Meeting Meeting Humanitarian Humanitarian

Challenges in Urban Challenges in Urban AreasAreas

Synthesis of thematic Synthesis of thematic findings for the IASC findings for the IASC strategic framework strategic framework

MHCUA TF Meeting/WorkshopMHCUA TF Meeting/WorkshopRome, 07-09 September 2009Rome, 07-09 September 2009

PreceptsPreceptsIssuesIssues

RecommendationsRecommendations

- Precepts - Urbanisation

Cities are increasingly susceptible to Cities are increasingly susceptible to humanitarian crises; this propensity will humanitarian crises; this propensity will intensify, the drivers are:intensify, the drivers are:o rapid urbanisation – scale, patterns and rapid urbanisation – scale, patterns and

processes accentuateprocesses accentuate vulnerabilityvulnerabilityo urban locus of forcibly displaced populationsurban locus of forcibly displaced populations

Distinctive characteristics of urban emergencies/disasterso multidimensionality and complexityo availability of institutional structures and resources –

humanitarian challenges but also opportunities Mainstreaming responses - driving principle of

report

- Issues -

Institutional architecture, capacities and ways of working

Knowledge and information base Approaches, interventions and Approaches, interventions and

capacity building capacity building Thematic/sectoral priortiesThematic/sectoral priorties Funding challenges of urban Funding challenges of urban

programmesprogrammes

1. Institutional architecture, capacities and

ways of working Urban admin./local govt. have substantial capacity and play

a key role in disaster and emergency preparedness and response

o IASC should request clusters and humanitarian actors to review their experience and develop guidelines for ways of working/partnership models with urban administrations and local government structures. Avoiding parallel structures is a core objective in programme design and delivery

o Humanitarian co-ordinators, cluster lead agencies (and humanitarian actors) should prioritise joint working and partnership in programme design and delivery. Particular attention should be paid to operational challenges:

a) levels and structures of co-ordination – strategic level co-ordination is vital

b) substantial variation within and between cities, small and medium sized towns - mapping capacities and gaps in assessment, service delivery, co-ordination, m&e

c) setting and reconciling programme priorities where partners are strong and institutional structures are complex [different arms of local government]

1. Institutional architecture, capacities and

ways of working…operational challenges

d) working with diverse socio-economic communitiese) avoiding parallel structures e) do no harm – leave local authorities no worse off at

the end of the emergency assistance programme

1. Institutional architecture, capacities and

ways of working Urban settings offer different configurations of civil Urban settings offer different configurations of civil

society organisations and non-traditional actors society organisations and non-traditional actors involved in disaster preparedness and humanitarian involved in disaster preparedness and humanitarian and disaster assistance programmes compared to and disaster assistance programmes compared to rural settings. rural settings.

IASC is recommended to request clustersIASC is recommended to request clusters and and humanitarian actorshumanitarian actors to explore and develop tools to explore and develop tools and approaches to identify, dialogue andand approaches to identify, dialogue and work withwork with non-traditional actors, partners and interlocutors such non-traditional actors, partners and interlocutors such as the private sector and urban community-based as the private sector and urban community-based

groups.groups.

1. Institutional architecture, capacities and

ways of working In the aftermath of urban-based conflict, there In the aftermath of urban-based conflict, there

may be a governance gap. may be a governance gap.

IASC is recommended to request clustersIASC is recommended to request clusters to to review how the governance gap impacts urban review how the governance gap impacts urban humanitarian assistance programmes and what humanitarian assistance programmes and what strategies have been successfully adopted to strategies have been successfully adopted to

remedy this.remedy this.

1. Institutional architecture, capacities and

ways of working Linking humanitarian principles and principles good

governance

IASC is recommended to commission a review of how humanitarian principles and principles of good governance can be harmonized in order to enhance the design and delivery of humanitarian assistance. [Global Humanitarian Platform Principles].

o Specific attention should be directed to the main principles of good governance which mediate humanitarian assistance: accountability, working with affected populations, equity (hosts and displaced), sustainability

2. Knowledge and information base

Enhancing the quality of urban risk analysis models/‘hotspot mapping’

IASC is recommended to develop:o methodologies to collate, co-ordinate and share urban methodologies to collate, co-ordinate and share urban

vulnerability data collected by humanitarian actors – time vulnerability data collected by humanitarian actors – time series, resolution levels series, resolution levels

o ways of factoring in regional and national urbanization regional and national urbanization trends, urban quality indicators (poverty, informal trends, urban quality indicators (poverty, informal settlements), IDP and refugee migration into other settlements), IDP and refugee migration into other vulnerability data/mapsvulnerability data/maps

o capability for time series monitoring of regional and national capability for time series monitoring of regional and national level trends and patterns of vulnerability – ‘living document’level trends and patterns of vulnerability – ‘living document’

o tools and techniques to enhance urban risk analysis, indicators and criteria to determine vulnerability thresholds, and building preparedness for humanitarian interventionbuilding preparedness for humanitarian intervention

2. Knowledge and information base

IASC is recommended to commission research to enhance awareness and understanding of the typologies of urban crises, associated risks, typologies of urban crises, associated risks, transitions (chronic-crises-chronic), hidden transitions (chronic-crises-chronic), hidden emergencies emergencies – – assisting an understanding of assisting an understanding of respective agencies’ entry and exit pointsrespective agencies’ entry and exit pointso nanatural disasters, earthquakes, health crises/epidemics, tural disasters, earthquakes, health crises/epidemics,

food security/nutrition crises, urban violence/civil food security/nutrition crises, urban violence/civil disorder, displaced populations, climate change. [Urban disorder, displaced populations, climate change. [Urban violence and civil disorder are poorly understood crises - violence and civil disorder are poorly understood crises - understanding and responding to the causes and understanding and responding to the causes and consequences of these challenges requires specific focus]consequences of these challenges requires specific focus]

3. Approaches, 3. Approaches, interventions and capacity interventions and capacity

building building IASC should promote the strengthening of urban

expertise by requesting clusters and humanitarian actors to:

o conduct a systematic evaluation of current experience in urban disaster risk assessment and urban-based disaster/humanitarian assistance programmes, drawing out and mapping good (and bad) practice, lessons learned, identifying gaps in current practice – focus on extent to which local authorities and civil society organisations were involved - and assessing professional skills capacities, capabilities and gaps; and to

o develop tools, techniques and guidelines to fill gaps in current practice and in professional skills

o develop tools and techniques to enhance preparedness, risk and vulnerability analysis especially for small/medium sized towns and cities

o include an urban focus in country programme planning documents

3. Approaches, 3. Approaches, interventions and capacity interventions and capacity

building building IASC should promote the strengthening of

urban expertise by requesting relevant clusters to develop training programmes for:

o Co-ordination of humanitarian and disaster assistance programmes in urban areas

o Contingency planning for humanitarian and disaster assistance in urban areas

o Developing guidelines for eg CHAPS and CAPs for urban programmes

4. Thematic/sectoral priorities

IASC is recommended to request relevant IASC is recommended to request relevant cluster leadscluster leads to conduct urban-based reviews to conduct urban-based reviews of:of:o protection guidelines, tools and best practice for urban protection guidelines, tools and best practice for urban

IDPs/refugees, urban populations at risk in urban IDPs/refugees, urban populations at risk in urban disasters and emergencies, and humanitarian workersdisasters and emergencies, and humanitarian workers

o livelihoods and food security analysis livelihoods and food security analysis o landland, shelter and property restitution issues in disaster , shelter and property restitution issues in disaster

and humanitarian emergenciesand humanitarian emergencies IASC should encourage humanitarian actorsIASC should encourage humanitarian actors

to review thematic areas and gaps in capacityto review thematic areas and gaps in capacity

Funding IASC and donors are recommended to reviewIASC and donors are recommended to review

existing funding mechanisms and Good existing funding mechanisms and Good Humanitarian Donorship Principles to:Humanitarian Donorship Principles to: o better tailor funding strategies to urban contexts better tailor funding strategies to urban contexts o improve the allocation and timeliness of funds for improve the allocation and timeliness of funds for

humanitarian operations in urban areas.humanitarian operations in urban areas.o direct particular attention to modalities for ensuring co-direct particular attention to modalities for ensuring co-

ordinated funding of complex multi-sectoral and multi-ordinated funding of complex multi-sectoral and multi-

agency programmes in urban areasagency programmes in urban areas o table urban issues at the GHD platformtable urban issues at the GHD platform

Funding The projected increase in urban-based humanitarian The projected increase in urban-based humanitarian

emergencies and disasters has profound funding emergencies and disasters has profound funding implicationsimplications

The IASC and donors are recommended to The IASC and donors are recommended to conduct a reviewconduct a review of how these implications will of how these implications will impact their overall funding strategies. The review impact their overall funding strategies. The review should address inter alia: should address inter alia: o the increasing overall volume of demand for funding humanitarian the increasing overall volume of demand for funding humanitarian

and disaster relief programmes with the likely increase in countries and disaster relief programmes with the likely increase in countries and localities at risk in the urban context and localities at risk in the urban context

o predictable year on year rise in costspredictable year on year rise in costso some evidence that urban-based preparedness and assistance some evidence that urban-based preparedness and assistance

programmes are proportionately more costly than rural programmes are proportionately more costly than rural interventions interventions

o the privileging of affected populations in cities and towns over rural the privileging of affected populations in cities and towns over rural populations in the distribution of fundspopulations in the distribution of funds

o the impact of changing funding strategies on humanitarian actors - the impact of changing funding strategies on humanitarian actors - efficiency, accountability, co-ordination, smarter ways of working efficiency, accountability, co-ordination, smarter ways of working

o the increasing role of private sector and corporate funding streamsthe increasing role of private sector and corporate funding streams