Metropolitan Model United Nations Conference XLII United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Environmental Sustainability: Management of Refugee Camps

Though essential for millions of people, refugee camps have numerous detrimental effects on the environment. Large numbers of individuals settling in small areas or villages can potentially threaten the local ecosystem. efugees and internally displaced persons !I"#s$ often have no choice but to depend on their surroundings for their survival. %ood may be collected to be burned for heat, trees are cut to build and support simple shelters, and plants are gathered as a source of food and medicine. &lthough refugees use natural resources to fulfill basic needs, this results in harsh damage to the surroundings and conse'uences felt beyond the local region. efugee camps are often overcro(ded) the ma*ority of environmental concerns stem from this problem. efugee camps are intended as temporary settlements for those (ho are forced by their circumstances to relocate from their homes. +uite often, refugees remain in these camps for years more than the camps (ere intended to be maintained. ,imple solutions such as harvesting (ood to cooand hunting (ildlife for food, rather than the formation of more permanent arrangements (hich (ould cause less environmental harm, are often preferred, as there is rarely ample time to prepare for emergency circumstances. .et the goal here is not necessarily to prepare refugee camps for longer terms of refugee stay, but to find cost/effective solutions that do not reduce the (ell/being and 'uality of life of refugees. Many camps have ta-en steps to(ard environmental protection. Notably, the UN0C (or-ed closely (ith a temporary 1thiopian camp of ,udanese refugees to educate the people, especially the younger generation, about (ays to protect the environment. The people of the camp have collected primarily dead (ood, so fe(er live trees are cut, have used efficient stoves, have implemented methods of (ater

conservation and have planted thousand of trees through a tree planting campaign. Not only has this improved environmental conservation, but as a result the local community has granted the camp additional land. &nother refugee camp in 2enya embraced ne( technologies by using solar coo-ers as a substitute for (ood burning stoves and solar electricity for lighting. This improves the safety of refugees at night and lights classrooms during the day. Unfortunately, fe( camps are able to implement these technologies as they are 'uite e3pensive. efugees (ho lac- the essentials needed for survival often become desperate, resulting in a disregard for environmental conservation. Not only does this damage the environment, but refugees may put themselves in dangerous situations in search of resources, (hich only amplifies the problem. & large refugee camp in 1astern Chad provides an e3treme illustration of this issue. efugees are not permitted to leave this camp) ho(ever, (omen search for (ood outside the camp, a crime for (hich they may be beaten. To protect refugees from (ater contamination in these areas, animal carcasses are burned, re'uiring further (ood consumption. The poor location of the camp offers the UN0C fe( options for helping these refugees. In situations as drastic as this, the most successful solution available is the relocation of refugees to more suitable regions) ho(ever, refugees often (ish to remain near the home countries to (hich they plan on returning. 4or this and other reasons, they are often un(illing to move. ,cenarios such as this greatly hasten desertification, the deterioration of fertile areas near a desert by overuse of the land resources. &ctions need to be ta-en to protect the environment and avoid global conflicts. The UN0C outlines four principles of action5 integration, prevention before cure, cost/effectiveness, and local participation. &ny UN0C solution (ill re'uire collaboration and compromise to properly address all aspects of this gro(ing problem. Questions to Consider: 0o( has your nation been environmentally affected by the settlement of refugees6

 "oes your nation have a significant number of refugee camps6 %hat actions have your nation ta-en or proposed to protect environmental stability6 %hat role can the UN0C play in minimi7ing the negative impacts of refugee camps on the environment6 Helpful Links: http588(((.unhcr.org8pages89:c;<9<c=>a.html http588(((.theblue-ey.org8press8release?scarcity.php