More about our services

In practical terms, the work we undertake on disaster and climate change law and policy is most often done under contract with international or regional organizations that are providing technical assistance to governments or regional organizations, or undertaking comparative research to identify good practices and gaps - such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Asian Development Bank (ADB),  The Commonwealth Secretariat and United Nations entities such as FAO, UNDP, UNDRR, and UN Women.  

This work includes:

• National and international comparative research on legislation and policies;

• Advice for governments and lawmakers;

• Legislation and policy analysis, report writing and recommendations;

• Gender analysis and mainstreaming in laws and policies;

• Collaborative drafting of national laws and policies;

• Support for domestic implementation of international law and policies;

• Development of international guidelines and standards;

• Design and implementation of global research projects and national case studies, including community level consultations and data gathering; and

• Training, lecture programs and other capacity development.

In addition to our work on laws and policies on disasters and climate change, we also contribute to these fields through:

• Specific projects for gender responsive and inclusive local level resilience, such as community-based risk assessments and risk reduction, establishing early warning systems, nature-based solutions, and contingency planning;

• Preparing operational guidance, manuals and checklists that are practical and incorporate meaningful participation of women, persons with disabilities and other key stakeholders in the local context;

• Training and capacity development;

• Project and programme evaluations.

• Resilient and inclusive infrastructure policy and planning;

• Broader research and advocacy pieces, including gender equality and other human rights in disasters and climate change; and

• Expert writing and content editing of publications on the wider topics of disaster risk reduction, climate change, gender equality and social inclusion and sustainable development.

In addition to our work on laws and policies to support effective disaster preparedness, response and recovery, members of our team bring substantial operational experience in emergency response and coordination of support for recovery after disasters.

Each assignment is different, depending on the role of the contracting organization and what types of risks are known or hazards have occurred (for e.g., earthquakes, riverine floods, and tsunamis have very different types of impacts).

We support contingency planning, including community level early warning and evacuation plans, and undertake short to medium term assignments with organizations such as the IFRC, IOM and other UN system agencies to:

• Support governments and communities in pre-placement of humanitarian relief and readiness of organizational systems for early action (eg cash transfers and essential relief items to affected people);

• Coordinate the components of an international agency’s distribution of disaster relief and recovery services with government and affected people; and

•  Coordinate between international agencies, government and people affected by disasters to provide emergency shelter and housing and begin reconstruction.

Our targeted work in gender equality, social inclusion and other human rights related to disasters and climate change is generally undertaken as part of contracts or projects with international or regional organizations, such as the ADB, IFRC, UNDRR, UN Women or other UN system agencies. However, we also mainstream gender equality into local projects and national guidance.

Gender equality and social inclusion are aspects of human rights, and we include these as fundamental values in all our work. The term covers a wide range of activities in different contexts, including mainstreaming of  gender equality into laws, policies, programs and resource allocations for disaster and climate risk reduction and response, and also specific programs to increase equality as a human right and as a central foundation for sustainable development.

We use gender analysis as a lens to identify structural sources of inequality and to point to ways to achieve substantive equality. Our intersectional approach supports empowerment and meaningful participation of those who are at greater risk and excluded from having a voice or decision-making power in a given context, especially women and gender diverse people, people with disability, Indigenous people, the very poorest, and groups who are minoritized or racialized in that context.

Our services include:

•  Analysis of national law and policy frameworks from a gender equality and social inclusion perspective;

•  Recommendations and drafting for gender-responsive and inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation policies, plans and reporting;

• Contributions to the development of international tools and guidance, such as the Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai GAP);

• Training and capacity development on gender responsive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation;

• Gender mainstreaming into national reporting under international agreements. For e.g., national data reporting under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction or National Actions Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the Paris Agreement; and

• Research and advice on the application of international human rights in national contexts, including how the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) can be implemented in disaster risk reduction and action on climate change.

Human mobility and migration are complex social patterns that usually have multiple causal factors, but are often triggered by disasters. There are also increasing reports that climate change is driving the movement of people due to increasing climatic hazards and sea-level rise.

During disasters and other crises, when large numbers of people are displaced from their homes, the provision of shelter is an immediate need. In large disasters that exceed local or national coping capacity, many international organizations offer humanitarian assistance. Coordination of such assistance, in providing shelter and rebuilding settlements, is an important and challenging role in the recovery period.

• Our team members with relevant experience in these roles with organizations such as the IFRC or IOM remain able to accept short-to-medium-term deployments for this purpose.

These circumstances also raise many legal issues relating to individuals’ ownership of housing, land and property. This is often a gender issue as well as having dimensions related to poverty and different forms of social marginalization.

• Our team includes expertise in these legal issues, based in research, as well as the practical challenges on the ground.

The need for shelter usually continues well into disaster recovery periods and, when circumstances prevent affected people from returning home at all, they may be in temporary housing for years, or may become part of mobile populations migrating within or between countries. The humanitarian needs of internally displaced person (IDPs) and refugees seeking cross-border migration are often acute, and made more complex by the legalities of their status.

• Our team also includes expertise in these legal issues.