Through the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit (JEU), UNEP works with partners in the UN, NGO and donor communities to ensure that environmental considerations are anchored across all elements of humanitarian response.
Through its wide network of supporters and partners, as well as its close linkages with both environmental and disaster management authorities, the JEU advances readiness for response at global, regional and national levels.
Engaging in over 15 different preparedness and response networks and partnerships, the JEU works closely with Member States, regional organizations, UN agencies, funds and programmes and affiliated organizations, as well as the private sector, industry groups, academia and the civil society to ensure a coordinated international emergency response. In practice, this means the development of joint policies, tools and guidelines, such as the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT), the Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, the Nexus Environment Assessment Tool (NEAT+), as well as the dissemination of internationally recognized response and preparedness tools through the Environmental Emergencies Centre (EEC) and Environment and Humanitarian Action (EHA) Connect.
The Environmental Emergencies Guidelines spell out the support mechanisms available for Member States in case of an environmental emergency and contains checklists for providers and receivers of international assistance. The JEU is also working with partners to deliver joint face-to-face trainings and online learning courses on environmental emergency preparedness and response, ensuring that technical experts deployed and disaster-prone countries are aware of the tools and procedures to use in case of an emergency. Lessons learnt from emergencies are analyzed and disseminated through the numerous networks that the JEU engages in – including the Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI), Joint Initiative - the Coordination of Assessments for Environment in Humanitarian Action, Focus Task Force on Environment in Response under the Consultative Group on Emergency Preparedness and Response, the Environment and Humanitarian Action Network (EHAN), the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Programme on Chemical Accidents, and many more.
