Community infrastructure catalogue – with sustainability assessments

Infrastructure is a critical part of UNHCR’s support provided in refugee settlements. Vari­ous types of infrastructure support provision of shelter and services for displaced people and host communities. Community infrastructure encompasses a diverse range of simple, small-scale infra­structure that is often an essential component of camp environment. The simplicity and scale of community infrastructure promote cost-effective service delivery and support sustainability by re­lying on materials and techniques that enable com­munity engagement in infrastructure construction and maintenance.

This Community infrastructure catalogue from UNHCR’s Technical support section presents a range of examples of community infrastructure commonly used in camp settings. The presentation of community infrastructure designs includes the following to support decision-making and imple­mentation in relation to camp infrastructure:

• basic environmental impact assessments
• comparative assessments
• bills of quantities
• drawings and spec­ifications.

These designs are drawn from operations and publications of UNHCR and partner organizations. We provide variations and alternatives for different types of community infrastructure, considering different conditions across UNHCR operations and reflecting priorities defined by the UNHCR Shelter community of practice.