This guidance sets out core principles to support decision-making in environments where drones shape risk, visibility, and access. It is not prescriptive or tactical; rather, it provides a framework to help NGOs interpret risk and adapt operations in a context where surveillance, ambiguity, and rapid escalation are persistent features.

It focuses on the high-level planning and operational measures intended to reduce exposure, improve decision-making and situational awareness, strengthen coordination and deconfliction, manage visibility and markings in context, improve operational discipline and training, and ensure contingency and medical preparedness. More detailed operational measures and context-specific mitigation options are provided separately in annexes and should be applied based on local risk assessments.

This is one part of a three-part series on drones and their impact on NGO operations.