The “MERA Pilot” project, launched in January 2026 in Burkina Faso, aims to gather lessons learnt on the use of the Multi-sectoral matrix of environmental risk analysis and mitigation measures (MERA) by field teams from 13 international and national NGOs.
The Réseau Environnement Humanitaire (REH), through its Environmental Assessments Working Group (EA WG), aims to improve the integration of environmental issues into projects by promoting the use of rapid environmental assessment tools.
In 2024, the working group developed and launched the MERA, a multi-sectoral matrix for analysing environmental risks across various humanitarian sectors: Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH), Food Security and Livelihoods (SAME), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and Health & Nutrition.
The pilot project aims specifically to identify recommendations for a potential revision of the tool (content, format, etc.), its presentation sheet and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting a rapid environmental assessment. Two protocols were tested: the use of the MERA alone, and the combined use of MERA and NEAT+.
Initially, two training sessions were held for the participating organisations, bringing together 47 participants. Subsequently, in March–April 2026, the NGO teams carried out environmental assessments of their projects independently, with remote support from the EA Working Group, in accordance with the different protocols. The participating organisations cover a variety of sectors and areas of operation across Burkina Faso.
The co-analysis workshop held on 22 April enabled the participating teams to collectively analyse the results of the assessments carried out and to identify lessons learnt for improving the MERA and environmental assessment practices.
The discussions enabled a comparison of the results and processes of the two protocols, the identification of their respective strengths and limitations, and the formulation of concrete recommendations. In particular, it emerged that the MERA is considered easier to use and quicker to access, whilst the NEAT+ is valued for its consideration of the local environmental context, which can lead to differentiated mitigation measures depending on the intervention areas. The participants thus confirmed that the two tools are complementary. The recommendations for improving the MERA, developed using the World Café format, focus on three main areas: the content of the sectoral modules; the format; and ease of use.
DG ECHO, present as an observer, commended the quality of the discussions and reiterated its support for the integration of environmental assessments into funding proposals. The representatives emphasised that every identified risk must be accompanied by budgeted mitigation measures backed by indicators – a strong message addressed to the entire sector.
Following this pilot and to broaden the discussion, the EA Working Group organised an online webinar on 14 September entitled “Use of environmental assessment tools – lessons learnt from the ‘MERA pilot’ project in Burkina Faso and future prospects”. The aim of this webinar, which brought together speakers from several organisations, was to explore how, at a time when operational contexts are increasingly characterised by climate risks and environmental degradation, field teams can effectively integrate these issues into their projects.
The outputs of the pilot, from the participating organisations, are: an analysis report for each project (including an Environmental Management Plan). Several reports (in French) are publicly available, namely those from CEAS, CRB, GRAD-A and Tin Tua.
On the organisers’ side, several deliverables have been drafted by the EA Working Group and Groupe URD, in French and English:
This pilot project is being carried out as part of Groupe URD’s APIC 3 project, with the support of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion (MTECT), the French Development Agency, the Fondation de France, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and the Principality of Monaco.