Environmental Mandate |
UNHCR’s mandate is to protect the rights and dignity of refugees, a task it has undertaken for almost half a century. In recent years, it has also taken steps to safeguard the environment around refugee operations and to encourage management of natural resources with a view to long-term sustainability - a task in which UNHCR plays an important co-ordinating role, drawing expertise and assistance from other organisations. To co-ordinate implementation and support of its field-based activities, in 1996 UNHCR prepared Environmental Guidelines which lay out its operational policy and principles.UNHCR's environmental policy deals with refugee-related environmental problems during all phases of refugee assistance:
- The emergency phase
- The care-and-maintenance phase
- The durable-solutions phase, including:- environmental rehabilitation of the asylum country's territory after refugees' repatriation,- environmental concerns related to integration of refugees in the host country,- environmental concerns related to re-integration of returnees in their home country.
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Environmental Activities |
- Site planning and settlement establishment· Water and Sanitation
- Reforestation· Household energy conservation
- Sustainable agriculture
- Environmental education and awareness raising
- Soil and water conservation· Environmental friendly shelter construction
- Livestock and anima husbandly
- Environmental assessment, monitoring and evaluation
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