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Communities affected by a disaster often lack basic water and sanitation facilities. They are also likely to be traumatized and vulnerable to disease. The disturbance to familiar and safe practices or the relocation to new environments can result in hygiene behaviour becoming unsafe. All these factors can contribute to the high risk of disease and epidemics.
 
This techical notes explains why hygiene promotion is important in emergencies and describes how to carry it out.

Contents:

Preventing the spread of disease

Minimum standards

How to wash hands thoroughly

Principles of hygiene promotion

Planning hygiene promotion

Facilitators

Promotion tools and communication methods

Other practical actions
 

During and shortly after an emergency, it is often necessary to quickly provide a basic water supply for the affected population. This may be because the normal systems of supply have been damaged or destroyed. The most common, immediate solution is to hire vehicles and tanks that have been used for other purposes or to retrieve collapsible tanks from an emergency store. In either case, they must be cleaned and disinfected before being used.
 
This techical note outlines a four-step approach to cleaning and disinfecting water tanks and tankers.

Contents:

Steps for rehabilition

Step 1: Select the tanks to use

Step 2: Cleaning

Step 3: Disinfection

Step 4: Safely dispose of waste liquids
 

In urban areas, the population may be entirely reliant on the public water supply system for their drinking water. Modern water treatment works rely on the inputs of skilled operators as well as supplies of chemicals, electricity and machinery. A disaster can cause extensive damage to the works leading to a reduced or even a total loss of output.
 
This techical notes identifies the first steps to take towards rehabilitating a water treatment works after an emergency.

Contents:

Steps of rehabilitation

Assess the situation

Deciding what to do first

Pumps and power

Works operation

Public information

Dealing with the dead is one of the most difficult aspects of a disaster response. This is not usually due to health-related risks, which are likely to be negligible, but to the social and political impact of the trauma.
 
This techical notes outlines the health implications of dealing with mass fatalities and priority actions that need to be considered when planning for the collection and disposal of the dead.

Contents:

Health risks from mass fatalities

Priority tasks

Dealing with medical emergencies

Missing persons
 

Water is essential for life, health and human dignity. In extreme situations, there may not be sufficient water available to meet basic needs and in these cases, supplying a level of safe drinking water for survival is of critical importance. Insufficient water and the consumption of contaminated water are usually the first and main causes of ill health to affect displaced populations during and after a disaster.
 
This techical notes considers the minimum quantities of water that are required for survival in emergencies.

Contents:

Factors affecting water requirements

The Sphere Standards

How much water does an individual use

Priorities for water

Water sources and quality

Sanitation and water requirement

Accessibility

Water for non-domestic use

Step-by-step improvements

Calculating water demand

Ensuring supply has an impact
 

The safe disposal of solid waste is critical for public health during an emergency. Not only will existing collection and disposal systems be disrupted, but there will be extra waste caused by the emergency itself. Initially, for new sites such as refugee camps, there will be no arrangements in place at all. If solid waste is not dealt with quickly, serious health risks will develop which will further demoralize the community already traumatized by the emergency.
 
This techical notes highlights the key issues to consider in managing solid waste during and shortly after a disaster.

Contents:

What is solid waste

The objective of managing solid waste

Assessment

Disposal of waste caused by a disaster

Domestic waste

Other important factors
 

The pressure to help people immediately after a disaster often leads to actions starting before they have been properly planned. Wide experience has shown taht this wastes resources and results in poor service delivery and few long term benefits for the affected community. This is teh case for emergency disposal of excreta as it is for any other emergency intervention.
 
This techical notes is a guide to teh planning process of excreta disposal during the two phases of an emergency. Technical options are presented in technical note no.14.

Contents:

Stages in an emergency

Stages in planning

Rapid assessment

Community participation

Should you get involved

SPHERE Guidelines

Outline Design

Immediate action

Detailed design

Implementation
 

Sanitation is the efficient disposal of excreta, urine, refuse, and sullage. Initially, indiscriminate defecation is usually the main health hazard in refugee camps.
 
This techical notes outlines ways in which excreta and urine can be managed during the early stages of an emergency, while long-term solutions are devised. (See Technical Note 7 for guidance on managing solid waste) The technical options for emergency excreta disposal are limited and simple. If they are to work, however, they must be properly managed and be understood and supported by the community.

Contents:

Immediate measures

Managing open defecation

Shallow family latrines

Shallow trench latrines

Deep trench latrines

Making use of existing facilities

Mobile latrine blocks

Borehole latrines

Packet and plastic bags

Chemical toilets

Overhung latrines

Raised latrines

Long-term solutions
 

Many people living in coastal regions rely on shallow groundwater for their water supply. Seawater flooding after a severe storm or tsunami can damage wells and contaminate the groundwater.
 
This techical notes provides advice for rehabilitating wells in such circumstances. It should used in conjunction with Technical Note 1 which provides general information about rehabilitating wells after a disaster.

Contents:

Rehabilitation and cleaning of wells

Step 1: Removing debris and excess salinity

Step 2: Natural cleaning

Step 3: Disinfect the well

Precautions
 

As the quality of water can be seriously affected by a disaster or an emergency, it is best practice to disinfect all emergency water supplies. The most common way of doing this is with chlorine.
 
This techical notes explains why disinfection is important, why chlorine is used, how it works, how to test for its presence and where and when to test.

Contents:

Why should emergency water supplies be disinfected

What is disinfection

How does chlorine work

Chlorine residual

Testing for chlorine residual

When and where to test water