'The WHO Guide to sanitation in natural disasters (Assar, 1971) summarized the essential aspects of environmental health management in disasters. These included the provision of emergency water and sanitation services; the burial or cremation of the dead; vector and pest control; food hygiene; and the assessment of the danger of epidemics following emergencies and disasters, etc. Thirty years later these aspects remain essential, though the needs, challenges and opportunities are greater.

The more...

'Oxfam is calling for climate change adaptation policies at every level to be gender-sensitive so that they address both women’s and men’s needs and interests. Only this approach will be effective in building community-wide resilience to climate change, reducing gender inequalities, and so also promoting development.'

'A destructive combination of earthquakes, floods, droughts and other hazards make South Asia is the world’s most disaster-prone region. The effects are aggravated by climate change, unsuitable social and development policies, and environmental degradation. The effect is to slow or block development and keep millions trapped in poverty.

It does not have to be this way. Oxfam's experience shows that successful disaster risk reduction policies, integrated into
development work, save lives an more...

Although nature traditionally gets the blame, it is human failure that turns a natural shock such as a cyclone into a humanitarian disaster.

The 16th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development was held in New York in May 2008. This year, the session was dedicated to reviewing issues related to Agriculture, Rural Development, Land, Drought, Desertification and Africa. Indigenous Briefs is a collection of issue papers examining these topics from African indigenous perspectives.

The Post-Conflict & Disaster Management Branch (PCDMB) extends UNEP's work in areas of the world where the environment is impacted by conflicts and disasters, or where the environment is a factor contributing to conflicts and disaster impacts.

The Learning for Sustainability (LfS) has been substantially revised and updated over the past few months as a guide to on-line resources for researchers and practitioners interested in supporting social learning and collective action. The site highlights the wide range of social skills and processes that are needed to support collaborative change initiatives, and structures these in a practical way. This brings links to several hundred annotated on-line resources together in one easy to access more...

In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 17 the "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought" to promote public awareness and the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa.

Ever since, country Parties to the Convention, organizations of the United Nations System, international and non-governmental organizations and other interested stakeholders more...

The ability of forests to soak up man-made carbon dioxide is weakening, according to an analysis of two decades of data from more than 30 sites in the frozen north.

The finding published is crucial, because it means that more of the CO2 we release will end up affecting the climate in the atmosphere rather than being safely locked away in trees or soil.

The results may partly explain recent studies suggesting that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing faster than expected. If h more...

Global Outlook for Ice and Snow provides an up-to-date, concise review of the state of the environment and the trends in ice and snow-covered regions (cryosphere) of the world. It features case studies, illustrations, graphics and maps and serves as an educational and reference publication. With a broad target audience that includes decision-makers at many levels, the report looks at the significance of changes in the cryosphere to human well-being and the implications for policy.