The Sphere Project
(The Humanitarian Charter and
Minimum Standard in Humanitarian
Response)
Gerard Natividad
Historical Perspective
1997
Over 400
organisations in 80
countries
Background of Sphere Project:
• Criticism in the Rwanda multi-donor study
of “unnecessary deaths” in 1994
• Concern about quality
• Increasing complexity of disasters
• Increasing frequency of disasters
• Search for management tools
• Increasing use of standards in development
work
• Increasing number of actors
Sphere is 3 things
▪a handbook;
▪a broad process of collaboration;
▪an expression of commitment to
quality and accountability;
As a Handbook, Published:
• First trial edition 1998
• First final edition 2000
• Second edition 2004
• Third edition 2011
• Fourth Edition 2018
What is Sphere?
Sphere is based on two core beliefs:
First, that all possible steps should be
taken to alleviate human suffering arising
out of calamity and conflict;
Second, that those affected by disaster
have a right to life with dignity and
therefore a right to assistance.
Humanitarian Charter
▪The cornerstone of Sphere
▪Based on the principles and provisions of international
humanitarian law, international human rights law,
refugee law and the Code of Conduct for the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in
Disaster Relief.
▪The Humanitarian Charter expresses agencies’
commitment to these principles and to achieving the
Minimum Standards.;
Humanitarian Charter
▪The Charter is concerned with the most basic
requirements for sustaining the lives and dignity of
those affected by calamity or conflict.
▪Describes the core principles that govern
humanitarian action;
▪Reasserts the right of populations affected by disaster
to protection and assistance;
▪ The Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in
Humanitarian Response are the product of the
collective experience of many people and agencies.
They should therefore not be seen as representing
the views of any one agency.
Common Principles, Rights & Duties
▪The Right to Life with dignity
▪The distinction between
combatants and non-combatants
▪The principle of non-refoulement
“We understand an individual’s right to life to entail
theModule
Sphere Project9
right1 to have steps taken to preserve life where
it is threatened, and a corresponding duty on others
to take such steps.
Implicit in this is the duty not to withhold or
frustrate the provision of life-saving assistance”
RIGHT to:
- Protect life and health without any discrimination
- Adequate standard of living with respect
- Humanitarian, impartial and dignified assistance
- Freedom from cruel & inhuman treatment/punishment.
“Non-combatants are
protected under international
humanitarian law and are
entitled to immunity from
attack”
Right to:
-Distinguish between those actively engaged in hostilities, and civilians and
others (including the sick wounded and prisoners) who play no direct part
-Non-combatants are protected under the international humanitarian law and
are entitled to immunity from attack.
“No refugee shall be sent back to a country in which his
or her life or freedom would be threatened on account
of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular
social group or political opinion; or where there are
substantial grounds for believing that s/he would be in
danger of being subjected to torture”
Right to:
- Protection
- Dignified assistance
Two Pillars of Humanitarian Actions
•Protection
•Assistance
Protection Principles
Underpin all humanitarian actions
and encompasses the basic elements of
protection in the context of humanitarian
response.
Minimum Standards
▪Core Standards
▪Water Supply, Sanitation, & Hygiene
Promotion
▪Food Security, Nutrition,
▪Shelter, Settlement, & Non-Food Items
▪Health Actions
Conclusions
People have a right to minimum
standards
People have a right to life People have a right to be
with dignity supported in their own
mitigation and
preparedness activities
Sphere
• has direct relevance
• underpins the approach to disaster
mitigation and preparedness
Sphere Project Module 4 19
Minimum Standards in
Water Supply, Sanitation
& Hygiene Promotion
Everyone has the right to
water and sanitation
WASH Minimum Standards
• Water Supply
• Sanitation-Excreta Disposal
• Vector Control
• Solid Waste Management
• Drainage
• Hygiene promotion
SPHERE – Key Indicators
Water Supply
▪ 15L/person/day (3L of drinking
water/person/day)
▪ 500m distance of shelter from water
collection point
▪ Takes no more than 3min to fill a 20L
container
▪ 0 fecal coliforms/100ml
▪ 2 containers of 10-20L per household
Water Supply, Sanitation, & Hygiene Promotion
Simplified table of basic survival water needs
Survival needs: 2.5 – 3 liters Depends on: the climate
water intake / day and individual physiology
(drinking and food)
Basic hygiene 2-6 liters / Depends on: social and
practices day cultural norms
Basic cooking 3-6 liters / Depends on: food type,
needs day social as well as cultural
norms
Total basic water 7.5 – 15
needs liters / day
Water Supply, Sanitation, & Hygiene Promotion
Maximum numbers of people per water source:
250 people per tap Based on a flow rate of 7.5
liters / minute
500 people per hand Based on a flow rate of 16.6
pump liters / minute
400 people per Based on a flow rate of 12.5
single-user open well liters / minute
1. Water Supply
Sphere – Key Indicators
Sanitation and Hygiene promotion
▪ 1 latrine for every 20 people (or 50 in
emergencies)
▪ Latrines less than 50m from houses
▪ Community included in the design and
siting of latrines
▪ Hand washing facilities located next to
latrines
▪ Gender considerations for latrines
2. Sanitation – Excreta Disposal
Technical solutions tailored for context, cultural practice, timeframe,
implementation constraints. Different needs for different users.
Sphere – Key Indicators
Vector Control and drainage
▪ All populations understand the modes of
transmission
▪ People avoid exposure to mosquitoes
during peak biting times
▪ People with malaria are diagnosed and
receive treatment
▪ Personnel carrying out chemical vector
control measures are protected
▪ Water points are kept free from standing
water
3. Vector Control
5. Drainage
Sphere – Key Indicators
Solid waste Management
▪ All households have access to refuse
containers which are emptied at least twice
a week and are no more than 100m from a
communal refuse pit
▪ At least one 100-L refuse container is
available per 10 households
4. Solid Waste Management
Identify waste type
Waste source
Determine potential hazard
Determine volume
Determine collection/storage
methods & transportation
method
Determine disposal method
6. Hygiene Promotion
Hygiene Promotion
Hygiene Promotion Kit
Minimum Standards in
Food Security & Nutrition
Everyone has the right to
adequate food.
Key Indicators
Food Security & Nutrition
• Calories: 2,100 kcals per day (initial planning
figure to be modified based on thorough
demographic analysis of population).
• 10% total energy from protein and 17%
total energy from fat.
•Adequate micronutrient intake
Minimum Standards in
Shelter, Settlements and
Non-food Items
Everyone has the right
to adequate housing
• Gross area: 45 sqm per person including household
plots
• Dimension/distance: Maximum distance between
shelter and toilets is 50 meters.
• Firebreaks: 30 meters for every 300 meters of
built-up area and a minimum of 2 meters between
shelters but preferably twice as the height of shelters
• Distance between wells/springs and latrines: latrines
farther than 30 meters from ground water sources and
1.5 meters above water table.
• Maximum distance from any shelter to water
point is 500 meters.
• Elevation/drainage: 3 meters above high water
table.
• Shelter
- Shelter area: 3.5 – 4.5 sqm covered
area per person.
- Plastic sheeting for temporary shelter:
4 meters X 6 meters sheet per
household of 5 people.
• Eating Utensils
1 cooking pot with lid
1 basin 1 spoon per person
1 kitchen knife 1 plate per person
2 wooden spoons 1 mug per person
Minimum Standards in
Health Actions
Everyone has the
right to health
Minimum Standards in
Health Actions
Health Staffing:
❖ 1 home visitor for each 500 – 1,000
population.
❖ 1 Traditional Birth Attendant for each 2,000
❖ 1 supervisor for each 10 home
visitors
❖ 1 central health facility for each 50,000
population
Camp Site Planning
Building Block Approach
One of the most important elements in site planning is
the design of the smallest repetitive grouping or unit of
shelters. Once this unit is designed, the planner uses
and repeats this initial design as a “building block” to
build larger and larger sections of the camp until the
overall size, population, or area is filled, depending on
the overriding constraint in the particular situation.
Infrastructure Planning:
• Water, sanitation and food distribution systems
are integral.
• Fire breaks
• Administrative and community services.
- Water Systems
- Protection of water sources
- Sanitation Systems
- Drainage Systems
- Transportation systems and access roads
- Cemeteries/Crematoria
Protection and Security
• Location: 50 km from threat (e.g. border)
“a reasonable distance”
Sphere Companion Standards
