The operational context of assistance in fragile, crisis and post-crisis settings makes the use of traditional, internationally-accepted environmental impact assessment and mitigation procedures a challenge as they have been utilized for steady-state development contexts. While environmental safeguard objectives in crisis situations may be quite different from those of development programs in more stable environments, environmental issues are increasingly recognized as directly related to causes of crisis by threatening human health and security, undermining key livelihood activities and driving conflict through resource scarcity. In this session, lessons and current approaches will be discussed by the USAID Bureau Environmental Officer for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) director for environment in humanitarian action concerning the Nepal post-earthquake Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) and environmental risks and toxic remnants of war issue in Syria conflict. Also discussed will include multi-donor and inter-institutional coordination initiatives with UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
