UNDP Jobs - 70790- Consultant - Carbon Offset Project Feasibility Stu

Consultant - Carbon Offset Project Feasibility Study

Location :

Brazzaville, CONGO

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

03-Mar-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

20 days

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Lake Tele / Lake Tumba (LTLT) landscape is the world’s largest swamp forest and the world’s second largest wetland area. It covers 126,440 km², spread over the Republic of Congo (ROC, 54,001km²) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, 72,439 km²). Approximately 60% of the LTLT landscape is swamp and floodable forests. The remainder is dry forest (approximately 30%), with small areas of farming, savannah and urban areas. The landscape contains several shallow lakes, all of which are ecologically important. The rivers flowing across the landscape also play a key role in regulating the hydrological cycle and climate across the Congo River Basin.

The LTLT landscape contains a recorded 7,000 vascular plant species, of which approximately 400 are endemic to the Congo basin. The landscape also provides a habitat for many globally significant animal species, including 3 Great Apes species (Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Bonobo), many species of monkey, and at least 20 ungulate species (including elephants, pygmy hippo, sitatunga and buffalo). Approximately 450 fish species have been recorded in the area, of which 150 are endemic. Lake Tumba alone has 109 fish species. Finally, 350 bird species have been recorded at one site (the Lake Tele Community Reserve), including many important migratory water birds. The LTLT landscape includes five WWF aquatic eco-regions (Ubangui, Central Basin, Lake Tumba, Lake Maai-Ndombe and Kasai) and four WWF terrestrial eco-regions (northwest Congolese forests, Western Congolese swamps, Eastern Congolese swamps and central Congolese forests). In 2008, the world's largest (65,696 km2) Ramsar site was established at Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe in DRC.

Although information is scarce, the LTLT is a vast reservoir of carbon. Assuming similar density levels in the LTLT as in the entire Congo Basin, the carbon stored in the LTLT is in the range of 0.96 – 1.56 Gt.

Threats to the Landscape and Swamp Forests:

An estimated 2 million people live in the LTLT landscape area, comprising several dozen ethnicities. The landscape contains one major city, Mbandaka in DRC, with approximately 1,000,000 people. Otherwise, people live in small towns and villages scattered along the rivers, lakes and roads. The population has been growing by an estimated 2% annually in recent years. The population lives mostly off hunting, fishing and farming – all of which are practiced both for trade and for subsistence. Fishing is particularly important, as it provides approximately 85% of protein needs.

The region contains a large number of dense forests, many of which could be potentially cleared for farming. Water is the main form of transport in the region, ranging from small dugout canoes, to small vessels with outboard motors, to ferry boats that carry up to 3,000 people.

The landscape, notably the swamp, flooded and dry forests, and therefore the biodiversity and carbon stored in the forests and underground biomass, are threatened by a number of factors. The most important of these are: (a) commercial hunting for bush meat, ivory and pets. The rates are very high in accessible areas. This affects many endangered species; (b) traditional subsistence hunting and foraging by local communities. This is suspected to be above sustainable levels; (c) intensive, anarchic and uncontrolled fishing. This is both by local people and by outsiders using less sustainable methods; and, (d) man-made bush fires. An obvious underlying driver of all threats is the rampant poverty among the local people.

In the future, two likely additional and large threats are:

Oil extraction – large quantities of oil have been found, and;
Commercial logging - particularly in DRC where concessions covering 40% of the landscape have been awarded.

Finally, there is some evidence of local climate change. The level of Lake Tumba has declined significantly in recent years. It is not known if this impact is temporary, cyclical or an indication of longer-term climate change.

Ongoing Response to the Threats:

The ideal response would be sustainable forest management (SFM), yielding economic and ecological benefits, over the entire landscape. SFM would maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of the swamp forests. SFM would lead to the conservation and appropriate use of forests and trees. This would facilitate the sustainable harvesting of wood and non-wood forest products and services, providing livelihoods for local people. It would facilitate the conservation of biological diversity that uses the swamp ecosystem. Finally, the conservation of trees and swamp ecosystems would conserve carbon storage systems, thereby helping to mitigate climate change.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives:

This terms of reference describes proposed activities to be carried out by a consultant on behalf of UNDP Republic of Congo country office, with the objective of identifying and assessing the feasibility of a forest-based carbon offset project at the Lake Tele / Lake Tumba (LTLT) landscape that would:

Generate permanent and verifiable greenhouse-gas reduction benefits; and
Provide funding for financing the costs of management in protected areas in the study area.

The product to be delivered by the consultant would describe possible project options such as forest conservation and restoration with native species, quantify the likely carbon benefits that would result from each option, and make recommendations for the implementation of a carbon offset project that would provide multiple biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) mitigation benefits. It is expected that this study will define and identify the investment criteria needed by potential investment decision-makers to justify a multi-million-dollar investment in GHG mitigation actions that improve the global environment. This study will also consider possible project options linking mitigation and adaptation to encourage a more integrated approach so as to make biodiversity conservation projects more effective.

Competencies

Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
Building support and political acumen;
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Leverages multi-disciplinary, institutional knowledge and experience;
Creates and cultivates networks of partners to promote UNDP’s image;
Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes;
Strong analytical and writing skills;
Ability to communicate effectively in order to communicate complex, technical information to both technical and general audiences;
Skills in negotiating effectively in sensitive situations;
Skills in achieving results through persuading, influencing and working with others;
Skills in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently and to resolve conflicts as they arise.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree in a relevant field such as forestry sciences, environmental Sciences, ecology, etc. with professional specialization in issues of climate change mitigation/adaptation.

Experiences:

At least 12 years of overall professional experience, with incremental responsibilities;
Of which at least 5 years of experience with and in-depth knowledge of issues related to climate change (mitigation/adaptation), or cabone financing mechanism;
Demonstrated track record in the preparation of documents, project proposals, feasibility study, targeted reports and, preferably also, publications within the theme of carbon financing and/or climate change mitigation/adaptation, is a highly sought qualification for this position;
Specific experience in dealing with carbon offset issues linking mitigation and adaptation to climate change that would provide multiple biodiversity conservation, sustainable development, and greenhouse-gas (GHG) mitigation benefits, is a highly sought qualification for this position, preferably with experience from Africa or Asia, or both;
Knowledge of environmental issues, policies and programs in the Congo basin is preferred, but not required.

Language:

Excellent mastery of written English is mandatory (eliminatory requirement);
Working knowledge of French is essential.