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Water and Disasters: Risk, Resilience, and Adaptation

April 13, 2023

Disasters, both natural and anthropogenic, have shaped water management and policy in the United States over the last 100 years. Federal, state, and local water-related policies, practices and infrastructure have often been designed and implemented in the wake of disasters. The response and recovery to disasters has consumed substantial spending at all levels of government, the private sector and individuals. In some areas, frequent flooding is outpacing the ability for communities to respond, while in other areas the wildfire season has expanded to create a "fire year" instead of a "fire season". As more individuals are exposed to hazards, how we respond to and recover from disasters has a significant impact on the well-being of the community.The 2022 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum explored what must be done to ensure the water sector becomes more resilient to water-related disasters and how communities can navigate and prepare for the impacts of increasingly common water-related disasters. How do we reconcile different values as individuals, businesses and government negotiate who receives resources to mitigate, adapt, and recover?The annual Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum convenes thought leaders to address ongoing challenges to water sustainability in the United States. Participants come from the private sector, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations—representing expertise in industry, finance, philanthropy, government, academia, agriculture, food and organizations technology companies, investors and entrepreneurs. Topics discussed include big data, innovative financing, water quality, and water affordability. The common thread linking each forum is the fundamental question of what does good water governance look like for the United States?

The AIA and Public-Private Collaborations in Response to the 1950 Cusco Earthquake

March 27, 2023

This report provides an overview of my research at the Rockefeller Archive Center on the role of the American International Association for Economic and Social Development (AIA) in the aftermath of the 1950 earthquake in Cusco, Peru. More specifically, the United Nations contracted AIA director Robert "Pete" Hudgens to lead a mission to evaluate Cusco and make recommendations about its reconstruction and long-term development. The report was extensive and included detailed recommendations about the broader rural area, in addition to the city of Cusco. I hoped to learn more about that collaboration and how it fit into the AIA's mission. Archival materials from Nelson A. Rockefeller's personal papers and the Rockefeller Family Public Relations Department papers revealed a complex web of public-private negotiations over who would fund and administer Cusco's development plan. And yet, many of the plans never came to fruition, raising questions about the extent to which these collaborations benefited most Peruvians.

Donor approaches to overheads for local and national partners

March 9, 2023

Ensuring that local and national actors can access overheads has become a key focus for humanitarian reform efforts over the past year. Locally-led humanitarian response is more effective, more efficient and improves accountability to, and participation of, those most affected by crisis. Overheads – also referred to in this paper as 'indirect costs' or indirect cost recovery (ICR) (see Appendix 2: What are 'indirect costs' or 'overheads'?) – are critical for building the organisational capacity, sustainability and preparedness of frontline responders. By not providing overheads, the international aid system – including donors, UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) – is not adequately supporting local actors to meet the growing complexity of humanitarian response, including in situations of protracted crises where communities face intersecting risks.Many international organisations with an intermediary role[1] and donors are now in the process of reflecting critically on their own practice amid changing industry standards. To support this reform process, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) published Guidance on the Provision of Overheads to Local and National Partners in November 2022.[2] The Guidance was informed by research carried out by Development Initiatives (DI) with UNICEF and Oxfam, which mapped the current practices of intermediary organisations and identified examples of good practice from the perspective of local actors.[3] Implementation of the Guidance is being supported by the IASC Task Force 5 on Localisation. Within the Grand Bargain, the caucus on funding for localisation is also addressing the issue of overheads for local actors in early 2023.[4] This follows the outcome document of the caucus on the role of intermediaries (at the time for writing endorsed by 26 Grand Bargain signatories), which included a commitment from members to allocate overhead costs to local and national actors.[5]This paper, produced by DI in partnership with UNICEF, aims to support these ongoing discussions by summarising donors' current indirect cost policies and perspectives on the issue of overhead allocation to local actors, as well as setting out various opportunities and barriers to change identified by donors. This builds on, and is designed to complement, the previous mapping of intermediary practices and is based on interviews with 12 government donor representatives. To benefit from learning from private philanthropy on this issue, representatives from three private foundations were also interviewed. Interviews took place between October 2022 and January 2023.

Rapid Needs Assessment Report for Medical Devices in Healthcare Facilities (North-West Syria)

March 9, 2023

The recent devastating earthquakes in NW Syria, occurring after more than a dozen years of civil war, have left the healthcare system overwhelmed and in desperate need of repair. To determine the feasibility of intervention to assess, maintain and repair medical devices at regional and hospital levels, a rapid field assessment was conducted in NW Syria by Field Ready Türkiye's between 12th and 18th of February 2023. Having worked in that part of Syria since 2017, Field Ready carried out interviews, group discussions and carried out surveys and site visits to nine (9) hospitals. The main takeaways are that poor supply chains and the inability to replace parts have significantly reduce healthcare delivery and Field Ready can play a critical role in addressing the situation.

Syria/Turkey Earthquakes Situation Report #7

March 8, 2023

FAST FACTSThe death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 50,000 people—including 45,968 confirmed deaths in Turkey and 7,259 in Syria.OUR FOOTPRINTInternational Medical Corps has been present in Syria since 2008.We are currently working in 10 governorates across the country, supporting 33 health facilities that in 2022 provided more than 620,000 health consultations and supported 6,850 mental health cases.International Medical Corps worked in Turkey from 2012 until 2018, with extensive programs in southern areas (including Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Mersin and Sanliurfa) providing health, MHPSS, GBV, child protection, nutrition and WASH programs.OUR RESPONSEIn Syria, we are operating six mobile medical units and two mobile medical teams that have provided 7,870 primary, emergency and surgical healthcare consultations.We have conducted PFA sessions in temporary accommodation shelters that have reached 3,254 people.We have delivered more than 15 metric tons of medications, medical supplies and cholera kits to support facilities in Aleppo, Hama and Lattakia, with more supplies on the way.In Turkey, we are working with local partners to procure and distribute nonfood items and food to support IDPs in camps and shelters. So far, our teams have reached 13,626 people with support

Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience: Solutions for a Paradigm Shift

March 8, 2023

Though fire is a natural ecological process in many forest ecosystems, extreme wildfires now pose a growing threat to the nation's natural resources and communities. These trends will continue to worsen absent bold and transformative policy action to change the trajectory of how we manage and prepare for wildfire impacts.The Nature Conservancy and the Aspen Institute have spent the last year responding to this opportunity by hosting a series of workshops that sought input from all levels of government, Tribal Nations, the private sector, fire-prone communities, philanthropists, academics and other stakeholders, culminating in a Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience. The Roadmap concentrates on the two pillars of the 2014 National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy—resilient landscapes and fire-adapted communities—that require an investment commensurate with the third pillar—safe and effective wildfire response—to alter the current wildfire trajectory. This Roadmap weaves together lessons from decades of policy and practice with forward-thinking approaches that incorporate new technology and knowledge.Decision makers, advocates and other interested readers are invited to use this Roadmap to advance a more strategic and coordinated approach to wildfire resilience in ways that contribute to addressing climate change, promoting ecosystem health, advancing economic recovery and supporting historically underserved and excluded communities.

Türkiye Earthquake Response Rapid Needs Assessment in Adıyaman, Gaziantep, and Kahramanmaraş

March 6, 2023

In the early hours of February 6, a record-breaking earthquake struck Türkiye's Pazarcık district in Kahramanmaraş. Registering a 7.8 on the Richter scale, the deadly tremor was felt as far away as Egypt and Cyprus.Within hours, a second earthquake of 7.5 magnitude hit Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş. i Thousands of aftershocks followed in the subsequent days and weeks, including several of magnitudes greater than 5.5—escalating the devastation and hindering search and rescue efforts to free the thousands of people trapped among the nearly 200,000 buildings that collapsed or were severely damaged.Almost a month since the initial earthquake, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) estimates more than 5 million people have been impacted, a large portion of whom will continue to need assistance in the coming weeks and months.vii About 750,000 on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border are believed to be taking refuge in tents, makeshift shelters, or the remnants of destroyed buildings.viii This includes internally displaced populations in northern Syria and thousands of Syrian refugees living in southern Türkiye. Among these highly vulnerable groups are children orphaned or separated from their families by the earthquakes.ix The current situation, coupled with the likelihood that it will take months, if not years, for impacted communities to recover means that significant needs for a coordinated, targeted, and robust intervention across several sectors, including health, mental health and protection services (MHPSS), non-food item (NFI), protection, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Syria/Turkey Earthquakes Situation Report #6

March 2, 2023

FAST FACTS The death toll from earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 50,000 people—including 44,218 deaths recorded in Turkey and 5,914 in Syria. OURFOOTPRINT International Medical Corps has been present in Syria since 2008.We are currently working in 10 governorates across the country, supporting 33 health facilities that in 2022 provided more than 620,000 health consultations and supported 6,850 mental health cases.International Medical Corps worked in Turkey from 2012 until 2018, with extensive programs in southern areas (including Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Mersin and Sanliurfa) providing health, MHPSS, GBV, child protection, nutrition and WASH programs.OUR RESPONSE In Syria, operating three mobile medical units and two mobile medical teams that have provided 4,700 primary and emergency healthcare consultations.Reached more than 1,300 people with psychological first-aid training.Delivered more than 15 metric tons of medications, medical supplies and cholera kits to support facilities in Aleppo, Hama and Lattakia, with more supplies on the way.In Turkey, International Medical Corps has partnered with a local organization to distribute 6,285 non-food items— including winter clothing, towels, blankets and hygiene kits—and more than 700 food baskets to almost 4,800 earthquake-affected people in Hatay

تقييم سريع للاحتياجات: الأثر المباشر لزلزال شباط 2023 ع�� الشر�ات السور�ة الصغ��ة والمتوسطة �� تركيا

March 2, 2023

ت��أقوى الزلازل ال�ي شهد��ا البلاد �� 1 �� 6 شباط2023 ، أدت سلسلة من الزلازل المدمرة �� جنوب تركيا إ�� مقتل أك�� من 000.50�خص �� تركياوسور�ا.المائة عام الماضية عدة هزات ارتدادية عنيفة. �� المقاطعات العشر المتضررة من الزلزال �� جنوب تركيا، ا��ار أك�� من 000,500 مب�ى، وأصبح أك�� من 5.1 مليون2 .ومن ب�ن المتضرر�ن ما يقرب من مليو�ي لا�� سوري �عيشون �� المناطق المتضررة والذين نزحواأساسا �سبب ا�حرب الأهلية المستمرة �� ً �خص بلا مأوى3 سور�كما وجد تالأ بحاث ةالسابق لـ Markets Building ،فقد جلبالسور�ون مهارا��م �� مجال ر�ادة الأعمال ورأس المال إ��تركيا ، حيث أسسوا أك�� من 2500 شركة صغ��ة ومتوسطةا�حجم (KOBİ (المتواجدة �� شبكتنا، وأك�� من 50 ٪م��ا تقع�� المناطق المتضررة من الزلزال جنوب تركيا ، بما �� ذلكمقاطعات أضنة وغازي عنتاب وهاتاي و مرس�ن وأورفھ. � ح�ن أن العديد من هذه الشر�ات الصغ��ة والمتوسطة قد تأثرت بلا شك بالزلزال، إلا أن هناك �عض الأسباب الرئيسية لل��ك�� ع�� �عاف��ا:1 .لتلبية الاحتياجات الفور�ة والعاجلة لأ�حاب الأعمال وموظف��م وعائلا��م ح�ى لا يقعوا �� حالة ضعف أو خطر أك�� .2 .لدعمهم �� إيصال الإغاثة المطلو�ة �شدة �� المناطق ال�ي دمرها الزلزال.3 . .لدعم استعادة سبل العيش لأ�حاب الأعمال وموظف��م.4 .لضمان �عا�� الأسواق ال�ي �عمل ف��ا هذه الشر�ات الفردية. ��دف هذا التقييم السريع للاحتياجات إ�� فهم تأث�� الزلزال ع�� الشر�ات الصغ��ة والمتوسطة ال�ي يملكها السور�ون ويعملون ��ا وعمليا��م التجار�ة واحتياجا��مالأك�� إ�حاحا. ستساعد هذه الدراسة منظمة Markets Building والمنظمات المعنية الأ خرى �� إعطاء الأولو�ة للدعم اللازم لأ�حاب الشر�ات الصغ��ة ًوالمتوسطة والموظف�ن وعائلا��م الف��ة ال�ي ت�� الزلزال مباشرة لمساعد��م ع�� استئناف العمليات التجار�ة ال�املة والمساهمة �� جهود الإغاثة.On February 6, 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye killed more than 50,00 people in the country and Syria.  The most powerful quakes in the country in the last 100 years have been followed by several violent aftershocks. In the ten earthquake-affected provinces in southern Türkiye, more than 500,000 buildings collapsed, and over 1.5 million people have been left homeless. Among those impacted are approximately two million Syrian refugees living in the affected areas and already previously displaced by the ongoing civil war in Syria.As Building Markets' previous research has found, Syrians have brought their entrepreneurial skills and capital to Türkiye, starting the more than 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our network, over 50% of which are located in earthquake-affected areas of southern Türkiye, including in the provinces of Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin, and Sanliurfa.While many of these SMEs have no doubt been impacted by the earthquake, there are a few key reasons to focus on their recovery:To meet the immediate and urgent needs of business owners, their staff, and families so they do not fall into deeper vulnerability or risk.To support them in the delivery of much-needed relief in areas that have been devastated by the earthquake.To support livelihoods recovery for the business owners and their staff.To ensure the markets in which these individual businesses operate can recover.This rapid needs assessment aims to understand the earthquake's impact on Syrian-owned and employing SMEs, their business operations, and their most pressing needs. This study will help Building Markets and other stakeholders prioritize necessary support for SME owners, employees, and their families during the earthquake's immediate aftermath to help them resume full business operations and contribute to the relief effort.

Rapid Needs Assessment: The February 2023 Earthquake’s Immediate Impact on Syrian SMEs in Türkiye

March 2, 2023

On February 6, 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye killed more than 50,00 people in the country and Syria.  The most powerful quakes in the country in the last 100 years have been followed by several violent aftershocks. In the ten earthquake-affected provinces in southern Türkiye, more than 500,000 buildings collapsed, and over 1.5 million people have been left homeless. Among those impacted are approximately two million Syrian refugees living in the affected areas and already previously displaced by the ongoing civil war in Syria.As Building Markets' previous research has found, Syrians have brought their entrepreneurial skills and capital to Türkiye, starting the more than 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our network, over 50% of which are located in earthquake-affected areas of southern Türkiye, including in the provinces of Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin, and Sanliurfa.While many of these SMEs have no doubt been impacted by the earthquake, there are a few key reasons to focus on their recovery:To meet the immediate and urgent needs of business owners, their staff, and families so they do not fall into deeper vulnerability or risk.To support them in the delivery of much-needed relief in areas that have been devastated by the earthquake.To support livelihoods recovery for the business owners and their staff.To ensure the markets in which these individual businesses operate can recover.This rapid needs assessment aims to understand the earthquake's impact on Syrian-owned and employing SMEs, their business operations, and their most pressing needs. This study will help Building Markets and other stakeholders prioritize necessary support for SME owners, employees, and their families during the earthquake's immediate aftermath to help them resume full business operations and contribute to the relief effort.

Hızlı İhtiyaç Analizi: Şubat 2023 Depreminin Türkiye'deki Suriyeli KOBİ'ler Üzerindeki Ani Etkisi

March 2, 2023

6 Şubat 2023'te, Türkiye'nin güneyinde meydana gelen bir dizi yıkıcı deprem, Türkiye ve Suriye'de 50.000'den fazla insanın ölümüne yol açtı. Son 100 yılda ülkede görülen en güçlü sarsıntı olan depremleri birkaç şiddetli artçı şok izledi. Türkiye'nin güneyindeki depremden etkilenen 10 ilde 500.000'den fazla bina çöktü ve 1,5 milyondan fazla insan evsiz kaldı. Etkilenenler arasında, afet bölgesinde yaşayan ve daha önce Suriye'de devam eden iç savaş nedeniyle yerinden edilmiş yaklaşık iki milyon Suriyeli mülteci de var.Building Markets'in daha önceki araştırmalarının ortaya koyduğu gibi, Suriyeliler girişimcilik becerilerini ve sermayelerini Türkiye'ye getirerek ağımızdaki 2.500'den fazla küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmeyi (KOBİ) kurdular; bunların %50'sinden fazlası Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin ve Şanlıurfa illeri de dahil olmak üzere Türkiye'nin güneyindeki depremden etkilenen bölgelerde bulunuyor.Bu KOBİ'lerin birçoğu şüphesiz depremden etkilenmiş olsa da, işletmelerin iyileşmesine odaklanmak için birkaç önemli neden var:İşletme sahiplerinin, çalışanlarının ve ailelerinin acil ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak, böylece daha derin bir kırılganlık veya risk durumuna girmelerini engellemek.Depremde yıkılan bölgelerde çok ihtiyaç duyulan yardımların sağlanmasında onları desteklemek.İşletme sahipleri ve çalışanları için geçim kaynaklarının geri kazanılmasını desteklemek.Söz konusu bireysel işletmelerin faaliyet gösterdiği pazarların toparlanabilmesini sağlamak.Bu hızlı ihtiyaç analizi, depremin Suriyelilere ait ve Suriyelileri istihdam eden KOBİ'ler, onların ticari operasyonları ve en acil ihtiyaçları üzerindeki etkisini anlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu çalışma, Building Markets'in ve diğer paydaşların, depremin hemen ardından KOBİ sahiplerine, çalışanlarına ve ailelerine tam iş operasyonlarına devam etmelerine ve yardım çabalarına katkıda bulunmalarına yardımcı olmak için gerekli desteğe öncelik vermelerine yardımcı olacaktır.On February 6, 2023, a series of devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye killed more than 50,00 people in the country and Syria.  The most powerful quakes in the country in the last 100 years have been followed by several violent aftershocks. In the ten earthquake-affected provinces in southern Türkiye, more than 500,000 buildings collapsed, and over 1.5 million people have been left homeless. Among those impacted are approximately two million Syrian refugees living in the affected areas and already previously displaced by the ongoing civil war in Syria.As Building Markets' previous research has found, Syrians have brought their entrepreneurial skills and capital to Türkiye, starting the more than 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in our network, over 50% of which are located in earthquake-affected areas of southern Türkiye, including in the provinces of Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Mersin, and Sanliurfa.While many of these SMEs have no doubt been impacted by the earthquake, there are a few key reasons to focus on their recovery:To meet the immediate and urgent needs of business owners, their staff, and families so they do not fall into deeper vulnerability or risk.To support them in the delivery of much-needed relief in areas that have been devastated by the earthquake.To support livelihoods recovery for the business owners and their staff.To ensure the markets in which these individual businesses operate can recover.This rapid needs assessment aims to understand the earthquake's impact on Syrian-owned and employing SMEs, their business operations, and their most pressing needs. This study will help Building Markets and other stakeholders prioritize necessary support for SME owners, employees, and their families during the earthquake's immediate aftermath to help them resume full business operations and contribute to the relief effort.

Türkiye Earthquakes - Rapid Needs Assessment Report

March 2, 2023

The purpose of this rapid needs assessment (RNA) is to quickly gather information about the immediate needs of individuals and communities affected by the February 6 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. The assessment was conducted at the initial stages of the Corus response to provide timely and accurate information to inform the relief efforts.