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Summary Working in three IDP camp sites in A’zaz and Jarablus in Northwest Syria, this pilot project tested the viability of creating vegetable gardens to grow food irrigated in part by harvested rainwater and grey water. Growing plots varied in size from home gardens to community gardens in A’zaz and a school garden in Jarablus. The aims included introducing regenerative strategies to improve food security, mental health and community cohesion. The project started with training events including five successful webinars for our INGO sponsors and the production of a grey water booklet by SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon to supplement their food growing guide for training the camp residents to successfully build gardens and grow food. The gardens were successfully established with food grown, harvested and eaten. The gardens were highly popular with camp residents, with many more requests for participation than the pilot could facilitate. The pilot provided for a group of 12 children growing at school, 70 householders gardening outside their homes and 25 gardeners in the community gardens. Bi weekly mentoring visits were undertaken by our partners while Re-Alliance conducted monitoring and evaluation and the production of learning materials including an NGO guide to using harvested rain and grey water. Background Research has shown the benefits of gardening to those living in temporary settlements by providing fresh and nutritious food, meaningful activity, a sense of belonging or home, and feelings of well-being, particularly in the wake of trauma. It has also shown how replenishing soils, creating healthy water cycles, planting trees and minimising waste can have an equally positive impact on both human and ecological health. In areas of limited rainfall and high temperatures, nearly all food crops will need additional irrigation water to supplement rainfall. By identifying and promoting simple, low tech options for capturing and re-using grey water and rain water for irrigation, and creating compost from food waste, growing food can become an accessible option for many households. Impact on Planet Creating vegetable gardens in refugee camps builds healthy soils through composting food wastes and sinking and storing water in the ground, improving the ecological health of the area. Plants encourage pollinating insects, a vital part of animal food webs, which add to the local biodiversity. Using grey water to grow food reduces the amount of waste water which has to be processed, reducing carbon emissions and the pollution associated with waste-disposal. Harvesting rain water holds water within the site and can reduce the damage created by run-off which can pour across sites, further degrading soils and damaging ecosystems. Growing plants is beneficial to supporting healthy water cycles by preventing soil erosion and increasing groundwater levels as well as by releasing water into the air through transpiration. As long as growing methods are organic - avoiding pesticide and fertiliser use and creating compost from local waste foods - growing food can be a carbon positive activity, actively reducing climate change by sequestering carbon in healthy soils and plant life. Impact on People Meaningful activity is an essential part of being a happy and healthy person. Work, whether paid or unpaid, can facilitate positive exchanges between people, strengthening communities, giving purpose, satisfaction and learning as well as a means to provide for basic needs. Many IDPs and refugees are not permitted or able to work, which can further erode the sense of identity that the trauma of becoming displaced can cause. In the absence of paid work, food growing projects can provide meaningful activity with tangible benefits. Designing, planting and tending a garden can create a feeling of home and ownership of place, improving mental health by bringing beauty and life into an otherwise barren and impersonal environment. Eating fresh, homegrown food can improve health and nutrition and allow people to create a taste of home by growing favorite foods that they may not otherwise have access to. Growing food can reduce household spending on food and creating compost from food waste and using grey water can further save money by reducing waste disposal costs. If surplus food is grown, it can also be sold or exchanged to supplement incomes. Sinking and storing rain water and using grey water can reduce the prevalence of standing water, often a breeding ground for waterborne and vector borne diseases, thereby creating healthier environments. Sharing knowledge about how to grow food without inputs in unfamiliar environments where the terrain may be different and the space reduced, will maximize yield for minimum cost. In the Syrian context we discovered that grey water reuse for food growing was commonly practiced before displacement so people were especially keen to start growing again and were innovative in their ideas for grey water reuse. Community gardens can strengthen community cohesion and can also be used to bring host and refugee communities together. School gardens were popular with children because they gave an opportunity to learn about the natural world outside the classroom and build skills for saving water and growing food that they could share with their families and continue at home. Regenerative Impact Root causes of mass migration often have links to climate change, water stress and the conflicts that arise from competing for increasingly scarce natural resources. It is a sad irony that refugee and IDP camps often perpetuate the problems of resource depletion and unsustainable practices in a bid to provide the vital services needed to keep people alive. Water is often trucked into camps and wastes pumped and trucked away, trees can be cut down for firewood and the earth cleared and compacted to make way for shelters and roads. It is, however, possible for human activity to improve and nurture the natural world. This often involves a process of turning ‘wastes’ into resources. Growing food using harvested water gives meaningful activity and nutritious food to people, while creating more beautiful green open spaces, reduces the financial and ecological costs of waste disposal and increases the biological health of the area. A regenerative approach uses planning and good design to make the best use of available resources and minimise the need for expensive inputs brought in from outside. Gardens need water and good soil. Capturing and reusing surplus water and turning organic waste into compost can provide a source of both and reduce the need for safe disposal of these. Scalability Our pilot projects showed that there is a high level of interest and engagement from camp residents to grow their own food and with few inputs gardens can be created and fresh food can be grown. Creating home gardens outside shelters is the easiest to achieve because it requires little land, less community co-ordination and simple water harvesting techniques can be undertaken with available resources. However, the volume of food produced is limited by the amount of land available. To grow at a larger scale requires plots of land to be put aside for community gardens or allotments. This is more easily done at the camp construction phase so that it can be placed alongside community buildings which can provide a supply of harvested grey and rainwater. Approaching the host community or local authorities may provide access to more land, and sharing land can help build relationships between communities, but does require coordination and facilitation. Replicability Promoting and advertising demonstration gardens which can be visited by local residents allows people to learn from others and replicate gardens outside their own shelters. This allows organic growth of ideas and ensures gardens continue to be constructed and maintained beyond the length of the project. What's Next for this Project? As part of the project a guide book was produced to encourage other INGOs to implement food growing projects in camps and settlements using harvested rain and grey water. We are actively looking for partners to trial this guide with please get in contact if you would like to participate. Our partner organisation, Syrian Academic Expertise, have produced a series of podcasts in Arabic to promote food growing within refugee and IDP camps and have been accessed by thousands of listeners. We are anticipating that the food growing projects within the existing camps will be continued and expanded, led by our partners Syrian Academic Expertise. Resources Guidelines for NGOs - Food Growing In Camps and Settlements: Collecting, Storing and Using Rainfall and Grey Water Guidelines for Camp and Settlement Residents - Gardening with Grey and Rain Water Presentations for Webinar Series: The Principles and Foundations of a Regenerative Response See the all the recordings of these webinars on our Youtube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBZ8nxAf-ykR9gIdwNPG91k8Mp6ucnTz8

What happened in the Re-Alliance network in 2022? What are the plans for 2023? As we look at the changes to our world in the past year, we can see that regeneration is needed now more than ever. In a world challenged by war, the increasing cost of living, and the worsening effects of the climate and nature crises, it has been an immensely challenging year for grassroots regenerative groups. And yet amidst these challenges, Re-Alliance members have guided the way in showcasing how community-led regenerative responses to disaster, displacement, and development can be truly transformative and impactful. Read on to out more about what our members have been doing over the past year, and what projects Re-Alliance has been working on. Regenerative Guidelines Projects In 2022, we began collaborating with eight member organisations to launch pilot regenerative projects in displacement contexts as part of our broader Regenerative Camps and Settlements Guidelines project. The learnings from the projects will inform our wider research into regenerative responses to disaster and displacement and create content for further learning materials and knowledge sharing aimed at promoting grass-roots, community led interventions, as well as aiming to influence mainstream INGO activities. Keep an eye on our social media, as a second round of funding may be possible in 2023. Tune in to Re-Alliance Radio In 2022, we launched Re-Alliance Radio, a podcast series focussed on applications of regenerative paradigms, principles, and practices to the humanitarian and development sectors. In our most recent episode we celebrated the achievements of some of our members. Thank you to Sarah from Green Releaf, Jerry from Fambidzanai, Samatha from Nourish All, Bemeriki from Rwamwanja Rural Foundation, Noah from YICE Uganda, Bee from Strawbuild, and Paulinho from Unidos Social Centre. "I witnessed the true power of Permaculture for Refugees: community building and peace building." - Samantha Koches Webinars and meetings In the past year we also hosted some communities of practice alongside our sister organisation, Regenerosity, who focus on regeneration in philanthropy, and philanthropy for regeneration. We facilitated two geographical networks of amazing regenerative practitioners, in India and in East Africa, and supported our colleagues in hosting another Peer Learning Circle in the Amazon region. The peer group from India recently hosted a webinar for the Re-Alliance community, sharing their experience of being a part of this peer learning process. Looking toward 2023 Members' profile pages A core aim of Re-Alliance is to raise the profile of regenerative approaches to disaster, displacement and development. We aim to achieve this through facilitating the collection, production, and presentation of evidence and stories from regenerative practitioners to showcase the effectiveness and value of regenerative work. We've listened to feedback from our members that often those involved in implementing these approaches may not have much time to collect stories and evidence of their own work. As part of this we are creating members' profile pages on our website where member organisations have their own, individual pages. This will be a space to showcase the work of our members, and will be able to be searched like a directory, especially great for those who don’t already have much of an online presence. We aim for this to grow in its scope and functionality over time. If you are a member and would like to be included in this directory, we have created a short form in which you can enter all of the relevant information. We will then follow up with you to share a draft page, to ask for any further information, and to discuss opportunities for case studies and articles that we can co-create to support and showcase your work. 2023's new program of events In line with our mission to showcase and advance regenerative practice across the sectors of humanitarianism and development, Re-Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of two new series of themed events, each running bimonthly. Community of Practice Sessions invite you to join your peers in congregating around a guiding theme. Ask questions, showcase your work, share your knowledge and expertise, discuss your challenges, and receive inspiration and practical tips from the wisdom of the network. Each workshop in the Designing Regenerative Change Series focuses on a different stage of a regenerative design process. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. A shareable poster outlining this programme can be found here. Additional events will be added during the year in response to member feedback and emergent themes. Visit re-alliance.org/events to keep up to date with all of our events and to add them to your own calendar. These events are open to all, and Re-Alliance members receive additional materials. If you are not yet a member, find out more and join our network at re-alliance.org/join. Wishing you and your communities an abundant, fruitful and safe 2023.

Micronutrient deficiency is an enormous problem in refugee settings. Transforming refugees’ food systems through the scaling up of kitchen gardening and fortifying relief food with nutrient-dense spices can help improve the nutritional quality of staple foods. Globally, spices are indispensable in the daily diet and play an important role in the socio-cultural setting of different communities. In new research by a group of academics, including Re-Alliance mentor Andrew Adam Bradford, forty turmeric and curry powder samples were collected from markets in East Africa to assess the potential of spices for providing micronutrients. The samples were analysed to determine the levels of micronutrients including potassium (K), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr). The study aimed to determine if a small portion of spices of between 4 and 5 grams would contribute to an adequate intake (AI) or recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for selected minerals. The results showed a range of contributions of turmeric and curry powder to AI/RDA for Potassium, Calcium and Zinc of between 0.48 and 4.13% while turmeric was identified to contribute more than 20% AI/RDA for manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe). The report suggests that turmeric and curry powder from East Africa are good, low cost sources of minerals and that turmeric in particular should be more widely popularised and recommended as a contribution to nutrition in refugee populations. Read the full report here:

Reusing water in times of drought As the climate and nature crises worsen, drought will continue to play a more regular role in all of our lives. In times like these, we need to make every drop of water count. In the summer of 2022, the UK and many other European countries entered drought. Many water companies have issued restrictions on the usage of water, like hose-pipe bans. While this might feel new to many people living in the Global North, many of Re-Alliance’s partners in the Majority World have faced similar issues for a long time, living in dry and precarious conditions or in refugee settlements and with limited supply to water. What solutions have our partners developed? In 2021, Re-Alliance partnered with SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon, Syrian Academic Expertise, and Malteser International to develop a set of instructional guides for using recycled household water, or ‘grey water’, in vegetable garden settings. Grey water is water that has been used for activities such as laundry or dishes, where no harsh chemicals have been used. It is not water that has been contaminated with sewage (black water). There are many benefits to using grey water for small farming, vegetable gardening, and irrigating fruit trees. It can help to reduce water usage in irrigation, saving growers money and other resources. Grey water can be used for different purposes. For example, it can be used to water plants, clean equipment, or flush toilets. Learn more in the visual guide created in partnership with SOILS Lebanon here: Explore more in the publication written in partnership with Syrian Academic Expertise and Malteser International: Black and white printable format:

Rooting our crisis response in ethics and community solidarity In times of crisis, which by nature are volatile and uncertain, it might seem unusual to promote a response inspired by a movement whose name is a portmanteau of Permanent Agriculture or Permanent Culture. Why encourage permanence when only more impermanence is certain? Permaculture as a name and a movement emerged in the 1970s and ‘80s in Australia, coined by Mollison and Homgren. Originally, Permaculture was developed as a holistic design framework to approach ecological agriculture, but has since been applied to other areas of life beyond agriculture - from human settlements and eco-building, to social cohesion, art and culture, and landscape restoration. What began as a movement to help communities meet their food needs in a way that replenished ecological health, soon grew bigger, deeper and wider. But how can Permaculture relate to people who are displaced and living in refugee camps, or those affected by extreme weather and disasters? These situations are impermanent, so are permanent solutions appropriate? In her book Cultural Emergence, Looby Macnamara explores how our cultures and institutions are ever evolving and reshaping. Even in seemingly stable and wealthy contexts, our surroundings are always changing. Acknowledging this, as Permaculture and Cultural Emergence practitioners our aim is then to facilitate space to meet our needs within our ever shifting environments (Macnamara, 2020). The ‘Permanence’ in Permaculture, then, could refer to the permanence not of the systems we are designing, but permanence of the abilities to meet our needs. A notable feature of Permaculture, and one that is relatively unusual for a design methodology, is the inclusion of ethics. In times of crisis, the three ethics of Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share can be a guide for practitioners. In his book The Politics of Permaculture, Terry Leahy describes Permaculture as a grassroots social movement (Leahy, 2021). It is the inclusion of People Care and Fair Share that takes Permaculture out of the realm of individualistic response, and into the communal. Indeed, we know from those who have experienced displacement, war or disaster that it is often only because of other people that they are able to meet their needs. We often cannot be self-sufficient on our own, but when we invoke the power of Mutual Aid, of humans caring for other humans in a way that also cares for the living, ecological resources upon which we rely - this takes Permaculture into the realm of the political and the social movement. The ethic of Fair Share, by nature, feels anarchic. It is caring for our communities outside of conventional economic means. We distribute resources freely. We provide for our communities free of monetary charge, because our communities are the source of our own nourishment. This might seem in opposition to the neo-liberal agendas of some development agencies, which seek to mould and model every country in the Global South in the image of Western capitalism. Instead, Permaculture offers pathways to community resilience that live outside of conventional, capitalist culture. In some contexts, this requires some deep, transformational work to overcome conditioned individualistic wealth-hoarding, though in many cultures a sense of communality still remains. Permaculture is participatory. In times of crisis, the core ethics of Permaculture guide us to collaborate and meet our needs communally. This might be by mapping needs, distributing resources and offering Permaculture training like Green Releaf in the Philippines after natural disasters. It might be building Treebogs in refugee camps which meet people’s sanitation needs while also growing food - like Farming and Health Education in Kenya. It might be growing perennial crops, fruit and nut trees in public spaces so all locals benefit from free food, like the Incredible Edible network. It might be peace-building and community wellbeing after conflict and war, like Green Kashmir. While our solutions might have to be adaptable in times that are becoming more volatile and impermanent each year, Permaculture can offer us a framework and a way of thinking for us to respond to crises. Would you like to learn more about Permaculture and how you can apply it in your work? Re-Alliance can facilitate introductory webinars or in person courses tailored to you and your organisation, or connect you with a local Permaculture practitioner. Re-Alliance specialises in trainings for humanitarian and development organisations and agencies. Contact us here to discuss this with us.

Why is rooftop gardening needed in Gaza? In recent years there has been substantial urban expansion in Gaza at the expense of agricultural land. Current urban development policies and land use classifications have failed to protect and provide land for agriculture within Gaza, leading to densification and a loss of open green spaces. The rapid population growth has also caused significant water shortages, with the current annual need of 160 million cubic metres double the capacity of the Gaza aquifer. Heavy pollution of the coastal aquifer has left over 96% of water in Gaza non-potable. Bombings and other threats on Gaza’s singular power plant mean that over 2.1 million people live with only a few hours of electricity a day. The lack of land fit for agriculture, usable water, and an unreliable supply of energy has resulted in food insecurity for the population, with most donor agencies focusing more on food imports and donations rather than Palestinian-led food sovereignty, prompting dependency on international assistance and a vulnerability to market food price fluctuations. For these reasons, the agricultural sector could play a prominent role in poverty alleviation and securing the population's basic food requirements. To meet these needs, the Gaza Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Platform (GUPAP) supports Gaza refugee families and local farmers to grow food within Gaza, using the limited resources of space, water and energy to their most efficient capacity. When there is no space left to grow on the ground, the gardens are moved up to the rooftops. The Project GUPAP are working on a pilot project creating rooftop food gardens made from recycled materials and low-cost local resources. Local seeds will be grown, saved and swapped, reconnecting the community with the heritage it has been disconnected from since the 1948 war. The first rooftop garden, for a refugee family in Burj Refugee Camp, will implement innovative techniques to save water and reduce the costs and environmental impact of production. Growing areas will be constructed from recycled rubber, up-cycled plastic bottles, reused wood, and locally produced compost and crops will be irrigated using drip irrigation and grey water. In Gaza, the role of women is estimated to amount to 71% of the population economically active in agriculture. In light of that, GUPAP is harnessing this experience to offer a training opportunity for their Women’s Agripreneur Field School. Furthermore, the creation of rooftop gardens helps to meet the need for green and socialising spaces by creating an area available to a section of the population that would otherwise not have access to it: women, elders, and children. The learnings and the outcomes of the pilot will be documented and to form an urban agriculture guideline to be shared with GUPAP local partners and UWAF notable members of House and Rooftop Gathering. Re-Alliance will also share learnings through the production of a series of guidelines showcasing different regenerative tools and technologies appropriate for situations of disaster and displacement. To find out more, visit GUPAP’s website here: https://gupap.org/en/ Resources B’Tselem, Water in Gaza: Scarce, polluted and mostly unfit for use, Aug 2020 (here) EcoMENA, Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Gaza: Perspectives, Feb 2021 (here) Efron S. et al., The Public Health Impacts of Gaza's Water Crisis - Analysis and Policy Options, 2018 (here) FAO, Country profile – Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2008 (here) ICRC, The Impact of the Electricity Crisis on The Humanitarian & Living Conditions in the Gaza Strip - Survey Study, Nov 2020 (here) Oxfam, Failing Gaza: undrinkable water, no access to toilets and little hope on the horizon (here) OCHA, Electricity in the Gaza Strip (here) World Bank, Agricultural Land (sq. Km) - West Bank and Gaza (here) About the author: Zoe Spanodimitriou is a researcher at Re-Alliance. She is a graduate in International Relations of Asia and Africa, with a deep focus on the MENA area. She has previously worked for the Italian University Network for Development Cooperation and has co-funded two cultural organizations.

This story begins at times of deep crisis. In 2013, Greece was experiencing a financial collapse. Almost half of the country’s population became unemployed. Poverty and homelessness exploded, while social support services together with most public services were breaking down. “It was like waking up from a life full of dreams, into a hopeless never ending nightmare.” -Michalis Challenged by poverty and food insecurity, and as a way to fight depression, a small group of people who lost their income from the financial crisis started to grow food in empty plots of public land around their neighbourhood in Thessaloniki. They called themselves Pervolarides (Gardeners). Gardening brought many neighbours closer. They started cooking together, forming supportive relations and a spirit of solidarity for helping those around who were most vulnerable or homeless. In 2015, another crisis began unfolding in Greece on top of the growing financial crisis. Thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Syria were now among the homeless in the city. The massive emergency needs also generated more solidarity, and Pervolarides were increasingly collecting food that markets couldn’t sell and cooking hot meals for vulnerable families and the homeless. By 2016, several groups of locals and refugees were coming together for cooking, gardening, beekeeping, food waste reclamation and redistribution, as well as production of sauces, marmalades and pickles. Since then, Pervolarides have evolved into a strong community and a local network for support and social cooperation; they maintain a collective multi-space where they cook, collect, process and redistribute 15 tons of food to people in need every year, and regularly organise environmental regeneration activities and ecological trainings for children, young people with special needs and for the wider community. So how does a small group of people growing food in empty land around the neighbourhood, lead to community regeneration? Filippos, one of the initiators of Pervolarides explains: “Following the evolution of our relations that form through embracing the food cycle - from seeding, cultivation, collection, processing and cooking, to reclaiming, reprocessing and redistributing food that would be wasted - we collectively grow our community and empower a holistic vision of social and environmental regeneration. "Through food collaborations, people learn about themselves and how to care for others and for mother nature. Through democratic and open horizontal decision-making processes, individuals and small groups become communities that regenerate their social and natural environment, take responsibility for their decisions and actions, and taste the fruits of their successes. "For 10 years we are an evolving grassroots voluntary movement for social mobilisation and cooperation, supporting and uniting people under collective solidarity actions. Our vision is not only to regenerate nature and our living environment, but also our relations and our community. We come together in democratic hubs where people of all ages, ethnicities and social status can connect and express freely and equally; empowering everyone to overcome exclusion and discrimination and to heal divisions and inequalities. "As we seek to become empowered and self-sufficient, we promote equality and fair redistribution of resources and inspire synergies that respond to common needs. We co-create activities and spaces where abilities, ideas and resources unite and shape dynamic social movements and strong supportive communities. Our holistic approach is extremely successful and easy to adapt based on activating small and flexible groups under a common umbrella, collectively forming a greater community. In this way, we foster social and environmental regeneration, and nourish resilient and responsive communities.” The experience of Pervolarides, highlights the two main factors that enable the regeneration of a community. Solidarity and social cooperation. And the way to achieve these, by expanding our social awareness of our common needs and by following the examples of nature. Nature always teaches us how to cooperate on the basis of sharing needs. Every crisis, (financial, refugees, health pandemics, war) brings people closer to a greater understanding of our shared nature and common needs. And as we join together on our collective need to regenerate our environment, as we become more aware of the interconnections between ourselves and our planet, we begin to understand the numerus ways nature can inspire our spiritual renewal, our social revival and the regeneration of our communities. “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves.” - Mahatma Gandhi

A Community of Practice for Regenerative Practitioners Working in Challenging Environments We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new series of community of practice gatherings for regenerative practitioners working in contexts of disaster, displacement and development. Re-Alliance is dedicated to advancing, promoting and showcasing regenerative practices in response to some of the world's most pressing challenges, and this community of practice is an important step towards achieving this goal. The online community of practice will provide a platform for Re-Alliance members across the world to come together and share their experiences, knowledge, and insights. By connecting with others in the field, members will enjoy a supportive environment, expand their knowledge, and stay up-to-date on the latest developments and best practices in regenerative work, and in particular how it can be applied in contexts of development, disaster and displacement. Each bi-monthly community of practice gathering invites you to join the network in congregating around a guiding theme. Ask questions, showcase your work, share your knowledge and expertise, discuss your challenges, and receive inspiration and practical tips from the wisdom of the network. The schedule and guiding themes for these sessions can be found below, and a more complete overview of Re-Alliance’s events, which will be updated as more are added throughout the year, can be found on our events page. Some of the benefits of a Community of Practice are: Networking: Practitioners will be able to connect with others in the field and build valuable relationships that can help them advance their work and work more effectively. Knowledge sharing: Members will be able to share their experiences, insights, and best practices with others, helping to promote the integration of regenerative practices in response to disaster, displacement, and development. Collaboration: The community of practice will provide a platform for practitioners to collaborate on projects and initiatives, working together to make a larger impact than those working in isolation. Re-Alliance is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive community that facilitates the sharing of resources and support. We believe that by working together, we can help to promote the integration of regenerative practices in response to some of the world's most pressing challenges. We hope you'll join us in this exciting journey! To learn more about the community of practice and how to get involved, visit our events page, or sign up to join our network for additional members-only materials and to be reminded when meetings are happening.

For the vast majority of humanity, nature is understood as something separate from ourselves. The natural world is seen as something to conquer, a resource to exploit. Most Western belief systems hinge on the idea that human culture has sovereignty over nature, and we rely on a supply of infinite resources that the planet simply does not have. The ecological crisis is fundamentally a crisis of imagination, and the enormous issues we face cannot be solved without first changing the way we think about the environment. We are now paying the price for a superiority complex that has been held for thousands of years. This worldview has become institutionalised, embedded in our vocabulary (e.g., ‘natural resources’, ‘fish stocks’) and our politics. It is no coincidence that social groups associated with the natural world – the working class, indigenous people, even women - have been exploited in a similar way. Fortunately, not everyone subscribes to this worldview. Re-Alliance's members are regeneration practitioners and prescribe to the belief that nature is living. For some, this could have spiritual undertones like animism: the belief that all things – including rocks, plants, and rivers – possess a spiritual essence. Others look to science and ecology to prove that nature is not an inanimate object for humans to exploit, but a complex web of interrelated and interdependent life forms. In their community-led humanitarian responses, Re-Alliance's members embed this belief in their work - designing their responses not only around the health of humans, human systems and infrastructure, but also the health of non-humans. This idea that the non-human possesses agency and vitality could be pivotal in transforming popular attitudes towards the natural world. Communities in La Libertad in Northern Peru, for instance, believe that nature has the ability not only to feel but to act upon these feelings. Importantly, they believe that the relationship between humans and nature is reciprocal, and that natural disasters are punishment for us not treating nature with the respect it deserves. For them, the level of violence enacted by nature correlates to the level of violence enacted by humanity. In this way, nature is not only a reflection of ourselves but also an agent of justice. This alternative way of thinking is already beginning to manifest itself in law and policy. Some governments have recognised the legal personhood of nature, which allows polluters to be prosecuted under personal injury laws. India, Australia, and New Zealand, for instance, recognise the legal personhood of rivers, while Columbia recognises the legal personhood of the Amazon rainforest. Another country leading by example is Bhutan, which uses a ‘gross national happiness’ index to measure progress rather than GDP. Importantly, this index regards the wellbeing of people and the wellbeing of nature. We don’t all need to subscribe to the idea that nature is a sentient being. But perhaps viewing nature as something we are a part of rather than something to fight against could be the key to solving the ecological crisis. Regeneration, for instance, promotes the idea that humanity should evolve in harmony with ecological systems. The emphasis is on collaboration with nature; building a relationship without problematic power dynamics, and ultimately resulting in long-term flourishing for everyone involved. This reimagining of our relationship with nature has profound implications for the humanitarian and development sectors. Solutions that go beyond sustainability could mean that refugee camps no longer have to be places where nature is damaged and subordinated. Instead, regenerative design could enable ecosystems in disaster settings to thrive – creating an environment that is self-healing and far more beneficial to both people and planet. One of Re-Alliance's members, Green Releaf in the Philippines, is doing incredible work on restoring humanity’s connection to the earth by using nature-based solutions in times of crisis. Humanity and nature are deeply intertwined, yet many of us are struggling to break free from this entanglement using increasingly violent methods. These attempts at separation are brutal and futile – most people do not realise that if we are destroying nature, we are destroying ourselves. If we do not shift our way of thinking about nature, we will continue to wreak havoc until we eventually look down and realise that the blood on our hands has always been our own.

Our illustrated guide for using Greywater and Rainwater in contexts such as refugee camps has now been translated in Turkish as well as English and Arabic. In 2021, Re-Alliance partnered with SOILS Permaculture Association Lebanon, Syrian Academic Expertise, and Malteser International to develop a set of instructional guides for using recycled household water, or ‘greywater’, in vegetable garden settings. Greywater can be used for different purposes, such as for watering plants, cleaning equipment, and flushing toilets. Harvesting greywater can be essential when dealing with disrupted infrastructure in scenarios such as those being experienced in Türkiye and Syria following the recent earthquakes.

Re-Alliance members illustrate how we can apply regenerative thinking to disaster management The need for a revised approach to DRR Earlier this month, the annual International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was commemorated by the international humanitarian community. In May this year the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was held, during which the UN General Assembly adopted a political declaration to accelerate action to strengthen disaster resilience. This comes as a response to the alarming increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters that we are witnessing, ranging from hurricanes and wildfires to earthquakes and floods. These catastrophic events not only result in the loss of lives and livelihoods but also pose a significant threat to the environment and economies. Traditional disaster risk reduction strategies often focus on short-term fixes and reactive measures and can no longer deal with the devastation experienced at a climatic, ecological and human level. Humanitarian organisations, who have traditionally worked through siloed clusters and who often design in a mechanistic or reductionist manner, are recognising the limitations of these approaches, and, as the number and scale of crises increases, fear they will not be able to meet the demand for support. The destruction of land, ecosystems and communities requires an integrated and systems-based response that takes into account the parallel and equal importance of the earth and its inhabitants. Alternative approaches are needed, led by community responders who have a rooted understanding of their people, land and ecosystems. Applying regenerative principles to disaster risk reduction efforts can offer a starting point to designing holistic, integrated and forward-thinking solutions. In this article, we will explore what a regenerative approach to disaster risk reduction is, what its key principles are, and showcase some of the ways in which Re-Alliance members are putting regenerative principles into action to help enhance the resilience of both communities and ecosystems in areas vulnerable to natural hazards. Rethinking DRR as Designing for Resilience and Regeneration “What if we changed the narrative of Disaster Risk Reduction or DRR, into that of Designing for Resilience and Regeneration?” While working on typhoon relief efforts, Re-Alliance member Sarah Queblatin was confronted by the amount of plastics and processed food making up the relief supplies. She questioned “how might we address problems without the same factors that caused the problem in the first place?” This questioning, coupled with the pressing needs of disaster affected communities, led to the formation of Green Releaf Initiative, an organisation working with communities in the Philippines - the country facing the highest disaster risk globally. Green Releaf’s mission is to transform the narrative of Disaster Risk Reduction into Designing for Resilience and Regeneration. Combining permaculture and ecovillage design principles with traditional ecological knowledge, Green Releaf has created a range of programs in partnership with affected communities that enhance resilience at every stage of disaster management, from coordinating the distribution of urgent relief supplies to working with the local government to address the underlying causes of both natural hazards and community vulnerability. A Green Releaf facilitated session of participatory 3D hazard mapping (Photo credit to Gumay Tenda, Green Releaf) What would Regenerative Disaster Risk Reduction consist of? The term ‘regeneration’ as we use it can be understood as a web of many intersecting movements and knowledge bases, each with their own unique framework for engaging with living systems. These movements include permaculture, agroecology, nature based solutions, traditional ecological knowledge and more. A common aim of regenerative approaches is to increase the health of ecological, social and/or economic systems, often through holistic designs employing nature inspired principles. Viewing disaster management through a regenerative lens involves looking at the whole system and how elements are interconnected, rather than simply addressing the most visible and pressing concerns. For instance, it is crucial to remember that there is no such thing as a “natural disaster” - while there are natural hazards, such as earthquakes and droughts, disasters only occur when these hazards intersect with a community’s existing vulnerabilities. A whole systems approach to mitigating the risk of a disaster could involve regenerating the social and economic capital of a community, factors which have been proven to be instrumental in recovery. Key principles of a regenerative approach to DRR could include the following: Ecosystem-Based Approaches: Regenerative disaster risk reduction recognizes the symbiotic relationship between human communities and their surrounding ecosystems and emphasises the importance of preserving and enhancing the natural environment as a way to reduce disaster risks. The mutually reinforcing relationship between degradation, disasters, and climate change means that addressing drivers of degradation such as deforestation will also contribute substantially to mitigating the risks of all three. Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) engages communities in India in watershed management interventions, such as building earthen dams. By reviving this traditional method of dam construction, over 1000 communities have regained accessible water and are therefore much more resilient to droughts. Furthermore, as the structures allow the water to permeate the ground and recharge the groundwater, plant life is enabled to flourish, reducing soil erosion and mitigating the risk of flooding during monsoon season. TBS works with communities facing water insecurity to build rainwater harvesting structures, like the one pictured about (Photo credit to TBS) Resilient Infrastructure: Building infrastructure that can withstand the impact of disasters is fundamental. Regenerative approaches encourage the use of readily available materials and resilient construction techniques to reduce vulnerability and promote long-term durability. An inspiring example of resilient infrastructure comes in the form of strawbale houses. PAKSBAB, an organisation promoting straw bale building as an earthquake resilient option for Pakistan, has tested these structures in seismic trials. The combination of the uniquely appropriate resilience of straw bale buildings to earthquakes, and of lime-stabilised soil to flood or monsoon damage, promote the possibility of a fully integrated disaster risk reduction solution for areas of high flood, monsoon and earthquake risk. Furthermore, PAKSAB estimates building costs to be about half of the cost of conventional earthquake resistant buildings, and local people have been trained in their construction, building community capacity and livelihoods. An earthquake resistant strawbale house in Nepal (Photo credit to Bee Rowan, Strawbuild) Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Resilience: Incorporating traditional and indigenous knowledge is invaluable in designing a regenerative approach to DRR. Indigenous communities often have deep insights into sustainable land management, disaster resilience, and community cohesion. To enhance their landscape approach to food sovereignty in disaster contexts, Green Releaf’s Living Story Landscapes program uses culture and creativity to document traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in order to honour the existing practices of the indigenous communities they work with. One of Green Releaf’s Permaculture demonstration sites is being constructed with indigenous farmers of Kalinga (Photo credit to Gumay Tenda, Green Releaf) Community Empowerment: Communities play a central role in regenerative disaster risk reduction. Empowering them with the knowledge, skills, and resources to actively participate in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts is crucial. This can involve community-based training, early warning systems, and participatory decision-making. A great example of creatively engaging communities comes from IDEP, an NGO in Indonesia. Led by Re-Alliance member Petra Schneider, IDEP developed comic books, puppetry and films to raise awareness of the early signs of disaster and ways of responding to these. The films took care to develop characters and scenery that reflected local cultural and environmental contexts. Facilitators were trained in how to use puppets to stimulate discussion and reinforce the messages shared in the films, often using games, songs and puzzles and working with children and adult groups. A group of children are shown one of IDEP’s short films as part of a disaster preparedness workshop (Photo credit to Petra Scneider, IDEP) Conclusion A regenerative approach to disaster risk reduction is a paradigm shift in our approach to mitigating and responding to disasters. It recognizes the interconnectedness of humans and nature, focuses on creating systems that continue to thrive beyond disaster events, and empowers communities to take an active role in their resilience. By focusing on restoration and regeneration, we can reduce the impact of disasters, protect the environment, and build more resilient and thriving communities. As we confront the challenges of a changing climate, regenerative disaster risk reduction offers an urgently needed path forwards. It is beginning to be acknowledged by the international community that what is needed is a timely, concerted cross-sectoral and collaborative movement to avoid, reduce and reverse degradation before irreversible damage is caused, noting that restoration and regeneration will become more difficult and costly over time. The work of community led groups such as the 200+ members of Re-Alliance needs to be recognised and learned from. To join this network filled with rich expertise, find out more here, or contact us at contact@re-alliance.org Further Reading Green Releaf’s website Green Releaf founder Sarah Queblatin explains more about Green Releaf’s work to transform DRR to designing for resilience and regeneration Re-Alliance Case Study about Tarun Bharat Sangh's work with The Flow Partnership More information about Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB) IDEP’s ‘Tales of Disaster’ film series https://youtu.be/FTvitAoUEow?si=L3FxfLsQgiGNor_e IDEP’s Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM) manual for disaster preparedness – a comprehensive guide that empower communities to develop their own strategies for disaster management (this manual is endorsed and used by a range of bodies working in disaster management including: UNESCO, USAID, Oxfam, CHF, IOM, Bakornas (Indonesia’s national body for disaster management) and MPBI For more information on IDEP's educational materials, including a series of children's comics and activity books on Community Based Disaster Management, see here or get in touch. SPHERE Manual on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience in Humanitarian Action United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction: Implementing Nature-based Solutions for Resilience

Pictured left: Gideon at a gathering of young environmentalists in July 2021, where he led a conversation on the need for systems change and regenerative practices to address the climate crisis. The Re-Alliance team are pleased to announce that Gideon Adeyeni has recently joined our Board of Trustees. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Gideon wholeheartedly, and to introduce him and his work to the wider network. The Re-Alliance Board In his new role Gideon Adeyeni will be joining Ruth Andrade, Gisele Henriques, George McAllister, Peter Mellett, and Geoff O’Donaghue, who are invaluable to the work that Re-Alliance does. The board has a range of responsibilities including determining the overall strategic direction of the organisation; ensuring that Re-Alliance fulfils its legal duties; and safeguarding the high standards of governance that align with Re-Alliance’s values, integrity, and reputation. Re-Alliance announced an open call for applications to join its board at the 2023 Annual General Meeting, to which all Re-Alliance Members are invited. Gideon nominated himself and after interviews with Re-Alliance Trustees he was officially welcomed onto the board. Find out more about Re-Alliance’s other Trustees and Core Team here. Gideon’s decision to join Re-Alliance, in his own words When asked to share why he chose to join Re-Alliance as a Trustee, Gideon shared the following: I am passionate about permaculture and regenerative practices. I am a community mobilizer and researcher, with interest in sustainability and livability. My interest in regenerative practices grew out of my inquisition about what we can do as individuals and communities to address the climate crisis and build stronger communities. Regenerative practices, I discovered, help in restoring the environment and strengthening communities. Gideon in 2015 during a research project he and his team carried out in rural border communities of Southwest Nigeria, exploring existing land management practices and potential for sustainable alternatives. Permaculture, as a regenerative environmental management and settlement design approach, became appealing to me immediately once I came about it as an idea. Perhaps the fact that I have spent the greater part of my years in the rural suburb of an ancient town of the Yoruba people of Southwest Nigeria, surrounded by evergreen trees of the regions tropical forest, which provided fruits and leaves for our meals and ensured that we woke daily to the beautiful songs of different bird species helped the appeal. Watching our forest depleted through the activities of illegal and irregular gold miners (which I once initiated a campaign against), and hearing of similar experiences in different parts of the world, from the Congo basin to the Amazon, further sparked my interest in forest restoration, and of course, permaculture. My growing interest in permaculture and regenerative practices led me to Re-Alliance, which, as I found out, is a network of “field practitioners, policymakers, educators, community leaders and humanitarian and development workers, sharing skills and experience to grow the influence and impact of regenerative development in the humanitarian field”. The decision to become a member of Re-Alliance grew out of a thirst for being part of a community of individuals who are committed to regenerative development and a sustainable future. I decided to take up the challenge when the opportunity to become a trustee of Re-Alliance emerged, with the hope that I could use my previous experience in a similar role to help grow the organization, while as well forging a more knitted bond with the lovely crop of regenerative practitioners who constitute the leadership and members of Re-Alliance, so that we can together make a sustainable world a reality. Aside from my youthful energy and creativity, I am hoping that through my membership of the organization and my being part of the trustee, we would be able expand an awareness of the works of Re-Alliance and to expand the network of regenerative practitioners in Africa and West Africa particularly, and by extension globally. Gideon speaking as part of the Africans Rising movement to advocate for commitment to radically progressive ideas in addressing the climate crisis, during the 2019 Africa Climate Week in Ghana. Looking ahead Re-Alliance is currently exploring ways in which we can increase member representation, decentralise decision making, and ensure greater transparency between the organisation and its network of members, in order to ensure that our members’ voices are heard and their needs met. As part of this aim, and with Gideon’s guidance, Re-Alliance is in the process of setting up a Regional Advisory Board, which will be populated by regional representatives from within the membership. We encourage you to get in touch at contact@re-alliance.org to share your thoughts on this matter.