Geneva Technical Hub
Geneva Technical Hub
Background and context
The Geneva Technical Hub (GTH) brings together Swiss academia and expert practitioners to tackle complex technical problems, share learnings, and find solutions that can be applied in diverse UNHCR operational contexts.
The work of the GTH contributes to the Second Pillar of the UNHCR’s Strategic Framework for Climate Action and its Operational Strategy by studying solutions to support the conservation of the natural environment and mitigate environmental degradation.
Officially launched in June 2021 under UNHCR’s Division of Resilience of Solutions, the Hub will further the resilience of the displaced and host communities to climate-related risks and strengthen preparedness and early action.
Support offered by the Geneva Technical Hub
Field support
In a targeted and time-bound way, both directly and remotely.
Operational guidance
Tools and best practices developed and operationalized.
Think tank
In collaboration with academia, analyze, explore, develop and test new methods, products and solutions.
Capacity building
To jointly learn and strengthen staff capacity.
What technical issues will be tackled?
- Support planning for sustainable settlements that are resilient to climate change.
- Study sustainable and environmentally friendly housing solutions.
- Improve water safety planning, supporting hydrogeological assessments, feasibility studies on solarization of boreholes and water network designs.
- Improve safe and reliable access to energy and WASH services for community infrastructures such as schools and health centres.
- Foster access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.
- Enhance access to sustainable electricity.
- Mainstream environmental considerations throughout humanitarian responses.
Operational guidance, tools and best practices
Among other support, the Geneva Technical Hub supports the provision of operational guidance, tools and best practices contributing to the enhancement of technical programming in the following areas:
Advanced settlement planning
Shelter and housing
Hydrogeology, water, system optimization and sanitation
- Identifying groundwater potential mapping, Uganda
- Is biogas a feasible option? Assessing anaerobic digestion for humanitarian contexts.
- Guidelines for the safe disposal of solid waste in humanitarian contexts
- Soak pit design guidelines in humanitarian contexts
- Lime treatment of faecal sludge for humanitarian contexts: Guidelines for onsite to centralized treatment
- Options to progressively upgrade sanitation from emergency response to stabilisation
- Pit latrine ventilation: Design concepts
- Case study: Optimized household toilet construction process, Tongogara, Zimbabwe
- Protection system for wells in Wadis
- Deep row entrenchment: a simple solution for faecal sludge disposal
- Mainstreaming management and reuse of lost water from tap stands and washing areas: a guidance towards greener and healthier operations
Further resources and materials
For more information on the support offered, please email the Technical Support Section in the Division of Resilience and Solutions at [email protected].
Fostering humanitarian-academic partnerships
The Geneva Technical Hub facilitated collaboration between UNHCR and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) to develop innovative solutions to technical programming challenges. Explore the videos below to learn more about the diverse tools and guidance resulting from this partnership.
A humanitarian-academic partnership
Spatial layout optimization in humanitarian settlements
Improving humanitarian infrastructure and shelter design
Managing greenhouse gas emissions