This report describes a disaster stimulation exercise supported by the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit (JEU) which field-tested the cooperation of three key resources and partners.

The JEU supported the International Humanitarian Partnership by implementing the Triplex disaster simulation exercise held in Norway and Sweden in September 2008. A major component of Triplex 2008 focused on international cooperation and coordination in the response to environmental emergencies, as part of a large scale natural disaster. The Triplex scenario was developed providing different types of responses based on over 15 years of experience in international environmental emergencies response. Triplex 2008 gave the opportunity to field-test the cooperation of key resources, including (1) assessment and identification of potential environmental risks, carried out by UNDAC associate environmental experts from the Swedish Rescue Services Agency using the Flash Environmental Assessment Tool (FEAT); (2) on-site analysis and sampling by using the Environmental Assessment Module (EAM); and (3) chemical decontamination by using the Decontamination Module of the Danish Emergency Management Agency. Lessons observed at this exercise contributed to improvements of the coordination structure among the different elements, as well as building a more robust inter-national response system to environmental emergencies.

Consult the report here.