zaatari environmental report, january 2014[1]

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Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment, of the Zaatari camp, Jordan

Towards a green response

Prepared for UNHCR, Amman, Jordan

Final draft (corrected 1) 20/01/2014 (Thomas Palo)

Picture 1. View of the Zaatari camp from the south, photo UNHCR, July 2013

The views expressed in this report represent those of the author. This is what I saw,

what I learned and what I suggest.

For information on the assessment report contact: R. Thomas Palo, UNHCR, Amman,

Jordan, [email protected]

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Content

1. Acknowledgement

2. Prologue

3. Acronyms

4. Executive summary

5. Background of the Zaatari camp in relation to Jordan environmental

situation

5.1 Jordan environment

5.2 Zaatari camp

6. Mission purpose

7. REA, EIA, FRAME and RIAM methodology

8. Baseline analysis and mitigation actions by sector

8.1 Baseline for coordination, management and environmental planning

8.1.1. Mitigation activities

8.2 Baseline for site selection and ecosystem

8.2.1 Mitigation activities

8.3 Water and hydrological conditions


8.4 Baseline for energy provision


8.5 Baseline for solid waste


8.6 Baseline for waste water


8.7 Baseline for environmental health


9. Conclusions

10. References

Annex 1. ToR

Annex 2. Technical description of RIAM score

Annex 3. List of Actors

Annex 4. Key contacts

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1. Acknowledgement

The author wants to express his thanks to the many individuals and organizations that

provided input to this environmental assessment. UNICEF, ACTED, and OPEN

HANDS were among those giving extra assistance. Substantial support was given

from UNHCR staff in Amman office and in Zaatari refugee camp. MSB provided

support and suggestions during the mission.

All the Syrian people, who suffered from the war fleeing their homes and livelihood,

seeking safety, dignity and relief in the Zaatari camp.

2. Acronyms

ACTED= Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

CARE= Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere

CCCM= Camp Coordination and Camp Management

CSM= Conceptual Site Model

EIA= Environmental Impact Assessment

EPI= Environmental Performance Index

FAO= Food and Agricultural Organization

FRAME= Frame work for Assessing, Monitoring and Evaluating the Environment in

refugee-related operations

HFDJB= Hashemite Fund for the Development of the Jordan Badia

ICARDA= International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

JEN= Japan Emergency NGO

JNECE= Jordan Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement

MoE = Ministry of the Environment

MSB -=Swedish Contingencies Agency

MWI= Ministry of Water and Irrigation

NCARE= National Center for Agriculture, Research and Extension

REA - Rapid Environmental Assessment

OXFAM= Humanitarian NGO

RIAM= Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix

RSCN= Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature

RSS= Royal Scientific Society

UNICEF = United Nations Childrens Fund UNDP = United Nations Development Program

UNEP = United Nations Environmental Program

UNHCR = United Nations High Commission for Refugees

USAID = United States Agency for International Development

ToR= Terms of Reference

WASH= Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

WFP= World Food Program

WHO= World Health Organization

WV= World Vision

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3. Prologue

Why environmental concerns in emergency and humanitarian operations? The

question is not trivial, in crisis many concerns need to be considered and rapid

decisions to be taken. Camp management have many priorities and day to day

activities that occupy the time and that need attention. In the crisis and emergency

situations environmental issues are not traditionally premier activities in the

operations. Decisions on actions are therefore not always based on the best

information and may lead to further degradation of the environment and increased

vulnerability for displaced persons, more work and pressure on humanitarian staff and

higher costs for management. Environmental concerns is not only about direct effects

by the refugee situation, it reflects and are based on good operating procedures and

management skills in the humanitarian organizations, partners and contractors, it thus

reflects the efficiency and quality of the intervention. Thus, environmental assessment

should be considered as an integral part of the wider situation analysis. There are

accumulating knowledge and experiences that, if not the environmental dimension is

taken into consideration, both short term and long term complications will rise.

UNHCR has taken a step forward by initiating this assessment and the suggestions

presented here may serve as a baseline and a background for the future

implementation of environmental dimensions in the organization. Reasons to

implement an environmental program in the camp are summarized in figure 1.

Figure 1. Benefit from an environmental program in refugee camp interventions.

4. Executive Summary

This assessment points out major environmental sectors of concern in the management

of the Zaatari camp and at UNHCR. The assessment gives a baseline of the

environmental situation in the camp from which mitigation action could be planned

and implemented. It is inevitably so that a refugee camp of the size of Zaatari has

impacts that are important for the environmental conditions. The magnitude of change

of the environment could be classified as negatively significant compared to before

the establishment of the camp. On a national scale the influx of refugees has caused a

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heavy burden as comes to energy, water and food resources, especially in the northern

directorates (Schaffer 2013).

Even though UNHCR shows the will for a greater environmental commitment, there is

no natural place for environmental issues in the organization and no clear chain of

command or focal point for these questions. It shows the need of an implementation

plan of environmental guidelines, monitoring programs, reporting, plan of action and

responsibility within UNHCR and its operations. This report highlights some specific

sectors where the environmental impact is particularly important and how these are

interrelated between sectors and partners. It also suggests that coordination and

advocacy of environmental standards need to be a UNHCR responsibility with

implementation to partners and contractors involved in the operation. A suggestion is

to set up a special environmental coordination function with the task to oversee

planning and sector wise activities from an environmental perspective. This focal

function should have responsibility for monitoring programs with partners, reporting

duty at coordination meetings at camp level and at cluster coordination meetings.

The following sector wise recommendations are put forward for mitigation and

indicators of change.

1. UNHCR environmental management is regarded to have slight negative to negative impacts

on the environment (Figure 2). This is due to lack of

an environmental program and coordination

function for environmental issues that monitor

changes and suggests mitigation activities. For

camp management and for UNHCR it is suggested

to foster an organizational culture that takes

environmental concerns into consideration in all

interventions. The environmental sector should

have a position within the organization and a role to

ensure minimum standard of environmental concern.

This could be accomplished with a program for

capacity building, for instance that staff take the

basic training offered by UNDP. Partnership with

Jordanian organizations such as JNECE and RSCN

should be established to give national and local

benefits to the intervention.

2. The camp site location is judged to have moderate negative effect since it is in a degraded

agricultural land and with small ecological values.

The aquifer is one concern but the risk for

contamination of ground water regarded as small.

However, mitigation activities to protect the aquifer

by control of waste water release are envisaged. The

camp location in an agricultural area and the sheer

size of the camp creates tensions and complaints

among residence and from the society. This could

be mitigated by ensuring that the size of the camp is

not extended and that effects by litter, pollution and

waste water are not accumulated in the catchment

area and in the camp.

The Environment The environment is understood as the physical, chemical and biological surroundings in which disaster affected and local communities live and develop their livelihoods. It provides the natural resources that sustain individuals, and determines the quality of the surroundings in which they live. It needs protection if these essential functions are to be maintained. The Minimum Standards address the need to prevent over exploitation, pollution and degradation of environmental conditions. Their proposed minimal preventive actions aim to secure the life-supporting functions of the environment, and seek to introduce mechanisms that foster the adaptability of natural systems for self-recovery. From The Sphere Project, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standard for Humanitarian Response, page 13)

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3. Water is provided from bore holes and trucked to storage tanks. Water use in general is regarded as having significant negative impact from an

environmental perspective. The limited water resources, transports, spill,

leakage and drainage contribute to this judgement. Mitigation measures to

minimize spill and leakage from tanks should be implemented. Even though

this is a continuing effort from camp management, the WASH refugee

community may not take full responsibility to achieve this and to save water.

Clear instructions and capacity building of the refugee community members in

maintenance of the water facilities and conservation are actions to be up held

and sustained.

4. Privatisation of water and sanitation facilities is ongoing activities among the refugees and causes problem with leakage into open pits. Apart from

continuous desludging of the pits an implementation of an awareness program

in the camp to prevent unhygienic situation and spread of wild sanitation

solutions is encouraged. A sewage facility is under planning and will improve

waste water situation. The waste water management is scored to have

significant negative impact on the environment. This is due to open pits,

transports and risk for the health situation. Technical solutions for waste water

reuse should be investigated. For this FAO could be a useful partner.

5. Waste handling is causing large flows of unsorted material, a lot of transports and wind dispersed waste at collection points. Measurement of the waste

composition should be undertaken to estimate how recycling could be

achieved. From this decision could be taken if composting is a feasible

solution for organic waste and the attitudes towards this practice among the

refugees. Incineration is also an option for solid waste after recovery and

recycling of fractions to reduce volume and transports. A discussion with ME

to approve such a facility should be initiated.

6. Electricity is supplied to camp from the Jordanian electricity grid. Gas is used for cooking and heating. A lot of transports cause heavy fuel use. The use of

fossil resources results in a large carbon footprint for the camp. It is

recommended that any alternative sources of energy should be considered and

that energy saving measures especially for transports should be implemented.

This could be achieved by more efficient transport planning in the camp.

7. Environmental health is closely linked to mitigation activities in other sectors particularly in WASH. The provision of adequate sanitation facilities, proper

disposal of all waste as well as control of the carriers of communicable

diseases, mosquitoes, rats, mice and flies, is crucial to mitigate health risks and

prevent epidemics. A rat control campaign started in January as a part of

mitigation of health risks.

A scoring exercise using the RIAM methodology summarizes the relative importance

of the sectors from an environmental point of view (see annex 2). The score is shown

in figure 2 and shows negative impact.

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Figure 2. Environmental impact scores for different sectors. Score 0 to-9= No or slight

impact, -10 to -18= Negative impact, -19 to -35= Moderate negative impact, -36 to -

71= Significant negative impact, -72 to -108= Major negative impact.

5. Background of the Zaatari camp in relation to Jordan environmental situation

5.1 Jordan environment

Jordan has been ranked 70th among 149 countries in the 2008 Environment

Performance Index (EPI), a position described by the Ministry of Environment

(MoE)as "notable progress" that needs to be built on in the future. Jordan has given

high priority to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity components. Jordan

government put 0.8% of its GDP or 2.3% of government spending on environmental

protection (Sweepnet 2010). In view of its position in a region of uncertain political

condition, the climatic conditions, refugee influx, the countrys rapid development and urbanization, environmental situation is under concern. Long term over exploitation

has led to habitat fragmentation and ecosystem degradation in many parts of the

country. This situation is also manifested in financial constraints, which have impeded

adequate progress in implementing conservation programs. One critical issue is water

resources and supply and the Jordan government has decided on ambitious programs

to secure water provision and to bring down excess water use with the aim to restore

aquifers (Jordan water strategy 2008-2022). The Mafraq region, where Zaatari is

located is characterized by a very sparse vegetation cover and an annual rainfall of

less than 200 mm ( Al Ayyash et al. 2012) In the past it was only used for grazing. In

the last two decades irrigation using underground water, to grow vegetables,

especially tomatoes, water melon and potatoes plus fruit trees and cereals, especially

wheat are the major agricultural products (FAO 2013).The major user of pumped

water is agriculture using 72% of the water. In addition Jordan shows a rapid

population growth about 2.2% annually estimated from the birth statistics resulting in

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

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Enviro

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health

Waste w

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Solid

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Energy so

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Site selection

Env M

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Envi

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a doubling of the population in only 35 years (Ref) . Influx of refugees adds to this

figure but numbers are highly dynamic. The water situation is and will continue to be

a pressing issue for Jordan. At present the ground water aquifer in the Al Zarqa basin,

where the Zaatari camp is located, is over pumped with 270% to cover the need for

Jordan society. This is of course not sustainable in the long term and according to

model calculation the major ground water reservoirs will dry out in just 10-15 years

(Comair et al.2012).

This background situation is also giving the frame for the camp setting in Zaatari and

the environmental concerns.

5.2 Zaatari camp

Living in a camp as a refugee is not easy; it is a completely new environment that put

extraordinary pressures on sustaining in a situation with insufficient resources for

daily needs, for livelihood, health and leisure. The continuing war in Syria has caused

massive movement of refugees fleeing the situation who migrate to neighbouring

countries, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians. As of

September 2013, more than 2 million people is estimated to have fled from Syria to

neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq, putting an increasing strain on

the governments and host communities (UNHCR RRP 6). Jordan host 576354

registered refugees as of 31 December 2013 and total refugee numbers are steadily

increasing at the time of writing this REA during September-December 2013.

However, the total number of refugees in the country is assumed to be much higher

and estimates to be around a million people displaced. In order to handle this

humanitarian catastrophe and to meet the need of displaced persons several refugee

camps have been established by UNHCR in northern Jordan. Zaatari is the largest

camp and was near full capacity by May 2013 and the REACH report for November

2013 gives the total number of individuals in the camp as 74447, the number of

families as 16110and the number of households as 13352 (REACH Shelter Report,

2013). In the camp there are 23334 shelters (tents+caravans), about 3000 shops and

850 food outlets, all facilities characteristic for a major city. This makes Zaatari a

densely populated camp in comparison with major cities in Jordan and refugee camps

in the world. The figure of number of refugees in the camp is highly dynamic and

changes occur fast and on short notice. The camp population has decreased by 35%

since May to December, 2013.

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Figure 3. Geographical location of the Zaatari cami in Jordan. (From Alraggad 2013)

The area for the camp was selected by the Jordanian government and located in an

area with rangeland and some agriculture in the surroundings (Figure 3). It has been a

traditionally used for grazing by sheep and for cultivation of olives. It covers in total

about 9 km2 and is located about 10 km east of the Mafraq city and about 14 km south

of the Syrian border. The Zaatari camp lies in the northern part of the Badia desert.

The pressure on the land has increased due to the population increase in Jordan and

increased demand of agricultural products. The wadi in the west of the camp is used

for cultivation of tomatoes and vegetables. The agricultural sector is totally dependent

on irrigation and pumping of water from wells. Some fast growing crops after rain is

also cultivated in the area. The surface of the camp has been levelled out when

constructed rendering a rather flat ground with a base course to improve drainage. The

camp has existed for a year and a half as in December 2013 and could at present be

regarded as a semi-permanent city. The emergency phase is over and the current

planning more directed towards management and longer term operation of the camp.

This includes maintenance of superstructures and development of new infrastructures

that increase the service level to refugees. The camp is also reorganized to improve

living conditions for the refugees.

In Al Zaatari camp the infrastructure is in continuous change but the current master

plan organises the camp into 12 districts. The initial high influx of refugees in the

spring of 2013 made the situation emergent and the camp layout was not

systematically organized, refugees settled as they arrived in a more or less random

distribution. The area occupied by the camp at present is about half that provided by

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the government. There is a possibility to extend the camp towards the south if needed.

The camp area is filling up and the free space available for a couple of months ago the

eastern part of the camp is now occupied.

The population density in the camp is about 14000 persons/km2 in the most densely

populated districts 1, 2 and 3 (REACH, December 2013), which is high in comparison

to the worlds most densely populated cities, for instance Mumbai (30000

persons/km2), Shanghai (14000/km

2). This situation makes the general internal

environment in the camp complicated and environmental actions challenging. The

camp population has declined by 35% by December 2013 compared to May 2013

(REACH, December 2013) making it more manageable and with higher service

level.The camp is divided by a main road stretching in south north direction, with the

oldest part of the camp west of the road and the newer setting east of the road. This

road have shops of different kinds with a lot of business going on, it is the pulse vein

of activities within the camp. The material flow through private enterprises is not

known but it is estimated that the monthly turnover corresponds to 6 million JD per

year (Kleinschmidt pers. com.). UNHCR provide 24.5 tons of bread per month and

4873 meals per month (UNHCR November, 2013).

In District 1, the oldest part of the camp, initiatives with private sanitation is common

and several different solutions are found. Some are open pits and with drainage of

mostly grey water directly from the shelter to the surrounding ground. An estimate is

that 40% of the household have constructed their own sanitation facility. These private

pits with water sipping out possess a health risk and measures are underway from the

camp management to address this issue. A improved drainage is under construction

and a pipe system connected to the drainage leading to a collection tank is planned

(THW, OXFAM).

The basic needs for the displaced are provided with provision of water, sanitation and

hygiene facilities. Shelters are provided as tents and a change to pre-fabricated

caravans is on its way for winterization. Currently 27101 shelters, 412 holding tanks,

around 400 WASH blocks, 2500 toilets and about 1300 water tanks are providing

basic support (ACTED, November 22, 2013). For solid waste about 700, 1 m3 bins

are distributed within the camp. 12 small trucks, 2 lorries and 6 compaction trucks

provide transport of solid waste (ACTED, November 22, 2013). The maintenance of

these facilities requires a lot of transports and 255 round trips per day by 88 trucks is

done for water provision, on average 12.8 km drive within the camp for each truck per

day. For desludging, 22 trucks of different sizes are working three times a day using

4000 l of fuel per day, in total 66 trips a day (Open hands, December 08, 2013). The

sludge is transported to Al-Akeider sewage plant in Irbid. UNHCR staff and partners

commute daily from Amman to the camp. For UNHCR, 49 vehicles provide

transportation using about 700 litre of fuel per day.

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The base course which is put to provide drainage and protection from the soil is not

covering the soil everywhere. Where the soil is exposed in the camp its fine clay like

structure gives very low infiltration rate which makes water standing in low areas of

the camp. This together with spill from private sanitation increases the risk for

diseases such as diarrhea and gives an unpleasant muddy ground during rains.

Picture 2. Water sipping out from tanks and private pits with risk of bacterial

contamination and an unpleasant ground. Photo Thomas Palo

6. Mission purpose

MSB partnership with UNHCR has identified the environment as a prioritized area for

investigation. An environmental scoping mission was conducted by MSB in

September 2012 in the Zaatari camp and a technical assessment done on the WASH

sector in January 2013 (Mellgren 2013). The scoping mission identified some key

issues and suggested a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (REA) to be carried

out for this camp. The aim of the current mission is to collect and analyze base line

data and to suggest appropriate monitoring of the environmental situation in the camp.

The baseline serves as a situation analysis that could be followed up at some future

time.

In the following impressions from the camp are summarized according to sectors and

some suggestions put forward when appropriate. Not all sectors are covered in detail

due to lack of information or that the sector is considered as of minor importance

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compared to others from an environmental perspective. Focus in this report is mainly

on camp management, water situation, waste water, solid waste, and the energy sector.

Limitations in this assessment are that data is not always available and the mission is

larger and more complex than anticipated. At time being the Zaatari camp has been in

use for over a year and has been in full operation since May 2013. The environmental

baseline is thus set by current conditions but with reference to major changes and

impacts relative population changes with more refugees leaving the camp than is

entering the camp. TOR for the mission isfound in annex 1. The detailed technical

analysis with scores and descriptions are presented in Annex 2. Actors within the

camp are presented in Annex 3 and key contacts in Annex 4.

7. REA, EIA, FRAME and RIAM methodology

REA and EIA are common tools in some form or another for planning and decision

making in large scale projects. EIA is mandatory in most countries and should be

conducted whenever development projects and strategies are considered. It has not

been widely used in refugee camp situations, but a few have been conducted in Guinea

and Haiti (http://www.grid.unep.ch/guinea. Kelly 2010, Palo 2010). The

UNHCR/CARE FRAME toolkit gives guidelines how to conduct an REA and EIA.

(http://www.unhcr.org/4a97aa739.html ). REA is a focused environmental study of the

likely impacts of projects/activities that do not require the more formalised and

detailed approach of an environmental assessment to be undertaken. The aim is to give

a baseline that could serve as a background for an EIA or future changes of the

operations. Although seen as a useful tool in improving planning decisions, REA and

EIA suffer from subjective assessments that it is neither reproducible nor transparent.

The FRAME guidelines and score card is a long and complex method and for this

assessment the toolkit is not adapted to desert conditions but covers most sectors. An

alternative is the RIAM software that is an environmental system of scoring within a

matrix that has been designed to allow subjective judgments to be quantitatively

recorded. This makes the assessment possible to be re-assessed by other investigators.

Thus the RIAM method is selected over the FRAME methodology, but this REA

follow to large extent FRAME guidelines but is modified to suit the situation relevant

for the Zaatari camp and in a desert environment. The technical part of the RIAM is

shown in Annex 2.

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Here an outline is presented to guide the work and activities

according to ToR (Annex 1). The work has proceeded in

different steps according to the REA process and includes the

following activities;

Step 1. Understanding of the camp system by development of

a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) and baseline data that address

the specific characteristics of the camp. The following basic

questions could be asked;

a) What is known about the site , data availability, maps b) What is not known about the site , gap analysis of

missing facts

c) What questions need to be answered, related to environmental issues

d) What kind of approval/decisions need to be made in planning from a legislative and policy context

e) Investigation of environmental activities and resources

These questions form the initial phase of the REA.

Step 2. Critical environmental considerations and key

influencing factors

a) Analyze and identify root causes of problems with current set up

b) Identify and understand how problems are linked c) Identify key areas of further analysis

Step 3. Integrated environmental impact of the relief action

a) Find relevant indicators related to sectors b) Integration and system analysis

From the mission by MSB conducted in January 2013 a ToR

was formulated with broad goals including and extending the

above mentioned issues (see annex 1).

8. Baseline analysis and mitigation actions by sector

8.1 Baseline for coordination, management and

environmental planning

The UNHCR takes the overall responsibility for the

management of refugees and for the establishment, the

Key Environmental

Guidances;

Handbook of Selected Lessons

Learned from the Field:

Refugee Operations and

Environmental Management

(UNHCR)

Refugee Operations and

Environmental Management -

Key Principles for Decision

Makers (UNHCR)

Environmental Guidelines for

Small-Scale Activities in

Africa; Chapter 10:

Humanitarian Response and

Natural Disasters. 2nd Edition

(USAID)

FRAME Toolkit: Framework

for Assessing, Monitoring and

Evaluating the environment in

refugee-related operations

(UNHCR and CARE

International)

Environmental Needs

Assessment in Post-Disaster

Situations. A Practical Guide

for Implementation (UNEP)

Transitional Settlement:

Displaced Populations.

University of Cambridge/

Shelterproject and Oxfam UK

(The Max Lock Centre,

Corsellis, T. and Vitale, A).

Checklist-Based Guide to

Identifying Critical

Environmental Considerations

in Emergency Shelter Site

Selection, Construction,

Management and

Decommissioning

(ProAct/Shelter Cluster)

Ecological Sanitation

(Stockholm Environment

Institute)

RIAM, http://www.dhigroup.com/MIK

ECUSTOMISEDbyDHI/RIAM.

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operation and the development of camps. The WASH Sector is led by UNICEF in

coordination with UNHCR as Camp Managers.

UNICEF, coordinates the provision of all works and services in respects of water

supply and sanitation. Various other organizations and numerous NGOs are

implementing partners of UNICEF and UNHCR and take responsibility for certain

tasks, such as waste handling and water provision. A schematic picture of the

organization is shown below (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Organizational scheme of the Zaatari camp management with partners.

Numbers refers to districts in the camp.

The need for an environmentally sound response is generally accepted for UNHCR

operations in Jordan, but the implementation of an environmental dimension as a cross

sectorial operation is not in place in the organization, leading to a weak focus on

environmental issues in relation to emergency response. There are many offices,

NGOs and contractors involved making information and management a challenge and

when it comes to common guidelines of environmental concern the standards differs

between partners. Two examples from major partners, OXFAM has a comprehensive

environmental policy while ACTED does not have a written policy

(http://www.oxfam.org.uk/, http://www.acted.org ). The lead agency for

environmental responsibility is somewhat unclear and how responsibility is

taken/divided among actors not obvious. The lack of environmental staff in UNHCR

organization put these issues in the marginal. The size of the camp in relation to

surrounding population makes management, coordination of environmental issues

difficult and a challenge.

UNHCR (1996) key environmental principles are ;

- preventing environmental degradation from happening, in the first instance is the most effective strategy

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- attaching a monetary value to natural resources can reduce the level of those resources consumed

- environmental projects need not be complex or costly - influencing policies can be as important as defining practice - the roles and responsibilities of actors and stakeholders need to be clearly

defined.

At present many environmental actions are donor driven and started ad hoc, for

instance the implementation of solar driven streets lights are dependent on funds

earmarked for this purpose. In the table 1 below an environmental benchmark is

provided based on the impressions of UNHCR environmental work during the mission.

The rank is as follows; high = Policy, guidelines, strategy and plan of action exist and

in operation, Medium = Policy exist and guidelines but lack implementation and plan

of action, Low = Policy exist but lack guidelines, implementation program and plan

of action. This ranking is judged from the following premises; Awareness of

environmental issues, capacity for handling the issues, implementation program

within the intervention, and position of environmental issues in the organization

(Table 1).

Table 1. Benchmarking of environmental sector within UNHCR

Environmental benchmarks Characteristics

Will within UNHCR High

Environmental strategy High

Implementation of strategy Medium/low

Environmental culture/awareness Medium

Complexity of partnership High

Capacity building Medium/low

For environmental relevant information there is a lack of a structural and coordinated

monitoring program that provides data to be used for improvements. One example on

this is the waste sector (see below).

The environmental score is -14 that is a negative impact (see annex 2). This judgement

is based on the criteria that the management is important to areas immediately outside

the local condition and contribute to a negative change from status quo.


The environmental principles adopted by UNHCR are basically sound (see above)but

need to be refined and the goal more clearly stated, it should give higher priority to

environmental issues early in operations and be a cross cutting issue in all sectors.

Both normative and operational activities should be viewed from an environmental

perspective. Costs for environmental actions and concerns should be internalized into

operation costs for the different sectors. A good environmental approach is beneficial

to the beneficiaries and for the camp management.

In general it is found that environmental considerations do not have a natural place

within the operation. Although, this assessment shows that the will for incorporation

of environmental guidelines and procedures are high. UNHCR have guidelines how to

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perform assessment and monitoring through the FRAME package but these need to be

used and mainstreamed.

Many partners monitor, collect data and measure performance on their activities. For

instance REACH makes sweeps in the camp for collection of specific data and

information, each partner has information on contractors etc. This capacity could be

further used for environmental monitoring. The following general recommendations

are put forward:

- Building a culture within UNHCR with a defined position and role for environmental coordination, monitoring and evaluation.

- Establish collaboration with partners/NGOs in the Jordanian society i.e JNECE, RSS or/and RSCN with experience from Jordans conditions.

- Ensure and secure that environmental guidelines i.e FRAME, are implemented and followed by all actors and partners involved in the operation and in

management of camp interventions.

- set up a special environmental coordination function to ensure that environmental impacts in the sectors are monitored and evaluated.

8.2 Baseline for site selection and ecosystem

The process of site selection encompasses many steps from planning to construction,

including initial inventory, assessment, alternative analysis, detailed design, and

construction procedures and services. The Zaatari camp lies in a desert environment

with very limited natural resources available. Most resources need to be provided

externally except for provision of water from a bore hole in the camp and outside.

The base ground in the camp is compacted and covered with gravel with the purpose

to improve drainage; this gives a good surface for placing tents and caravans. The area

for the camp was selected by the Jordanian government and located in a region with

rangeland and some agriculture in the surroundings. In the vicinity of the camp area,

in the north of the camp is an olive plantation. This plantation is dried out and most of

the olive trees have died. In the west of the camp an irrigated agricultural setting is

located with cultivation of tomatoes and vegetables. The area around the camp is

extensively used for sheep grazing. The camp is surrounded by a soil bund several

meters high that prevent unauthorized vehicles to enter the camp. The bund diverts

drainage water and but does not prevent water to enter into the wadi. Zaatari camp is

located on the top of the major water aquifer, the Amman/Zarqa aquifer, that provides

the metropolitan Amman with water. Thus the location of the camp is a major concern

in relation to the safety of the aquifer (see below).

Most of the biodiversity is found in the wadi and surrounding grazing land. However,

high grazing pressure has deteriorated vegetation cover, started desertification

processes, caused erosion and the system has lost its complexity. These processes

have been going on for long and well before the establishment of the camp. The camp

itself does not contain any biological value and the risk on the surrounding ecosystem

gives a score of 24 and is regarded as moderate compared to the overall risk already imposed by overgrazing and water shortage. This score and major environmental

criterion is that the site is important to regional/national interest with a slight negative

impact from status quo (see technical annex 2). The camp site is judged as permanent

17

even though it may one day be abandoned and the land restored. The control of the

site makes the situation reversible with proper mitigation measures. However the

effect is judged as cumulative since the site has synergetic effects with other sectors.


The camp should not be extended from its current size due to the magnifying effects

by increased population in the camp. The site selection is in an agricultural area with

mainly sheep grazing and olive plantations. Due to the overgrazing it would be

desirable to find a way how to reuse grey water for irrigation and restoration of

rangelands. This technique of restoration has been developed by for instance ICARDA

and in FAO. See also waste water reuse below.

8.3 Baseline for water and hydrological conditions

Rainfall is the only source of recharge for the Amman/Zarqa groundwater aquifers so

its potential decline with climate change could pose a significant problem for Jordan. Only about 1% of Jordan receives more than 500 mm of rain yearly and 92% receives

less than 100 mm per year. The average water use per capita in Jordan is 145 cu/year

and the total water use have increased from 295 Mcu in 2007 to expected 365Mcu in

2020, but the per capita provision has declined. The agricultural sector is using 64% of

the pumped water and additional 100 Mcu are reused wastewater in agriculture in total

72%. A new aquifer was opened in August 2013 located in the south east Jordan. The

heavy use of water resources has caused serious effects on ecosystems, causing

salinization and affected water quality. Surface waters in Jordan supply roughly 37%

of the total water supply (Altz-Stamm 2012) the rest coming from deep wells. The

supply and management of fresh water to the camps, as well as the collection and

management of the sewage from the camp is ultimately the responsibility of MWI.

However, a number of other international and local organizations are involved in the

matter at different levels and in coordination with MWI, UNICEF and UNHCR. According to estimations by MWI the cost on the water sector by the refugee situation

for 570000 refugees is 128 million JD per year.

A comprehensive water vulnerability study has been done for the Zaatari camp and

results confirm the over pumping of deep wells in the area (Alraggad 2013). Further,

the report identifies parts of the area outside the camp with water vulnerability. This is

the situation framework in which the Zaatari camp is located, a region with limited

water resources and few opportunities for cultivation and gardening within the camp

area (Ali El-Naya 2010). The absence of a sewage system in the area and the widespread private pits and sanitation solutions adds a new stress factor to the

vulnerability of the aquifer system.

In partnership with UNICEF, ACTED is responsible for supplying water to all in the

Zaatari camp, with 35 liter provided per person per day. Boreholes have been drilled

in the camp and reduce distance for water transports and trucking water supplies into

the camp. The total volume of water delivered during October 2013 was about 4300

m3.per day. This is equivalent to 1.3 MCu per year provided to the camp, which

roughly correspond to 2% of the safe water pumping from the aquifer. The water is

18

taken from several bore holes in the surrounding area and from two bore holes in the

camp and trucked to water tanks in the districts. 1300 water tanks needs to be refilled

daily to ensure water for the camp population. Thus, 255 truck journeys with water

move in the camp daily. The transport of water in the camp and subsequent transport

of waste water and solid waste takes a lot of vehicles for the operation. The water

quality is checked regularly for measures of chlorine concentrations, salinity and

microbial content.

Many water tanks are damaged and the cover removed, it posseses high water losses

and health risks. Since about 40% of the water storage tanks are leaking a considerable

loss of water is apparent. Roughly, since 1700 m3 of waste water is transported out of

the camp, the leakage is about 60% that seeps into the ground in the camp and when

mixed with septic water creates an additional health risk as well loss of precious water.

Due to the slow infiltration rate water is standing until it evaporates. Even during

heavy rains only about 10% of surface water is run-off the rest is soaked into the fine

clay like soil (Alraggad 2013).

The water situation in the camp is sensitive to changes in population size in the camp

as an increase in number of individuals has a magnifying effect on water use. A

diminishing population size is not necessarily giving a rapid decline in water

consumption since excess water is utilized by remaining residents. Leakage and spill

of water from water tanks and use in the household is another factor that affects the

water provision since more refill trips are needed to compensate for losses. The effect

of the water leakage on the provision system is measured as the number of trucks

needed to transport water for refill and that can serve as an indicator of the efficiency

of mitigation to save water and energy.

Risk of contamination of the aquifer

The key factor that affects the removal and elimination of bacteria and viruses from

groundwater is the effluent residence time between the source of contamination and

the point of water abstraction. Because of the very low velocities of unsaturated flow,

the unsaturated zone is the most important line of defence against faecal pollution of

aquifers (Cave and Kolsky 1999). The soil in the camp has a low permeability and

reduces the transfer of pollutant to deeper soils and to the aquifer. However, the

properties of the soil and rock formation vary in the area but the most vulnerable sites

are outside the camp boundary. The ground water table is found between 100- 200 m

from ground surface (MWI, August 2013). The risk is therefore regarded as low for

contamination of the aquifer at the point of the camp. With the privatization of

sanitation systems in the camp waste water are directed through the stormwater

drainage culvert to a point at the end of it. Since no leakage or release into the wadi is

permitted the culvert is desludged regularly depending on discharge (Picture 2). If

waste water including latrine is continuously discharged into the wadi it may reach the

saturated zone within 10 years according to MWI estimations.

19

Picture 2: Pumping of the drainage culvert coming from the camp that contains waste

water from private connections from camp households. About 300 m3 is removed

daily. Photo Thomas Palo

A comprehensive investigation of the risk for the aquifer by the camp has been done

(Alraggad 2013). It shows that the risk for deep contamination is small and that

surface contamination of the surrounding ecosystem also is minor due to limited run

off and infrequent flooding events (Figure 4). It is estimated that 10% of the rain fall is

run off in to the wadi catchment. The use of holding tanks minimizes the risk for

waste water entering the wadi and the aquifer. However, a large concern for soil

contamination is the mix of black, grey and rain water in situations of flooding. This

may give raise to increase cases of diarrheal diseases. During heavy rains which

happens during some weeks yearly, the drainage system is overflowing and water pour

into the wadi. The wadi is also receiving waste water from the surrounding

communities during rains. Standing water in pools might possess a safety risk for

children and potentially a health risk if contaminated with latrine water.

20

Figure 4. Soil permeability in Zaatari with continuous flow of water in cm/day (From

Alraggad 2013).

The water sector in general scores the most negative impact (-56) of the sectors

considered since water is of national and international interest. The magnitude of

impact is significantly negative and of dis-benefit. The situation is temporary since

water use will end when the camp is closed and the situation is reversible since water

resources can be restored and controlled (see annex 2).


The Zaatri camp water distribution network is currently being designed including:

design capacity (daily and peak flows), storage capacity, geographic layout of the

21

system, and should ensure that all water points are also included in the design for

collection of spilt/wastewater (Zaatari ToR waste water tender, 2014).

Since the camp water system is sensitive to spill and leakage, efforts should be put to

ensure that spill and leakage are minimized by proper control of tanks and tap stands.

UNICEF and partner organizations strive to be in pace with maintenance and service

but in many cases private solution happens faster than could be coped with. Reduction

of spill and leakage will reduce both the risk for unhealthy situation in the camp and

amount of transports. Control of leakage is crucial since it has direct effects on amount

of fuel used and the frequency of refill of water tanks as well as contamination risk.

Although, with all respect for the hard work done by UNICEF, UNHCR and partner

organizations several measures need to be taken to improve water security.

Awareness campaigns are performed at some interval but need to be continuous over

time and as a part of capacity building involving the camp refugee wash committees.

This will foster responsibility and ownership of the facilities and reduce the likelihood

of theft and vandalism. In the capacity and awareness activities maintenance skills and

proper handling are instructions to WASH committees to prevent leakage from water

tanks. This could preferably be a part of water handling, hygiene and water saving

procedures. Establish an ownership culture among residents to prevent vandalism of

water facilities and to prevent wild sanitation solutions. Ensure that latrine and

hazardous material are not washed into the wadi or accumulated in the camp.

8.4 Baseline for energy sector

Electricity is used for the operation of hospitals, schools, water supply, food

distribution centres, and operation of the base camp for UN agencies and NGOs,

security lighting and telecommunications as well as for the benefit for the refugees

themselves. Energy in the camp comes in several different forms; as electricity from

the national grid, gas, diesel generators and solar energy. The camp residents have the

knowledge and the technical ability to tap into cables and provide themselves with a

working electrical supply. Now about 75% of the households in the camp have

electricity (REACH, December 2013). Electricity is unevenly distributed within the

camp. In some districts 53% lack electricity connection while in other districts only 6-

7% is not having electricity connection. Of the households that do not have an

electricity connection, 54% solely lived in a tent, 33% were living in a caravan, 12%

possessed both shelter types and less than 1% is living in kitchens.

These unregulated connections present significant risk to both the refugee population

and the electrical equipment making up the electrical system. The numerous

connections have caused a heavy burden on the existing electrical network and come

at a significant cost to UNHCR (Table 2). The electricity is taken from the Jordan grid

and the Jordan energy production relies to 99% on fossil fuel (CIA world fact book,

2013). Conversion of oil to electricity is only 38-44% effective (EURELECTRIC,

2003). Jordan has almost doubled its energy consumption since year 2000 and now

consumes 11.3 billion KWh per year. The camp uses 6.9 million KWh per month

22

corresponding to roughly 83 million KWh per year. 1 ton of oil produces

approximately 12000 KWh and the camp uses 7155 tons of crude oil per year for its

electricity use. In table 2 is energy use presented for individual, family and household

levels. The use proved for basic use as lighting and a TV.

Table 2. Energy Usage and Cost per Individual, Family and Household based on June

2013 Data (courtesy of John Simpson, UNHCR)

Energy usage

per month

(kWh)

Cost

(JD)

Individual 10.9 2.55

Family 51.6 12.13

Household 72.3 16.99

In the winterization process in the camp refugees install electric heathers that overload

the system causing frequent stops in the electric system.

In October a total of 91% of households reported not to have a room heater (REACH,

2013). About 25% of the households have a least one cooking stove and a few have

electric stoves (

23


Any alternative energy sources wind, solar, biogas should be strongly encouraged and

considered when appropriate (Lyytinen 2009). Energy saving should be a priority to

reduce fossil energy use. This could be achieved by control of sectors that require a lot

of transports and by regulation of electricity use at the household. Biogas is one option

to be investigated in relation to and in cooperation with the region, possibly also with

additional organic waste from the surrounding nearby villages and from dry sanitation

solutions, thus a common biogas facility for the camp and the region could be an

option. The volume of organic waste in the camp is not known and its contribution to

a biogas facility should be estimated. Transports should be reduced both for

commuting staff and for transports in the camp. Reduce transports by providing

overnight sleeping facility for staff at the camp or nearby towns. Considering

improved systems for solid waste, waste water and water provision to reduce truck

transports.

8.5 Baseline for solid waste

Solid waste collection is a general problem in Jordan with mostly ineffective

separation and waste disposed at landfills. A catastrophic event will have severe

impacts on waste collection systems. If these were weak to begin with it may

completely overwhelm or decimate them. A recent assessment in northern

governorates found that 80 per cent of communal waste bins were overflowing or half-

full with 15 per cent of excess waste not collected. People in the affected area or in a

settlement however, will continue to live and produce waste. If this is not collected it

will produce significant public and environmental health concerns. Non-food items

(NFI), will not decompose in a landfill, rather will take up space and potentially create

tensions with neighbouring communities also depending on those facilities.

No specific legal framework for solid waste management is in place in Jordan. Waste

management falls under several different regulations; the environmental protection

law deals with environmental issues in general but not explicitly with solid waste.

Regulations and responsibilities for managing landfills as well as regulations for

medical waste are generally weak. The total estimated solid waste generation in the

country is about 3,800 tons/day (Daradki 2008), of which 780, 2,620 and 400 tons/day

are the contributions of the northern, central and southern regions respectively

(Aljaradin et al. 2011). The major fractions of waste generated in Jordan are shown in

table 4.

Table 4. Waste composition in Jordan society (Sweepnet 2010)

Waste production in Jordan %

Metal 1

Glass 3

Plastics 17

Paper/cardboard 13

Organic 52

24

Other 14

Recycling is not done in a systematic way and is estimated to be around 5% in Jordan

(Jordan times, May 16, 2013) . This recycling is mainly done by informal scavengers

but in some instances at the landfill a contractor recovers fractions that are recyclable

before landfilling. However, there is no national strategy in place for recycling and

waste reduction. There are few companies dealing with recycling but at least one

company is recycling paper for the market. In general, the attitudes toward source

separation among Jordanians at the point of generation are negative and it will be

difficult to achieve it in the immediate future (Aljaradin et al. 2011).

For the Zaatari camp waste management the system is basic and not different from the

Jordan practice. The camp produces about 500 kg of solid waste per day or 15 tons per

month compressed waste and thus has a significant effect on waste disposal in the

region. Most solid wastes from the camp and surrounding municipalities are disposed

at a landfill some 7 km away from the camp. The Zaatari camp contributes to about 23%

of the waste production in the northern regions of Jordan. The waste system in the camp constitutes of household disposal in buckets that are emptied in communal waste

bins. Collection of waste from the bins is done manually after emptying the waste

from the bin on the ground and then lifted into small trucks; the waste is transported to

a transit area and emptied into larger garbage trucks and subsequent transport to the

dump site. It requires about 10-12 small trucks to fill a larger garbage truck. In the

camp 700 bins are distributed in the different districts, 12 small trucks and 2 lorries

regularly empty the bins and 6 larger trucks at transit area take waste to the land fill

twice a day. In total on average, 1500 m3 of solid waste is transported to the land fill

each day (Picture 3). Scavenging for useable and valuable fractions of the waste are

reported to be a part of the refugee livelihood, but the extent of this activity is not

known. Organic waste such as old bread is told to be sold as fodder for sheep in the

surrounding agricultural area. This sorting practice is done in a primitive way by

refugees and waste workers without protection and with high risk of infection and

disease problem. A separation system with coloured bins was initially introduced in

the camp, but bins were stolen and taken outside the camp and could not be replaced

(Pers.com. Oxfam, November, 2013). This led to that the separation program in the

camp closed. A pilot of waste sorting is to be initiated by OXFAM in a part of the

camp. According to ACTED 250 waste bins were stolen out of the 700 distributed in

the camp during 2013, but the stolen bins were replaced, but still some thefts occurs .

70 teams with 617 cleaners are collecting waste regularly through cash for work

programme. This keeps the camp in a reasonable state of cleanliness from garbage

pollution but plastics bags are distributed around the camp, mainly spread from

collection sites and the transit site due to lack of wind protection during reloading of

trucks. Informal burning of waste also occurs here and there in the camp. The waste is

transported to land fill, but there is no follow up if the contractor actually takes the

waste to the fill, since there is a fee for waste disposal at the dump. The contractor is

paid by volume and 6 container trucks per day leave the camp with solid waste

25

Picture 3. Small trucks empty their load of solid waste into a container truck. About 10

small trucks are required to fill the larger container truck. (Photo Thomas Palo)

The waste is composed of paper, wrapping materials, plastics, cans and organic waste

(Picture 4). According to inspection at the transfer site the organic content of the waste

seems to be low. ACTED did a sorting investigation and a calculation of the economic

benefit with recycling and found that the cost for implementation was too high.

However this calculation did not take into account the saving of less transports, only

the working cost for separation and the value of the fractions.

Picture 4. Solid waste fractions at the transfer site in Zaatari camp. Photos: Thomas

Palo,Sharuh Ibragimov

Model simulations shows that combinations of recycling and composting are the best

solution for minimizing residual waste (Laytani and Banguil 2012). The recycling of

waste in a controlled manner can give revenue from recycled material and gardening

using high-quality vermicomposting can be one additional livelihood in the camp. The

compost may be also sold to surrounding agricultural sectors with decreased

26

production cost due to application of as cheaper alternative to inorganic fertilizers.

Further, less need for truck transports save both energy and reduces costs.

Certain waste fractions produced at hospitals and clinics are classified as medical

wastes, hazardous waste and packaging waste; these should be separated without

mixing at the source, medical and hazardous waste collected in special bags and boxes.

The bags and boxes should be marked with appropriate labels. According to Sphere

standards (2013), medical waste such as glasses, needles, cloth and drugs should be

incinerated in a correctly designed incinerator within the boundary of the health

facilities. In the Zaatari camp 3 hospitals, 4 primary health clinics, 2 mental clinics

and 2 handicap clinics exists and are working in full capacity. The camp has 40 -60

deliverable per week with a capacity in the hospitals of about 25 deliveries per week,

other deliveries are outside the camp in nearby hospitals.

Abu Qdais et al. (2007) estimated that the daily amount of the medical waste

generated by all Jordanian hospitals is about 6 tons/day, in Zaatari about 30 kg of

medical items, needle etc. are produced per day in the camp.

Poor management of healthcare waste exposes the population, healthcare workers and

waste handlers to risk for infections and diseases. Further, if medical waste ends up

with general waste at landfills it may attract disease vectors and cause spread of

diseases and pathogens in the area.

The medical waste is reported to appear in the general waste, the frequency and

amount of this is not known but clearly not acceptable. During field visits to the health

clinics and one hospital the medical waste handling procedures were investigated. The

procedures and guidelines are followed by the health facilities as far as it was

recognised. The waste is collected by an approved contractor and taken for

incineration at a nearby hospital. There are several checkpoints that the waste is

delivered and handled at the final destination. Collection of medical waste by the

contractor is planned to be regular and follows guidelines but it is reported that it is

too long time between collections which might be the root to the report that medical

waste is ending up at the land fill. Incineration must be done for medical waste at an

approved facility and checked for all clinics and hospitals in the camp. An incineration

facility is in place in the IFRC hospital in the new camp in Azraq with a capacity of 40

kg per load; however, incineration in the camp is not approved at present by the

Jordan authorities.


Prevention of extensive littering by solid waste should be done. One minimum

measure is to build a fence around the transit site for waste handling to prevent wind

dispersal of waste, especially plastic bags. In order to reduce the number of vehicles

and transports it is suggested that bins is emptied by the compacting trucks and thus

the transit area is not needed as well as the small trucks. Other solutions such as

incineration of solid waste could be an alternative to minimize distribution of solid

waste and the volume of waste. This option is at present not approved by the

Jordanian legislation. More important is to implement a recycling program. Too much

packaging takes up valuable space and decreases the number of units of material that

27

can be transported in one vehicle. Unnecessary packaging that cannot be recycled is a

waste of resources through its entire life cycle from manufacturing to transport, to

disposal, wasting precious fuel, materials and water. Thus, reducing waste volume is a

premier measure. Use of covered bins to prevent access of animals to the waste and to

prevent dispersal of waste in the camp. Perform an analysis of the waste transport

chain how it could be more efficient to minimize transports. Waste sorting should be

investigated as an option and divided into fractions, such as metal, paper and plastics,

and organic material. The full cost analysis has not been performed even though

ACTED did one brief survey of waste fractions and the economic feasibility. The

reduction of cost for transport of waste by recycling could be reallocated to livelihood

activities and systematic collection. Organic material should be composted and reused

for gardening in the camp if culturally accepted. When recyclable waste streams are

properly managed, they can provide valuable income-generation for the affected

population and recovered material for programmes. When planning recycling

activities the following should be taken into account:

waste type and quantity, need to be estimated in the camp;

potential capital to be regained from waste streams, such as metals, plastics, etc;

started by ACTED but need follow up.

recycling process and employment opportunities; and

incentives for affected population to partake in a recycling scheme.

When dealing with organic waste, the following should be taken into account:

Assessment of the amount of organic material that is likely to be produced;

Sustainable methods of disposing of organic waste;

Methods for biological decomposition of waste; and

Strategies for turning organic waste into useful products (e.g. energy, compost).

Sensitation and awareness actions should be undertaken involving scavengers in

recycling programs as well as schools and the young population in the camp. An

awareness/ update of medical waste treatment program should be started for health

staff and contractors. Although, the medical waste volume is not alarming and with

proper handling the current practice will do. An alternative, if medical waste fractions

increases is an incineration facility. Incineration is also an option for solid waste after

recovery and recycling of fractions to reduce volume and transports. Incineration is,

even with the drawbacks of air pollution and problematic ash residues, a feasible

solution for the camp if approved by the Jordanian authorities.

8.6 Baseline for waste water

The camp has designated places for communal water and sanitation facilities in each

of the districts. The WASH unit consists of a sanitation part with toilets and a part for

personal hygiene with showers. All waste water and latrines are collected in holding

tanks for each WASH unit which are desludged by trucks regularly. A review of the

WASH situation was done in January, 2013 (Mellgren 2013), as the camp has

increased the situation with waste water has been exenterated and with continuing and

28

magnified maintenance problems. There are 362 WASH centers in the camp

(REACH, September 29, 2013). Disposal of wastewater is becoming a critical issue

since in generally no waste treatment is being done at the camp site. Communal water

and sanitation facilities produce 1,700 m3 /day of wastewater that is desludged and

transported by trucks to Al-Akeidar wastewater treatment plant some 35 km away

from the camp. This volume of wastewater has already exceeded the designed

capacity for the plant, impairing the functions in its different treatment steps, this will

cause poor function of the plant and cause effluent into the recipient. As there is

significant health, environmental and cost impacts of the current sanitation systems in

the camp and the system of desludging waste water collection tanks or pits, it is

proposed to establish a wastewater collection network throughout the camp.

Tender submissions for containerised, compact wastewater treatment units were

recently evaluated through the MWI and Water Authority Jordan tender process. The

tender requested submissions for containerized, compact trickling filter and membrane

bioreactor wastewater treatment plants to treat the wastewater for Zaatri.

More than 40% of refugees in Zaatari camp have their own private pits and increasing

(REACH, December 2013, Picture 5). The waste water in the holding tanks is a mix of

grey water and latrine, this make it not useable for reuse. However, water is also used

in the household and is discarded through a small dyke from the tent to a pit. About

8600 unofficial waste water storages and 4184 household with private toilets are

found in the camp (REACH, December, 2013).Wastewater production and disposal at

the household level are unauthorized and unregulated, but 5137 unofficial pits

contains black water.

Picture 5. Private unauthorized waste water pit in the camp. (From REACHDecember

2013).

29

With increasing water saturation in the soil due to water leakeage,poor drainage, and

leaking pits it is possible that the run off is targeted to the wadi. This may rise some

concern about surface contamination and spread of waste water in the surrounding

environment, but it is not likely that faecal contamination will reach ground water

since the aquifer is deep and within safety depth. The German organization (THW) has installed surface water drainage pipes at the low-lying parts of the camps due to

problems with flooding during rains. This storm water system consists of five main

collector pipes which were designed to collect the water and convey it to a concrete

chamber at the lowest point of the camp (eastern side) from where it was designed to

discharge into the adjacent Wadi for ground-infiltration. However, due to the misuse

of this system by the refugee community as a sewer the outlet of the pipeline has been

blocked and the collected sewage is regularly removed by suction trucks (Picture 2).

Development of any new concepts and elaboration of further options for wastewater

treatment in the context of the Syrian refugees is however as a principle subject to

coordination with and approval by the MWI. Thus, a possible construction of a

containerised sewage treatment plant in the camp is a decision for MWI, UNICEF and

UNHCR in a joint agreement. There is a tender for construction of a WWTP in Zaatari

released in September (Tender No: (82/supply/2013).

There is a potential for waste water reuse for surrounding agricultural land. Waste

water is in continuous supply and is potentially a valuable resource. Jordan has

worked to manage irrigation with wastewater for several decades. Since the early

1980s the general approach has been to treat the wastewater and either discharge it to

the environment where it mixes with freshwater flows and is indirectly reused

downstream, or to use the resulting effluent to irrigate restricted, relatively low-value

Crops. A reliable way to secure the required water for irrigation is by collecting and

reclaiming each drop of water used in the camp to be reused. To guarantee and

safeguard hygienic standards and have no adverse effects on the environment must be

given the highest priority. The planned WWTP fulfil these criterias and opens for reuse projects. However, the sludge is already a part of the resuse system in Jordan

since the waste water from the holding tanks is transported to a sewage plant in Al-

Akeider and after processing in the plant used for irrigation.


One priority is to install a sewage plant for the service and treatment of waste water

for Zaatari camp and the surrounding Jordan community. The tender for this is in

progress and will be started under 2014. This will open for the reuse of waste water in

the nearby agricultural area.

Other options are not feasible under current conditions but to be mentioned EcoSan is

a sanitation system that wold be ideal in Jordan climatic conditions. It is a system that

builds on the premises that human faecal and urine remains are valued resources. It

has the potential to recycle important and scarce nutrients into soil for improvement of

organic content and for fertilization in agriculture and gardening. It is also a good

system in areas with scarcity of water since it is a dry closet that does not require

water for flushing.

30

Picture 6. Gardening in the Zaatari camp, showing the potential for recycling of

organic waste, composting and use of grey water. Photo: Thomas Palo

The idea with the EcoSan system is to foster sustainability thinking by implementing

recycling of important nutrients and hygienic handling of excreta. The final product,

fertilizer from human waste, is to be used in gardening/cultivation in the

household/agriculture (see picture 6). It also has a potential for livelihood since it may

offer a market for recycled/ecological produced human fertilizers. A trade is already in

place with organic residues sold to sheep farmers in the neighbourhood of the Zaatari

camp. Even though the system promises simple collection and handling, the

acceptance of this system is not always straight forward. Social norms and beliefs may

hinder the implementation and use of the EcoSan system. In the Zaatari camp people

may have a cultural resistance towards this practice.

Biogas is considered an option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil

fuels. Biogas systems are functioning under a variety of climatic conditions and in

right situation they provide the energy needs in poor rural populations and urban

communities. However, there are a number of conditions that need to be fulfilled in

order to get the system to work according to expectations. Biogas could not at present

be a feasible solution in the camp situation because the organic waste production from

the camp is not large enough to support a biogas digester. Possibly with the join

collection in the Mafraq region it might be a feasible solution.

Grey water is all wastewater generated in the household excluding toilet wastes. Its

sources in homes include sinks, showers and general household use of water,

Individual households can effectively save and reuse their grey water for irrigating

gardens. Further, in a cultural context, grey water coming from water used for ritual

ablutions for the Muslim prayers is a source since it contains no soap, it is thus a very

high quality water source for reuse. With the planned construction of a sewage plant in the camp the option for waste

water reuse is realistic and feasible. It is suggested to investigate waste water resuse

31

systems for different applications; wet land, forest plantations, restoration of

rangeland and reedbeds. These measures could preferably be as joint projects with

FAO, ICARDA and Jordan NGOs.

8.7 Baseline of environmental health

The definition of environmental health is broad but encompasses that the biological

and physical environment should not impose illness, injury or pain to persons,

communities and the public. This includes both mental and physiological balance and

stability for the individual and for the population. In camp situations the environment

possesses an increased health risk. Water and sanitation, climate factors, nutrition,

crowded sites, pest animals to mention some contribute as single factors and in

combinations to elevate the risk for an unhealthy situation. Experience has shown that

deteriorated environmental conditions results in severe security situations for

humanitarian staff and camp infrastructure and that as such change need to be made to

maintain healthy conditions. Environmentally induced health problems place heavy

loads on clinics and hospitals, and to the refugee community. Many diseases are

strongly linked to environmental change either through soil, water, or animals. (Patz et

al. 2004, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1247383/#!po=10.0000).

In Zaatari camp several of the sectors above potentially contribute to environmental

health. Water in tanks may be contaminated if open for entry by dust, insects, bird

feces etc that may cause diarrheal diseases. Several tanks in the camp are not covered

and thus possess a potential risk; flooding during rain mix latrines and drainage water

giving contaminated soils with subsequent inhalation of disease agents; sanitation

situation may be low due to lack of facilities or knowledge. All these factors

contribute to the environmental health situation in the camp. According to the

statistics for the camp respiratory illness constitute the major part of incidences. This

illness is higher during dusty and dry conditions while diarrhoeas are more common

during rainy periods in winter (Disease Surveillance Report, nov 2013).On average

about 8% of the Zaatari population shows some form of illness at any one time. Much

of the issues contributing to unhealthy situation is covered under the different sectors

above and will not be repeated here. The score for environmental health is negative

and indicating significant environmental effects. It has high importance and magnitude

of effects. If not considered, it leads to more or less permanent deprived health

conditions for the population and risk of spread of diseases into surrounding

community.


Environmental health is closely linked to mitigation activities in other sectors

particularly in WASH. The provision of adequate sanitation facilities, proper disposal

of all waste as well as control of the carriers of communicable diseases, mosquitoes,

rats, mice and flies, is crucial to mitigate health risks and prevent epidemics. The

health situation is also a function of the climatic situation and hash conditions during

hot and cold periods. Environmental health sector is a good indicator on how well a

program and sector wise programs are working. But the optimum benefit from sector

wise mitigation activities can only be achieved if communities and individuals are

made aware of the links between hygiene practices, poor sanitation, polluted water

32

sources and disease. A rat controlling activity started in early January that will bring

down the rat problem. Effects by hash winter temperatures are mitigated by provision

of heaters and NFI. An improved drainage system is under construction. All these

measures mitigate the pressure on the population and improves the health situation.

9.Conclusions

The environmental impact of the Zaatari refugee camp as assessed in this EIA could

be regarded as significantly negative. This judgement is based on several sector wise

indicators and reveals that major impacts are in water, waste, energy and

environmental health sectors. A significant impact means that the score shows both

local and outside local boundaries effects. The effect is of major importance, yet it is

temporary and in some instances cumulative. Most of the sector wise indicators are

reversible conditions and with proper mitigation actions could be improved.

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Annex 1 ToR

ToR for Environmental Specialist for UNHCR Jordan

Background

Unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic has been mounting since March 2011, leading to

the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians. As of March 2013, more than

34

1,000,000 people are estimated to have fled to neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey

and Iraq, putting an increasing strain on the governments and host communities.

Jordan is the fourth water scarce country in the world, making water conservation and

water protection issues paramount for the sustainable development of the country.

UNHCR has registered 370,000 refugees and the Government of Jordan estimates the

total Syrian population in Jordan at 450,000 persons. Approximately 20% of the

refugees live in camps; in Zaatari, King Abdullah Park and Cyber City and Emirates Jordan Camp. A second large-scale site, Azraq, is being prepared at present with

intentions to open at the beginning of July. The refugee influx puts additional strain on

the already fragile environmental conditions, in particular the limited water resources

which needs to be addressed.

The underlying environmental conditions and living conditions in Zaatari are not optimal. WASH facilities are not adapted due to a fast increase in refugee numbers,

but also due to vandalism in the camp, showing a lack of ownership of the refugees of

collective infrastructures. This has led to the development of private facilities making

it more difficult to implement an appropriate waste water and solid waste collection

and disposal system. A Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) of circumstances in

this existing camp would enable deeper understanding of current problems and

creation of an Action Plan for mitigation.

In the new camp, environmental issues should be addressed right from the beginning

through undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). An Environmental

Impact Assessment and corresponding action plan are tools to predict and evaluate the

impacts of a proposed site, before they become problematic. Such early planning will

enable prevention of negative environmental impacts, rather than reactive

rehabilitation. This will have a positive impact on working cooperation with the

Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and will underline that

the preservation of

zaatari environmental report, january 2014[1]

Documents

mitigation activities

zaatari camp

jordan environmental

environmental compliance

environmental health

environmental planning

zaatari refugee camp

camp coordination