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Disaster Studies & Management
Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disaster Response


Intranet

Real Time (REA) Assistance

Funds from USAID/OFDA enable the REA project to provide REA specialist to:

1) Conduct REAs as part of disaster assessment operations, and,

2) Support local capacity building to conduct and follow-up on REA related efforts as part of the response to major disasters.

Past assessments have been done in Afghanistan, Indonesia (fires and tsunami), Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and the Philippines. Information on the project and past assessments can be found at http://www.benfieldhrc.org/rea_index.htm.

A total of 70 person days are currently available through this rapid response window. Project funding includes salaries, per diem and local and international travel. (Incorporating funds for REA assessments in emergency funding appeals is encouraged to help extend the life of REA project
funding.)

Turn around from a request for a Real Time REA to having persons in the field has been 5 to 7 days.

A Real Time REA is intended to be a relatively autonomous operation logistics wise. However, local support in terms of lining up transport and lodging and introductions to the disaster response structure would be appreciated at the start of any assessment.

Experience indicates that the REA is best done first at the "disaster"
scale, covering all aspects of the disaster rather than initially focused only on one agency's activities.

The disaster wide approach was successful in Sri Lanka (in collaboration with the UNDAC Team) and Indonesia (as part of the Ministry of Environment post-tsunami assessment efforts).

Thus, we encourage requests for Real Time REAs where the REA would be done for a consortium of agencies or as part of an overall assessment effort.

Note that the REA results contribute to meeting requirements under the Sphere environment cross cutting issue and aids agencies in pursuing the "do no harm" goal in relief and recovery efforts.

The mechanism for accessing a Real Time REA is relatively simple and is initiated through a request to me (72734.2412@compuserve.com).

Alternately, contact CARE US (Ahuma Adodoadji email: aadodoadji@care.org) or USAID/OFDA (Marion Pratt mpratt@usaid.gov).

Once an initial contact is made the request is considered by CARE, USAID and project staff and a decision to respond in usually made in less than 48 hrs.

REA Real Time Roster

Charles Dufresne
Home Organization: Interworks
Charled Dufrensne is a lead facilitator for the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters Training workshop, having led these workshops in Guatemala, Washington D.C. and India. He has served as a disaster management training and curriculum advisor for the Tanzanian National Disaster Management Training Centre and the UNDP-Albania Disaster and Emergency Preparedness programme in Tirana. From 1986-1989, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, he served as the project coordinator/team leader for a food systems initiative/drought mitigation project in Niger. He is fluent in English and Spanish, and conversant in French.

Paul Thompson
Home Organization: Interworks
Paul Thompson has worked in disaster management and humanitarian assistance since 1976 and undertaken projects in over 50 countries. His work has included several post-disaster assessments and reconstruction projects as well as work related to refugee emergencies. He has worked in humanitarian assistance related work with the UN Office for Humanitarian Assistance, the UN Development Programme, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, USAID, CARE and several other organizations. Paul was a developer of the training materials for the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment in Disasters project and has conducted workshops on the REA in Oslo, Norway, Bhubaneswar, India, and Washington DC. Paul has also developed the training program for UNHCR on Environmental Management in Refugee Situations and conducted several workshops for UNHCR on this topic.

Samuel Tadesse,
Home Organization: CARE Ethiopia
Samuel Tadesse is currently an employee of CARE Ethiopia, working as the Addis headquarters based Emergency Operations Officer. He has five years of hands-on experience in the field of emergency management, critically during the worst years of the 2002 – 2004 Ethiopian drought relief operation. In addition, he has 12 years’ experience in development and disaster management activities and has participated in numerous field surveys and food security assessments.

Samuel was a participant in the 2002 Ethiopia REA Field Test which led to the development of the community level assessment module of the REA. He also participated in a Training of Trainers workshop in Orisa in 2003, and the REA ToT workshop organized by RedR India in Kalkota in 2005.

He has been assigned lead role in disseminating REA Tools both within CARE Ethiopia and with partner organizations. He conducted a workshop in late 2004 in which 15 people were trained intensively in REA, and is planning to organize and facilitate a second, similar one in November, 2005. One of Samuel’s ultimate goals is to integrate REA tools with other existing disaster assessment tools as broadly as possible in Ethiopia.

David Stone,
Home Organization: Independent Consultant

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