Haiti Situation Report. August 9, 2019. UN OCHA

Haiti            Situation Report                                       

Haiti’s Civil Protection Directorate (DPC) and partners are preparing for the hurricane season

Preparedness for the hurricane season, which began on 1 June and will continue until 30 November, is currently a top priority for OCHA, its humanitarian partners and development organizations in Haiti, all who are working closely with Haiti’s Civil Protection Directorate (DPC).

While the DPC has well established structures and communication procedures in place on national, departmental and local levels, including an early warning system, it still faces operational challenges. For example, the Emergency Operation Centers in the departments (COUD – Centres d’Opérations d’Urgence Départementaux) generally lack resources such as sufficient fuel, water supplies, telecommunication/internet and human resources. There is also a need at the governmental level for strengthened capacities in response coordination, needs assessments and information management/data analysis.

Following several field missions to look at COUDs in the Nord, Nord-Ouest, Nord-Est, Sud and Nippes departments, OCHA and the DPC has engaged with the private sector to establish partnerships in order to improve operational capacities. For example, discussions with two mobile providers are ongoing to provide COUDs with free internet and key DPC staff with free mobile credits in case of emergency.

In order to improve coordination between humanitarian and military actors following large scale natural disasters, OCHA Geneva (CMCS) recently conducted a Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) mission to Haiti in order to sensitize key actors on CMCoord and kick off the revision of country-specific CMCoord guidelines.

Other joint preparedness activities currently underway include pre-positioning and mapping of relief stocks, emergency shelter rehabilitation, sensitization of at-risk populations and conducting of simulation exercises and capacity building efforts for key stakeholders including the Departmental Coordinators of the DPC (CTD – Coordonateur Techique Départemental).

A dedicated working group is actively working on mainstreaming Protection and Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) in all preparedness activities, in part through inclusion of modules on these topics in all trainings, and by ensuring better coordination in the areas of sensitization/prevention, complaints mechanisms and victim’s assistance.

Interviewing Skills. DisasterReady. August 2019

Interviewing Skills: Career Advancement Techniques Professional Development

Moving forward in your career means mastering the interview process. In this new video, engaging career expert Jeff Havens will help you enhance the skills you need before, during, and after an interview with easy-to-follow tips. Whether you are new to the humanitarian and development sector or a seasoned professional, this video will help you begin your next job search with confidence.

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Coping with the aftermath of a natural disaster or other traumatic event Call 1-800-985-5990

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Have You Been Affected by a Natural Disaster? Coping with the aftermath of a natural disaster or other traumatic event can take a toll on anyone. It's important to know that you are not alone in these moments and there is help available. SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline offers 24/7 crisis counseling and emotional support to those in need. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. USAGov 1800 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20405 USA

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Updated July 2019

FEMA Releases 2019 National Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment

The Federal Emergency Management Agency today released the latest National Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). The National THIRA is the process through which FEMA identifies catastrophic threats and hazards, the consequences of those threats and hazards, and the capabilities the nation needs to address those hazards.

The 2019 National Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA): Overview and Methodology is available on FEMA’s website at https://www.fema.gov/national-risk-and-capability-assessment. The document outlines FEMA’s approach to that process, which uses the same standardized impact and target language that states, tribes, territories and members of the Urban Area Security Initiative grant program use for their THIRAs. For more information on the community THIRA, stakeholders are encouraged to consult the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201, 3^rd edition, which outlines the steps in this standardized approach.

FEMA designed the THIRA methodology to support collaboration between state and local governments, federal agencies, and other emergency management entities. Because the National THIRA process described in this document uses the same language as the community THIRA, FEMA and federal departments and agencies will be able to compare state, tribal, territorial, urban area and—eventually—federal and national preparedness estimates against the national-level assessment. This common assessment will allow FEMA and other federal agencies to track progress over time and provide concrete answers in specific, measurable terms to the question: “How prepared is the nation?”

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Zero-waste classroom philosophy. Next Generation Leaders. Leading. July 2019

U.S. EPA honors Berkeley teacher with environmental education award

  

SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Jacqueline Omania, a teacher at Oxford Elementary School in Berkeley, Calif., is one of 11 winners to receive the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). The PIAEE awards recognize innovative educators who bring environmental education into their classrooms through hands-on, experiential approaches.

“Ms. Omania’s dedication to her students has rippled throughout the community as her students reach out to their peers and families to share what they have learned,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “She has gone above and beyond in her teaching career to better her student’s understanding of our natural world and conservation of its precious resources.”

Ms. Omania has helped her students think critically about how they generate waste in their daily lives and ways to reduce it. She created the Plastic-Free Planet curriculum and leads an Heirs to Our Oceans chapter for students that meets weekly during lunch and provides a space for students to connect, practice public speaking and plan action projects both at school and in the greater community.

“I am so honored to receive this award. I dedicate it to my students who inspire me daily with their persistence and passion to work together to solve the complex environmental challenges of our times,” said 3^rd grade Oxford Elementary School teacher Jacqueline Omania.

After learning about the ways landfill waste affects our environment, Ms. Omania’s class decided to challenge themselves to adopt a zero-waste classroom philosophy. After changing many personal habits and classroom practices, the students were able to reduce the waste they generated during the school year to one quart-sized jar. These efforts saved nearly two dumpsters’ worth of landfill waste and more than 4,000 disposable plastic utensils. Her class was also involved in helping the City of Berkeley pass its Disposable-Free Dining Ordinance by collecting signatures and speaking at various venues about the problems of plastic pollution and their vision of a zero-waste city.

Two teachers in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region received an honorable mention in this year’s awards:  Kelly Porter of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., and Rachna Nath of Arizona College Preparatory’s Erie Campus in Chandler, Ariz.

From across the country, 19 educators and 200 students were recognized for their remarkable efforts that promote environmental education and stewardship. Eleven educators received the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, and eight educators were recognized with an honorable mention distinction. Additionally, the 200 student award recipients – who worked as a team or individually on 17 projects – received the President’s Environmental Youth Award.  Altogether, EPA received 162 project applications from 26 states.

Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, PIAEE supports, encourages and nationally honors outstanding kindergarten through high school educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. Under the act, the White House CEQ assists EPA in administering the awards program.

The PIAEE program seeks to recognize, support and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by these innovative teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning. The program recognizes up to 20 elementary and secondary (K-12) education teachers, school administrators, and their local education agencies and provides funding to help support those educators in their environmental education work.

For a list of past PIAEE winners, visit: https://www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators-piaee-winners

For information on environmental education at EPA, visit: www.epa.gov/education