Bridging Science and Practice: Exploring the Updated UNDAC Handbook
Earlier this year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) published the 8th edition of the UNDAC Handbook.
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and coordination (UNDAC) Handbook is designed to be a readily-available reference manual for UNDAC team members before and during disaster or emergency response missions. Rather than providing authoritative instructions, it captures the accumulated institutional memory of processes and procedures for effective coordination. UN OCHA manages the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system.
One of the most significant updates in this new edition is the inclusion of a dedicated chapter on hazard impacts. This chapter summarises the potential impacts of common natural hazards that UNDAC teams might encounter. Its primary aim is to assist in understanding immediate needs after a sudden-onset disaster and to develop hazard-specific literacy among UNDAC members and other first responders.
While the summaries in this chapter do not offer detailed analyses of each hazard’s impact, they serve as a helpful starting point for emergency response. Each disaster has its own unique characteristics, and contextual factors will greatly influence humanitarian needs and response. This chapter can guide initial information collection and response planning following a hazard alert.
The following hazards are covered: earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, floods, volcanoes, wildfires, and droughts. Each section provides early warning options, rapid impact estimations, potential impacts on the physical environment and population, possible aggravating factors, and typical emergency management needs. Additionally, the text outlines hazard-specific concerns to be aware of when deploying to a disaster area. Given its specificity, a separate chapter addresses respiratory infections and other airborne-transmitted pathogens such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), and other respiratory viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential.
This handbook update is the result of robust collaboration between scientific institutions and experienced international disaster managers from the UNDAC community. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) spearheaded the initiative, together with UN OCHA/UNDAC, and conducted the initial review of reference sources. These included the JRC itself, such as the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre, DRM Taxonomy, and Copernicus Emergency Management Service; the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); the International Science Council (ISC) with its Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs); and the World Meteorological Organisation’s Coordination Mechanism (WCM).
Contributions from scientists from the JRC, the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss), the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the International Science Council, the UK Health Security Agency, UNESCO, the University of Florence, and the WMO further strengthened and reshaped the findings. UN OCHA/ UNDAC experts then refined these insights, integrating extensive operational knowledge and experience from real events to produce the final version.
The collaborative process between two different mindsets – scientists and practitioners – not only produced valuable guidance materials but also created a fruitful process and established a foundation for ongoing dialogue. This continuous exchange is vital for bridging the gap between the scientific community, disaster managers, and humanitarian practitioners, fostering a deeper understanding of hazards and improving our collective understanding and response to various disasters.