What are key components of a post-disaster environmental audit?

• A. Audit only financial expenditures
• B. Field data on soils, water, air; review EIA/REA actions; identify residual hazards; propose corrective actions and follow-up.
• C. Focus only on shelter quality
• D. No audit necessary

Answer: (B)

Key idea: after a disaster, an environmental audit looks at what happened to the natural environment and whether safeguards were put in place and are working. The best answer centers on gathering field data on soils, water, and air to understand contamination, pollution, and exposure risks; reviewing actions tied to Environmental Impact Assessment or Rapid Environmental Assessment to see if mitigation and cleanup steps were correctly implemented; identifying any hazards that remain after the response; and proposing concrete corrective actions plus a plan for follow-up and monitoring.

This approach ensures that environmental health and ecosystem protection are addressed, not just financial accounting or shelter quality. It also recognizes that some hazards persist even after initial relief efforts, so documenting residual risks and outlining responsible parties, timelines, and indicators is essential for safeguarding communities and ecosystems over time.