Islamic Relief is an organisation inspired by the teachings of Islam. The Islamic environmental worldview is a holistic one and is based on the five aims of Shariah which aim to protect religion, life, mind, offspring and property. These are all directly or indirectly threatened by environmental degradation.

In Islam, Muslims are encouraged to reflect on the relationship between living organisms and their environment and to maintain the balance created by God. Mankind is the guardian of the earth and as such has a duty to protect it and also to ensure its posterity for future generations in the spirit of inter-generational equity.
 
Islamic Relief believes that we all have a responsibility to maintain the balance of the earth, especially as disruption of this balance is causing widespread suffering amongst the world’s poorest people. Protection of the environment is therefore crucial to Islamic Relief both as one of the Islamic principles on which we are founded, and also because of its importance for poverty reduction.

Islamic Relief believes that a stable climate and a rich environmental heritage are as important to communities as their material needs. We also believe that environmental conservation, socioeconomic development and emergency relief are interlinked and these links should be reflected in our activities. Islamic Relief’s interventions to promote environmental sustainability focus on four areas:

·        Integrating the principles of sustainable development into all projects

·        Preventing or reversing the loss of environmental resources

·        Ensuring Islamic Relief’s own internal policies and practices are environmentally sound

·         Advocating for global change to protect the environment.

Islamic Relief conducts meaningful environmental impact assessments as a standard part of every project preparation process.  It implements many projects aimed at creating sustainable livelihoods through environmental protection and regeneration and promoting environmentally sound practices.  There is a strong link between environmental degradation and the frequency of natural and man-made disasters. Despite this, in an emergency situation relief workers are often unable to prioritise environmental issues.