Household Energy-related Sphere Standards 

“The Sphere Project is an initiative launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, who framed a Humanitarian Charter and identified Minimum Standards to be attained in disaster assistance, in each of the five key sectors (water supply and sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter and health services). The process led to the publication of the first Sphere handbook in 2000. Taken together, the Humanitarian Charter and the Minimum Standards contribute to an operational framework for accountability in disaster assistance efforts…

The Minimum Standards and the key indicators were developed using broad networks of practitioners in each of the sectors. Most of the standards, and the indicators that accompany then, are not new, but consolidate and adapt existing knowledge and practice. …They reflect a continuing determination to ensure that human rights and humanitarian principles are realized in practice.”

The most relevant chapters of the Sphere handbook for household energy-related interventions are Chapter 3 on Food Security, Nutrition and Food Aid; and Chapter 4 on Shelter, Settlement and Non-Food Items. You can find the full text of these chapters at the bottom of the page, or refer to the excerpts below (all text is from the 2004 edition).

Chapter 3: Food Security, Nutrition and Food Aid

Part 2: Minimum Standards in Food Security – Food Security Standard 1, General Food Security

Key Indicator: food security responses have the least degradative effect on the environment

Guidance Note 3 - Risks associated with coping strategies: over-use of natural resources reduces the availability of natural capital (i.e.:…collection of firewood); travel to insecure areas to …gather food or fuel exposes people (especially women and girls) to attack.

Guidance Note 6 – Environmental impact: Impact on the surrounding environment should be considered during assessment and the planning of any response. For example, people living in camps require cooking fuel, which may lead rapidly to local deforestation. The distribution of foodstuffs which have long cooking times, such as certain beans, thus also potentially affecting the environment. Where possible, responses should aim to preserve the environment from further degradation.

Part 2: Minimum Standards in Food Security – Food Security Standard 2, Primary Production

Key Indicator: The introduction of inputs…does not exacerbate vulnerability or increase risk, e.g by increasing competition for scarce natural resources

Part 4: Minimum Standards in Food Aid, Section i). Food Aid Planning

Introduction: initial assessment and analysis of an emergency situation should identify people’s own food and income sources, as well as any threats to those sources.

Food Aid Planning Standard 1, Ration Planning

Key Indicator: the ration distributed reduces or eliminates the need for disaster-affected people to adopt damaging coping strategies

Food Aid Planning Standard 2, Appropriateness and Acceptability

Key Indicators:

• When an unfamiliar food is distributed, instructions on its preparation in a locally palatable manner, with minimum nutrient loss, are provided to women and other people who prepare foods, preferably in the local language
• People’s ability to access cooking fuel and water, and the duration of cooking times and requirements for soaking, are considered when selecting commodities for distribution
• When a whole grain cereal is distributed, recipients either have the means to mill or process it in a traditional home-based manner or have access to adequate milling/processing facilities reasonably close to their dwellings

Guidance Note 1 – Familiarity and Acceptability: …when there are acute survival needs and there is no access to cooking facilities, ready-to-eat foods must be provided.

Guidance Note 2 – Fuel Requirements: …a fuel assessment should also be undertaken to ensure that recipients are able to cook food sufficiently to avoid adverse effects to their health, and without degradation of the environment through excessive collection of fuelwood. When necessary, appropriate fuel should be provided or a wood harvesting program established that is supervised for the safety of women and children, who are the main gatherers of firewood. In general, items should be provided that do not require long cooking times or the use of large quantities of water. The provision of milled grain or of grain mills will reduce cooking times and the amount of fuel required.

Part 4: Minimum Standards in Food Aid, Section ii). Food Aid Management

Food Aid Management Standard 1, Food Handling\

Key indicators:

• There are no complaints concerning difficulties in…preparing [or] cooking…the food distributed
• Every household has access to appropriate cooking…fuel

Guidance Note 3 – Household Items and Fuel: each household should have access to…adequate fuel for food preparation. If access to cooking fuel is limited, foods requiring a short cooking time should be distributed. If this is not possible, then external sources of fuel supply should be established to bridge the gap.

Chapter 4: Shelter, Settlement and Non-Food Items

Part 2: Minimum Standards in Non-Food Items: Clothing, Bedding and Household Items – Non-food items Standard 4, Stoves, Fuel and Lighting

Key indicators:

• Each household has access to communal cooking facilities or a stove and accessible supply of fuel for cooking needs and to provide thermal comfort
• Where food is cooked on an individual household basis, each household has a stove and fuel to meet essential cooking and heating needs
• Environmentally and economically sustainable sources of fuel are identified and prioritized over fuel provided from external sources
• Fuel is obtained in a safe and secure manner, and there are no reports of incidents of harm to people in the routine collection of fuel

Guidance Note 1 – Stoves: …Energy-efficient cooking practices should be promoted, including firewood preparation, fire management, food preparation, shared cooking, etc. This could include possible changes to the type of food to be prepared, such as any rations provided by food assistance programs e.g. pulses require considerable cooking and hence fuel, Where displaced populations are accommodated in mass shelters, communal or centralized cooking and heating facilities are preferable to the provision of individual household stoves, to minimize fire risks and indoor smoke pollution.

Guidance Note 2 – Ventilation: If used inside an enclosed area, stoves should be fitted with flues to vent exhaust gases or smoke to the exterior…[and to] minimize the risk of indoor pollution or respiratory problems. Stoves should be designed to minimize the risk of fire and of indoor and outdoor pollution.

Guidance Note 3 – Sustainable sources of fuel: sources of fuel should be managed, and measures taken to replenish and regenerate resources to ensure sustainability of supply.

Guidance Note 4 – Collecting fuel: women should be consulted about the location and means of collecting fuel for cooking and heating to address issues of personal safety. The demands of collecting fuel on particularly vulnerable groups…should be addressed.