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Re-Alliance Publications WASH academic review community care composting food growing fungi sanitation settlement design urban environments water management Booklet Building a Garden on the Roof This picture-led booklet, made in collaboration with GUPAP and Sporos, explores how to grow Permaculture-inspired gardens on the roof, especially designed for communities with limited access to land. More info and download Booklet Community Composting This illustrated guide explores how to establish composting at community scale, to build soil health, cycle 'waste', and grow community cohesion. More info and download Guideline Community-Based Response to Collective Trauma This guide is for community responders to help them provide initial psychosocial support in times of disaster or emergency. More info and download Guideline Ecological Sanitation with Reuse in Camps and Settlements A guide to closing the sanitation loop in refugee and IDP camps and settlements: How to safely use the products of ecological sanitation for growing crops, ecosystem restoration and ecosystem services. More info and download Booklet Ecosans: Toilets in a Barrel This illustrated guide explores how to build and maintain a urine-diversion composting toilet called an Ecosan, which captures nutrient-rich urine for plant fertiliser, and human manure for use in farming. More info and download Booklet First Response to Trauma This picture-led booklet, made in collaboration with SACOD, explores how community responders can work with people who have experienced trauma in a safe way. More info and download Guideline Food Growing in Camps and Settlements: Collecting, Storing and using Rainfall and Grey water This practical guide covers approaches to growing food in camps and settlements with limited water. More info and download Booklet Gardening with Grey and Rain Water in Camps An illustrated guide of how to save and use grey water and rain water for food growing in refugee camps and settlements, made in partnership with SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, and Malteser International. More info and download Booklet Growing Mushrooms in Reusable Containers How do you grow nutritious, edible mushrooms in reusable containers? This guide explores one method of using upcycled plastic containers to grow mushrooms for food. More info and download Paper Growing in Crisis: The costs, benefits and transformative potential of food growing in Cox's Bazar A study looking at the impact of new and previously established gardens in Cox's Bazar refugee camps on people's well-being and nutrition, as well as the costs and benefits of the different approaches used. More info and download Booklet Seasonal Food Growing in Refugee Settlements This picture-led booklet advises on seasonal food growing in refugee camps, made by Re-Alliance's partner SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, in partnership with German Development Cooperation - GIZ, Mercy Corps, and the World Food Program. Translated from the original Arabic with permission from SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon. More info and download Paper Testing Regenerative Design guidelines for Refugee Camps and Settlements A literature analysis examining the extent to which existing guidelines on camp management offer a regenerative approach in settlement design, shelter design, food growing and water and WASH. Includes recommendations for the production of future regenerative guidelines. More info and download

Create raised beds with capillary-fed watering systems, for water-stressed or drought-prone regions. < Back Wicking Beds Create raised beds with capillary-fed watering systems, for water-stressed or drought-prone regions. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English عربي Swahili Español Português Français

From Permaculture in refugee settlements, to eco-building in disaster prone regions, to water harvesting in areas severely affected by worsening climate change, Re-Alliance and our members showcase how we can create stability, resilience and abundance, even in times of crisis. What could a regenerative humanitarian response look like? Increasing the impact and influence of regenerative responses to disaster, displacement and development Explore Re-Alliance free guides Re-Alliance promotes a regenerative vision, beyond sustainability, for the humanitarian and development sectors. From Permaculture gardens in refugee camps, to eco-building in disaster prone regions; eco WASH interventions, to integrated nature-based solutions for settlement designing: Re-Alliance members are showcasing how we can create stability, resilience and abundance, even in times of crisis. Watch Re-Alliance Videos Play Video Play Video 07:35 Unidos Social Innovation Centre | Eco-social regeneration in Nakivale Refugee Settlement What could it look like if Refugee Settlements were thriving ecological and social spaces? Unidos Social Innovation Centre is a refugee-led, community-based organisation that engages with young people located in the Nakivale Refugee settlement, South West Uganda. In this video, Unidos founder Paulinho Muzaliwa explains how they support the communities to create abundant Permaculture gardens, grow biodiverse food forests, and build healthy soils. Find out more about Unidos at https://unidosprojects.org/ Donate to Unidos' work here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/water-4-thriving-african-permaculture-group 🎥 7Times Film Production Play Video Play Video 04:41 YAKUM | Protecting and restoring the bio-cultural abundance of the Amazon YAKUM partners with three indigenous nations in Ecuador to turn degraded land into cultural food landscapes. In this film by Remi Bumstead, Re-Alliance member YAKUM explores the importance of Indigenous wisdom in forest protection and restoration, and the abundance that healthy forests can offer in terms of culture, food, and climate resilience. Arley Paraguaje and Nick Ovenden explain why YAKUM rediscover and replant diverse cultural foods, and safely harvest food from standing forests. Find out more about YAKUM's work at https://yakum.org/ 🎥 https://remibumstead.com/ Play Video Play Video 06:08 YICE Uganda | Urine-diversion dry composting toilets Join Winnie Tushabe, co-founder of YICE Uganda, and Ecosan user Uwizeye Salima, in exploring Ecosans. In the Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda, refugees are given a small plot of land to build a dwelling and farm food on. Re-Alliance's partner organisation YICE Uganda (Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment) is working with families to create kitchen gardens but yields are limited because the soil is poor. Re-Alliance and YICE collaborated to build eight urine diverting dry toilets (or ‘Ecosan’ toilets) for families. By separating the urine and faeces, the volume of composting waste is reduced, extending the capacity of the compost chamber and giving an immediate source of fertiliser in the form of urine, which, when diluted 1:10 - 1:20 with water, is an excellent fertiliser rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Diverting the urine away stops the compost chamber from becoming anaerobic and smelly and the addition of wood ash or saw dust, after using the toilet, acts as a dehydrating cover material. This design used recycled plastic barrels as containers for the faeces, which ensures no ground pollution. Once nearly full, the barrel is moved aside and replaced with a fresh barrel. With the hot composting achieved inside the barrels, compost can be created in under 12 months in the Ugandan climate. The compost is used to enrich the soil around fruiting trees and bushes. Find out more about this design and create your own with our free guides on www.re-alliance.org/publications . Play Video Play Video 30:44 Designing Regenerative Change | Adapting Welcome to Re-Alliance’s Designing Regenerative Change series. Each of these bimonthly sessions focuses on a different stage of regenerative design processes. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members and the wider community, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. The topic of this session is Adaptation. As our contexts are always changing, and as our communities grow and evolve, or if we are faced with disasters or crises, how might we adapt to best meet ever changing needs? Join along with the activity here: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1L2fkfX0dyRz7kKkYT5k5xl136_EgZ-imBGq-QdhdQtA/edit?usp=sharing We are joined by special guest Jehane Akiki, founder of Farms Not Arms, a collective of designers, farmers, strategists, and agriculturalists who have come together to build an integrated, multi-agricultural educational farm model that heals land, health, and community. Farms Not Arms' first farm is in the Beqaa, Lebanon, bringing together refugees and host communities to increase food security, ease climate change, and promote social cohesion. To find out more about re-alliance events, visit re-alliance.org/events. Welcome: (0:00) Introducing Jehane Akiki: (7:15) How do Farms Not Arms integrate adaptive processes?: (12:20) Dispersed decision-making: (15:54) Coming back to your Vision: (18:17) Activity: (24:22) Play Video Play Video 40:54 Designing Regenerative Change | Reflecting Welcome to Re-Alliance’s Designing Regenerative Change series. Each of these bimonthly sessions focuses on a different stage of regenerative design processes. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members and the wider community, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. The topic of this session is Reflection. Once we are in the process of implementation, and we are delivering our regenerative projects, how might we build learning and reflection into the process? How might we be open to the things that go well, and also the things that don't go well that we can learn from? We are joined by special guests Timothy Salomon from the National Land Coalition in the Philippines, as well as Gisele Henriques from CRS. To find out more about re-alliance events, visit re-alliance.org/events. Welcome: (0:00) Introducing Timothy Salomon: (4:05) Making the unseen or less visible, visible: (5:22) Centring wellbeing in the process: (10:00) Welcoming Gisele Henriques: (21:06) An easy reflection tool: (25:12) Case studies and human stories: (27:08) Play Video Play Video 38:46 Designing Regenerative Change | Implementation Welcome to Re-Alliance’s Designing Regenerative Change series. Each of these bimonthly sessions focuses on a different stage of regenerative design processes. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members and the wider community, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. The topic of this session is Implementation. How might we deliver on our vision and our design? How do we still embed regenerative principles in the way we implement? We are joined by special guest Noah Ssempijja, the co-founder of YICE Uganda, who shares some experiences of delivering a project in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Take part in the activity with this Jamboard: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1avwlKfZrD2LH4qG228Jdo2nJ0YSDU9y6vJyh69eWPG4/edit?usp=sharing To find out more about re-alliance events, visit re-alliance.org/events. Welcome: (0:00) Introducing Noah and YICE Uganda: (3:06) Adapting to changing and volatile circumstances: (7:36) Integrating regenerative principles in implementation: (21:23) Activity - reflection questions for you and your team: (35:01) Structuring your implementation plans: (36:49) Play Video Play Video 30:32 Designing Regenerative Change | Design for Action Welcome to Re-Alliance’s Designing Regenerative Change series. Each of these bimonthly sessions focuses on a different stage of regenerative design processes. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members and the wider community, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. The topic of this session is Design, the third session in the series. How might we best learn from the Visioning and Mapping stages, to put our ideas and plans 'down to paper'? What could it look like to make formalised plans for the upcoming work? We are joined by two special guests: Arnima Jain from Tarun Bharat Sangh (https://tarunbharatsangh.in/) and Faith Flanigan from Regenerosity (http://www.regenerosity.world). Join along with the design questions activity by making a copy of this Jamboard: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1NP2m8DqYoiZkHaOgrHja2Cvpoh5esvg5FyEBnemigLM/ To find out more about Re-Alliance events, visit re-alliance.org/events. Introduction: (0:00) Welcoming Arnima Jain: (02:06) A design thinking process: (04:53) Welcoming Faith Flanigan: (14:43) Designing through the lens of Permaculture ethics: (22:19) Designing across scales and cultural zones: (24:55) Play Video Play Video 01:02:00 Designing Regenerative Change | Mapping Welcome to Re-Alliance’s Designing Regenerative Change series. Each of these bimonthly sessions focuses on a different stage of regenerative design processes. Grounded in regenerative paradigms and principles, and contextualised with inspiring real world examples from Re-Alliance members and the wider community, you will be guided on steps you can take to bring your regenerative vision to life. The topic of this session is Mapping Resources, the second session in the series. How might we best work with our communities to help map out the resources we currently have available to us to help achieve our goals? What would it look like to map out the seen and the unseen elements of our Place, and the communities we're working with? We are joined by special guest Sarah Queblatin, founder of Green Releaf in the Philippines, and Living Stories Landscapes Project. Join along with the mapping activity by making a copy of this Jamboard: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1V5yksyrsAN_jLl8RYrjmuPZOowjNcd3Yha0L_jvFKO0/ To find out more about Re-alliance events, visit re-alliance.org/events. Introduction: (0:00) Welcoming Sarah Queblatin: (08:10) Why is process important?: (08:32) What do we need to map?: (11:39) Experiences of mapping: (23:10) Sarah's advice for mapping processes: (47:48) A mapping exercise: (53:16) Join our membership As part of our network, whether a grassroots practitioner or a member of an international NGO or Aid organisation, you will have access to dynamic knowledge, a vibrant and active community of experts, and a wealth of opportunities for collaboration. Our membership is open to all. The only requirements are an interest, understanding or expertise in regenerative design, experience in the humanitarian or development sectors, and a willingness to comply with our code of conduct and policies. Find out more Read Articles Planting Water, Growing Leaders: Youth-Driven Regeneration in Timor-Leste and Beyond The Role of Youth in Regeneration Across the world, young people are confronting the impacts of climate change, environmental... Re-Alliance Nature-Inspired Principles for Regenerative Humanitarian Responses Regenerative practice reminds us that even in the most urgent conditions, we can design interventions that nurture and collaborate with the living systems upon which all life depends. We need responses that build community autonomy, and relationship with land and other species. James Atherton Wind Mobiles: Building DIY Wind Turbines for Phone Charging in Refugee Camps In refugee and IDP settlements across the world, a mobile phone is a lifeline for the people who liver there. But keeping phones charged... Re-Alliance Sign up for our newsletters For inspiring stories from our network of practitioners around the globe, to learning about how to integrate regenerative design into humanitarian and development contexts, sign up to our newsletter below. Sign up We can support you Re-Alliance and our members have hosted several training programmes for humanitarian and development organisations and agencies. We can help you and your organisation to integrate regenerative paradigms and practices into your operation, interventions, and policy. Contact us to arrange a meeting and find out more. Contact us

A guide to closing the sanitation loop in refugee and IDP camps and settlements: How to safely use the products of ecological sanitation for growing crops, ecosystem restoration and ecosystem services. < Back Ecological Sanitation with Reuse in Camps and Settlements A guide to closing the sanitation loop in refugee and IDP camps and settlements: How to safely use the products of ecological sanitation for growing crops, ecosystem restoration and ecosystem services. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English

< back Date of completion: 1 May 2024 First Response to Trauma Psychosocial support and community building for trauma healing. Re-Alliance and SACOD have been working with communities displaced by conflict in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions, exploring several trauma healing approaches and supporting 1,278 individuals (across 210 households). For people forced from their homes, trauma is more than an emotional wound—it reshapes daily life, erodes social ties, and deepens vulnerabilities. SACOD's approach to trauma healing combined traditional healing practices, vocational skills training, and community-led resilience strategies to provide a holistic response to the psychological and practical challenges of displacement. Healing from trauma does not happen in isolation—it is strengthened through connection. Recognising this, 22 first-line psychosocial responders were trained who can now offer Psychosocial First Aid (PFA), group therapy, and emotional support to their communities. The training emphasised the power of collective healing, where peer support and shared experiences can form the foundation for recovery. Through focus group discussions, storytelling, and arts therapy, displaced individuals found ways to express pain, reconnect with cultural identity, and foster hope. Music and dance from their home regions reignited a sense of belonging, while expressive writing and campfire rituals provided a symbolic way to release grief and reclaim strength. Alongside SACOD, we created this short booklet to help guide community first responders . Photos

This practical guide covers approaches to growing food in camps and settlements with limited water. < Back Food Growing in Camps and Settlements: Collecting, Storing and using Rainfall and Grey water This practical guide covers approaches to growing food in camps and settlements with limited water. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English English (Black & White)

A study looking at the impact of new and previously established gardens in Cox's Bazar refugee camps on people's well-being and nutrition, as well as the costs and benefits of the different approaches used. < Back Growing in Crisis: The costs, benefits and transformative potential of food growing in Cox's Bazar A study looking at the impact of new and previously established gardens in Cox's Bazar refugee camps on people's well-being and nutrition, as well as the costs and benefits of the different approaches used. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English

< back Date of completion: 1 Oct 2023 Vermicomposting Toilets In Bekaa, Lebanon, Farms Not Arms built three vermicompost toilets for refugee families. These innovative toilets use worms to convert human waste into compost. Implemented by our partners Farms Not Arms in Lebanon, three vermicompost toilets were constructed for refugee families in Bekaa, Lebanon. Two were located in a camp, while the third was situated on a nearby regenerative farm. Vermicomposting toilets are an innovative option for waste management. These toilets work with worms to break down human waste into compost, reducing water use and eliminating the need for chemical treatments. This method lowers water usage and environmental impact and also produces nutrient-rich compost that can be used for gardening. Farms Not Arms hosted three workshops, involving representatives from the camp, to cover topics such as sanitation practices, vermicompost toilet functions, and design. Each vermicompost toilet was designed to accommodate daily usage by six to eight individuals, with each tank having a capacity of 0.9 cubic meters. Considering this usage, each tank can hold waste for approximately six months to a year without the need for emptying. These toilets operated on a semi-flush system, ideal for communities who wash instead of wipe after using the toilet. The water washed away in a soak-away garden. The average cost of constructing each toilet was around GBP £814, with small ongoing maintenance costs. All surveyed participants expressed satisfaction with the placement of the toilets and their overall functionality. Photos

< back Date of completion: 1 Jun 2023 Ecosan Composting Toilets Urine diversion, dry composting toilets in a barrel, enriching soils for more nutrient-rich crops and healthier people. Seven dry Ecosan compost toilets, built by YICE Uganda in collaboration with Re-Alliance, were constructed in four villages within the Nakivale camp in Uganda. An innovative design, utilizing flood-proof containers that could be easily swapped, maximized the limited space available. A comprehensive illustrated booklet, translated into multiple languages, was produced to provide information on the proper use of the toilets. Additionally, 100 households received training on the safe reuse of urine in crop production. Single-parent households with children with disabilities were particularly selected for the project. One such household is Chantal's, a refugee widow from Congo, who has a firstborn son with epilepsy. Chantal expressed gratitude for the Ecosan toilet, stating, “I am Chantal, a refugee widow from Congo, and my firstborn is epileptic. I was always concerned about what might happen to my son during an attack while using a pit latrine. However, all my worries were alleviated after receiving an Ecosan toilet.” Photos

< back Date of completion: 1 May 2025 Regenerative Camps and Settlements Showcasing regenerative interventions in refugee and IDP camps and settlements. Since 2022, Re-Alliance has be working on a ‘Regenerative Camps and Settlements' project. The project has piloted regenerative interventions within formal and informal camps for refugees and IDPs across the world, in partnership with Re-Alliance member partners. The learnings from the projects are informing our wider research into regenerative responses to disaster and displacement, and forming the basis of content for learning materials and knowledge sharing aimed at promoting grass-roots, community led interventions and influencing mainstream INGO activities. In May 2022, Re-Alliance held our first round of funding and selected eight projects from the 41 applications received, and then hosted a second round of funding in 2023. Our local partner organisations have implemented change-making regenerative programmes to trial innovations which benefit community and ecologies. The projects aim to enhance multiple systems, increasing the health of social, ecological and economic systems together. These projects work in an integrated way to break down the traditional silos between sectors. Our partnerships have included work on projects such as: • Integrated Sanitation Projects Although the concept of dry and compost toilets is now more understood and has been adopted in some camp settings, widespread uptake is limited because, in part, the benefits of resource creation are not appreciated and therefore systems are not maintained and valued. We have partnered with local groups with a focus and understanding of soil health, nutrient cycles and food growing. By integrating various designs of composting toilets with amending soils for plant growth we aim to create projects which thrive at the intersection between WASH and Livelihoods sectors, creating multiple benefits to both areas. • Urban Agriculture Projects Urban agriculture increases access to healthy, affordable, fresh food and gives communities a chance to learn about nutrition and growing food. More than this, it gives people who have been uprooted from their homes purposeful, therapeutic activity. By growing and cooking favourite foods, a taste of home can be created in a new place while tiny green spaces enrich the environment and biodiversity of cities. Reducing the amount of food that families have to buy increases resilience and reduces the amount of food that needs to be imported into cities at high carbon costs. The projects supported also integrate the use of up-cycled and recycled materials and seed saving to reduce inputs and create regenerative cycles. • Lime Stabilised Soil Construction If concrete was a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of CO2 in the world. Lime Stabilised Soil (LSS) is a viable alternative to concrete with similar cost, strength and adaptability benefits but with a fraction of the carbon footprint. Following disasters, huge rebuilding programmes often utilise concrete for rapid rebuilding, but lime stabilised soil has been shown to have greater benefits as it allows for the use of on-site materials (soil) and reduces the need for imported materials. It therefore minimises costs, carbon and resource demands and reduces construction traffic by avoiding transport of excavated and imported materials. Lime stabilisation is an established practice with a proven history of successful use internationally but cement is still the first choice by many engineers in part because of the knowledge gap of use. In some contexts, concrete is prohibited by the authorities for political reasons, so LSS could be a viable alternative to concrete without compromising on strength and safety. • Community Composting Closing the nutrient cycle by converting food waste into compost is a fundamental tool in turning human activity from an extractive to regenerative process. Our partners worked at the intersection between waste management, livelihoods and health. Composting schemes reduce waste management costs, enrich soils to enable healthy food to be grown and increase the health and biodiversity of the soil. Healthy soils sequester more carbon, absorb more water during heavy rainfall and facilitate organic food growing due to increased nutrient content. Find some of the educational materials that we have co-created with partners here . Photos

An illustrated guide of how to save and use grey water and rain water for food growing in refugee camps and settlements, made in partnership with SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, and Malteser International. < Back Gardening with Grey and Rain Water in Camps An illustrated guide of how to save and use grey water and rain water for food growing in refugee camps and settlements, made in partnership with SOILS Permaculture Association - Lebanon, and Malteser International. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English عربي Turkish

The Treebog, an innovative design, offers a sanitation solution which uses the nutrients from human waste to feed trees. This paper is an invitation to inspire further research and development to adapt this concept to suit displacement contexts. < Back Treebogs: Innovations and Explorations The Treebog, an innovative design, offers a sanitation solution which uses the nutrients from human waste to feed trees. This paper is an invitation to inspire further research and development to adapt this concept to suit displacement contexts. Donate to Re-Alliance Stay updated with our newsletter Download for free: English