks believes that focusing
on the environmental concerns is not only important but
crucial to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Both in the case of refugee or internally displaced people
management, recognizing environmental concerns is crucial
to providing safe and effective resource use, management
and sustainability.
Keenly aware of the linkages between the environment and
emergencies, InterWorks develops and provides training
aimed at helping organizations integrate this awareness
into their post-disaster assessments and humanitarian
assistance programmes.
Representative
Projects
CARE International, Rapid Environmental Impact
Assessment in Disasters (REA) project, 2001-2006:
InterWorks developed a training curriculum based
on the REA Guidelines that support undertaking
rapid environmental assessments in disasters.
We have conducted more than 12 workshops, most
of which are 5-day events with a 2-day Training
of Trainer component. The workshops include implementing
an actual assessment in an actual field situation.
For this project, InterWorks also developed and
produced an electronic learning and reference
packet which includes a self-study course and
related reference material.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), Environment Management in Refugee Situations,
2004 to present:
InterWorks developed a strategy for UNHCR for
an environmental management training program,
revised a set of existing training materials and
has facilitated to date six workshops. |
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| Photos
courtesy of RedR India at REA Workshop in Chennai, India. |
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