Environment and Disaster Planning

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Environment and Disaster Planning

• Hari Srinivas, GDRC
• Rajib Shaw, Kyoto University

• Contents of the presentation
• What is the problem?
• Precautionary Principles
• Environment and Disaster Planning (EDP) Framework
• EDP Tools
• Steps to consider in EDP
• Post-disaster EDP things to consider

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Environment and Disaster Planning (EDP)
There are environmental aspects, tools and
strategies that need to be considered at every
stage of the disaster cycle

• Session 3 will focus on environmental planning as
  a process for preparing a set of decisions for
  action in the future, directed at achieving
  disaster mitigation goals.
• It will illustrate some of the tools that can be
  used to integrate and link environment and
  disaster dimensions in planning processes

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What is the Problem?
Integrating environmental planning and disaster
management raises problems at three levels
Level 1
Lack of awareness in preparing for disasters at
all levels
Level 2
Disaster Planning
Environment Planning
Not incorporating disaster dimensions
Not incorporating environmental dimensions
Level 3

• Lack of -
• Finances and budgetary allocations
• Human resources
• Legislation and rules
• Other resources

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Precautionary Principle and Disaster Management
A good starting point is using the Precautionary
Principles for environment and disaster planning
The Precautionary Principle is a well know
approach to prevent or reduce negative impacts on
the environment

• Preventative anticipation
• Safe-guarding of ecological space
• Proportionality of response
• Duty of care
• Promoting the cause of intrinsic natural rights
• Paying for past ecological debt

lack of scientific certainty is no reason to
postpone action to avoid potentially serious or
irreversible harm to the environment.
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An EDP Framework
In attempting to incorporate environmental
dimensions in disaster management, it is useful
to create a framework of actors and actions
covering the management of governance, education
, and technology
Management Systems
Solid Waste
Urban Components
Water
Energy
Transportation
Actors and Actions
Housing

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EDP Tools Overview
1. Environmental profiling 2. Eco and
Hazard Mapping
Planning Options
Assessment of Options
3. ERA 4. EIA 5. SEA
Implementing action
6. Environmental Management Systems
(EMS)
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1 Environmental Profiling
EDP Tools for Planning Options
Introduction to the City
Creating an environmental profile of an urban
area is a first and critical step in
understanding the interactions between the local
environment and disaster vulnerabilities it faces.
Development Setting
Environmental Setting
Disaster Setting
Environmental Management for Disaster Preparedness
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2 Eco and Hazard Mapping
EDP Tools for Planning Options
Create a map of the city
Locate and mark critical environmental features,
natural and man-made
Eco and hazard mapping is a simple visual tool
that creates an inventory of environmental assets
of an urban area, and the vulnerabilities and
risks it faces.
On the map, mark all vulnerabilities and hazards
faced by communities, business and industry and
other sectors
Identify and indicate potential causes and
effects of the risks
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3 Environmental Risk Assessment
EDP Tools for Assessment
Problem Identification
ERA is a systematic analysis of the likelihood
that the environment will experience a specified
level of harm as a result of a natural disaster
or a planned human activity.
Risk Characterization
Risk Management
Risk Review
Communication and Consultation
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4 Environmental Impact Assessment
EDP Tools for Assessment
Baseline studies
Impact Evaluation / Assessment
EIA is a formal process used to predict the
environmental consequences of a project or an
event. EIA ensures that the potential problems
are foreseen and addressed at an early stage.
Documentation
Decision-making
Post-audit evaluation
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5 Strategic Environmental Assessment
EDP Tools for Assessment
A. Context and Baseline
B. Scope/Alternatives
SEA is a process to ensure that significant
environmental effects arising from disasters are
identified, assessed, mitigated, communicated to
decision-makers, monitored and that public
involvement is ensured.
C. Assessment/Mitigation
D. Consultation Process
E. Monitoring
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6 Environmental Management Systems
EDP Tools for Implementation

Policy Development
Planning Action
EMS is a problem-identification and
problem-solving tool, based on the concept of
continual improvement, that can be implemented in
an urban area in many different ways
Implementation/Operation
Checking/Corrective Action
Management Review
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Steps to take in EDP

• Identify the key stakeholders and establish their
  roles, resources, and concerns.
• Evaluate the hazards and risks that may result in
  emergency situations in the community.
• Have stakeholders review their own plans to
  ensure a coordinated response, and identify lacks
  and gaps.
• Match these tasks to the resources of the
  identified participants.
• Identify resources needed, make necessary changes
  to improve plans, and integrate them into an
  overall community plan.
• Get political commitment from local and national
  governments.
• Educate and train participating groups about the
  integrated plan, including emergency responders.
• Establish procedures for periodic testing,
  review, and updating of the plan.

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Issues to consider in EDP 1
Build local community capacity For Pre-and
post-disaster resilience
Create partnerships alliances For Responsive
Actions
Share and exchange information For Learning
Opportunity
Develop learning and decision-making tools For
Mapping and planning
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Issues to consider in EDP 2

• Help find appropriate and sustainable solutions
• Record and provide critical experiences and
  lessons learnt in the disaster
• Inventorize institutional and individual
  knowledge gained from responding to the future
  disaster
• Capacitate local communities to prepare them for
  the next disaster
• Channel scarce funds to appropriate and critical
  areas that need them

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Post-Disaster EDP Things to Consider

• Appropriate environment management and quick
  restoration is also crucial in the wake of
  disasters
• Proper waste management clearing, sorting,
  recycling/reuse, disposal of disaster debris
• Assessing water contamination and pollution, for
  drinking and for other purposes
• Appropriate handling of hazardous and toxic
  materials
• Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) of the
  environmental damage