Spatializing the NEAT+

The Nexus Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT+) is a project-level environmental screening tool, maintained by the UNEP-OCHA Joint Environment Unit, designed for humanitarian practitioners. MapX was used as a platform to host and present results from pilot testing and participatory mapping activities of the NEAT+ in four countries. Now, a customized data catalogue is available for humanitarian actors who need access to a one-stop shop for contextual environmental data to fill in the questionnaire. Read more about the story below, or view the story map to learn more. 
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The Nexus Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT+) is a rapid and simple project-level environmental screening tool developed by the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit, USAID, UNHCR, NRC, IUCN, WWF and other partners that allows humanitarian actors to quickly identify issues of environmental concern before designing longer-term emergency or recovery interventions.

The NEAT+ was developed under the USAID-funded interagency collaboration, the Joint Initiative. The tool was designed based on an identified need for a simple, pragmatic and agile tool to support humanitarian practitioners understand and better incorporate environmental considerations related to their activities. The NEAT+ utilizes Kobo Toolbox and Excel, already commonly used by humanitarian organizations, to complete an automated analysis. The UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit (JEU) was part of the group who developed the NEAT+ and is now the custodian of the NEAT+. The tool and associated guidance can be downloaded from: www.eecentre.org/neat

Story Map: NEAT+ Global 



MapX Support

After supporting the NEAT+ pilots remotely and in the field, a customized data catalogue was developed to assist users in answering contextual environmental questions in the NEAT+ that they may not have immediate answers to. For example, "Are there protected environmental areas or zones nearby?". The second release of the NEAT+ includes a guidance note on how to use the MapX data catalogue for answering the questionnaire and to make maps for reporting. This work complements ongoing efforts by the JEU and its partners to strengthen the use of environmental data in humanitarian action. In sum, MapX has supported the NEAT+ through: 
  • Hosting an online spatial data catalog where humanitarian actors can find the information they need to complete the NEAT+
  • Publishing a dynamic story map to explain the tool and case studies
  • Allow all maps to be shared through seamless embedding in external websites, exported for reports, and shared on social media 

Project Profile

Clients
  • UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit
  • Crisis Management Branch 
Scope
Global
Status
This project took place between August 2019 and December 2020. 
Explore More
Spatial Data Catalog 

Factsheet on Spatial Data Support


Download the NEAT+

Spatial Data Catalog

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