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Consultant on Natural Resources Economics |
WWF Zambia |
Advert
Posted 2019-05-23 01:45:03
Terms of Reference
Economist, Luangwa: Economic Valuation,
Opportunities, Poverty Reduction and Environmental Sustainability
Position Title: Consultant on Natural Resources
Economics
Reports to: Freshwater Programme Team Leader
Date: TBA
Duration of assignment: Six Months
Location of assignment: Luangwa River Catchment – Muchinga, Central,
and Eastern province, with visits to the WWF Zambia Office, Lusaka.
I. Background
Rivers are the world’s lifeblood, enabling
people to fish and farm and build whole cities and economies. In many places,
connected, free-flowing rivers like the Luangwa River are crucial for carrying
sediment downstream, balancing nutrients in soils, maintaining floodplains that
protect against extreme weather events, and providing tourism opportunities.
And as the climate changes, connectivity in rivers boosts people’s resiliency
to flood and drought events, and creates corridors for biodiversity to find
new, appropriate habitats. However, throughout history, societies have used and
abused river systems – we build dams, levees, canals, channels, etc. that alter
natural flows – to increase irrigation, produce energy, transport goods and
people, control floods, bring drinking water, and ensure ample water supply for
industrial production. While such infrastructure has fueled development, it has
also fragmented rivers jeopardizing their ability to provide services to people
and nature.
The Luangwa River, in particular, is the
longest unregulated river within the Zambezi river system. It is a unique, fast
flowing, sediment rich river system that supports one of the largest wildlife
based economies in Zambia. Its high biodiversity value as well as river
variability is critical to the entire catchment – from the wildlife thriving in
some of our most important National Parks to the fish in the river for
communities that depend directly on the river’s ecosystem services. However,
the river’s pristine nature is under threat with a proposal to build a
hydropower dam along its main stem.
The fact that the Luangwa is rich in
biodiversity, with natural resources abundance, it is attracting a lot of
private sector investments, some of which threaten the sustainability of this
very important river system. As such, WWF Zambia and its partners are
collaborating to protect the Luangwa River, with an aim of having it declared
as a Water resource Protection Area (WRPA) under the Water Resources Management
Act of 2011. To attain this, the consultant will focus on gathering and
compiling necessary information on the economic value of goods and services,
and how this could change in light of large scale developments and climate
change in order to inform the argument of having the Luangwa declared as a
WRPA. The study will also inform future decisions of relevant authorities to
ensure development plans in the Luangwa basin are sustainable and do not
adversely impact economies.
II. Terms of Reference
The argument of protecting the Luangwa River
as a water resources protection area is crucial. As such, undertaking an
valuation of ecosystem services and their trade-offs, in this case a dam, may
show that having a dam is more valuable (In economic terms) than leaving this
ecosystem in its pristine state. However, the long term impacts on the tourism
sector and the dam itself, which may be very difficult or impossible to predict
will prove very costly, not only to the livelihoods of communities but all
stakeholders. For example, there isn’t enough data to predict the potential
impacts of sediment loads on the proposed dam, and vice-versa. Furthermore, the
impacts of sediment loads could prove more costly in light of Climate Change,
as has been witnessed in many parts of the world where the life-span of dams
has been shortened by sediment flows. Careful consideration have to be given in
making decisions on a very important river system that is barely understood.
There is need to undertake an integrated hydropower configuration plan, as well
as have a sustainable mix of hydropower and other renewable sources of energy.
The task under this consultancy will include
giving economic value to the natural resources in the Luangwa, increase the
understanding about the poverty-environment links, and identify factors
favoring or denying the access to natural resources by local people and
analyses of scenarios. The study will seek to understand how people’s access to
the benefits (monetized or not) provided by the current state of the landscape
may change under the scenario of hydropower development and how this may
interact with climate change and land use variations in the basin. This work
will culminate into a report on the Economic Value of the Natural Resources in
the Luangwa catchment, which may provide an argument on the economic/financial
benefits in support of the Luangwa being protected as a Water Resources
Protection Area (WRPA).
The consultant will work with the Freshwater
team both in the field and in the office.
The main objective of the consultancy is:
- To study the “Economic value of the natural resources
in the Luangwa catchment†and predict variations of ecosystem goods and
services in light of climate change and other threats and how this impacts
livelihoods and economies in the catchment area.
To achieve this objective the following tasks
are requested:
- Review the existing biophysical and socio-economic
studies as well as the project area,
- Literature/data review of information available on
economic value of ecosystem goods and services in the Luangwa system
(Tourism industry, species, habitats, freshwater, protected areas relevant
to the Luangwa system) and related variables i.e. sedimentation, climate
change and a comprehensive assessment of the benefits, including non-monetary
and undertake relevant analysis combining spatial and scenario assessments
(including climate change)
- Identify all ecosystem goods and services derived by
communities from the Luangwa river system and agree with WWF team and
partners on key indicators to be observed e.g. Area and yields of food and
feed crops, livestock and wildlife populations, soil erosion risk or
erosion protection etc.
- Provide analysis of how variations in ecosystem
services in the Luangwa catchment area could affect the Seventh National
Development Plan (7NDP) targets in the Luangwa basin (positively or
negatively).
- Estimate monetary values of natural capital and
ecosystem services for Luangwa basin, including South Luangwa national
park for fisheries, tourism, and other key services, to be advised with
WWF and stakeholders.
- Identify models/approaches that include an ideal mix of
monetary and non-monetary valuation to be used for the economic valuation
of natural resources and present them to the project team for approval.
- Identify and gather all necessary instruments and means
for the economic valuation of natural resources.
- Valuation of strategically selected areas (3-5) through
collection of primary data including workshops and focus groups (may be
proposed or existing but should include some main ESS in landscape).
- Identify socio-economic activities of communities
living in the catchment, and how this may be affected in a dam development
scenario
- Collect and process all relevant information for the
economic valuation of natural resources using the approved methods,
- Prepare and make presentations to WWF staff and
relevant authorities on the ecosystem valuation report.
- Prepare and compile a data-base of the economic
scientific data produced and available for the project area
- Assist the project team in aspects related to the
implementation and use of the compiled information.
III. Expected Output
The consultancy should produce the following
specific deliverables, including quality technical reports and presentations of
the study on the Economic Value of the Natural Resources in the Luangwa River
catchment:
- Travel to WWF Zambia to on a date to be agreed in 2019
to work with WWF staff and government partners to collect essential data
to support river catchment level analysis, discuss priority mapping
exercises and present methodology to government partners, including but
not limited to the Water Resources Management Authority and the Department
of Water Development.
- Complete preliminary basin-level analysis of service
sheds and ecosystem services to prioritize ecosystem service conservation
areas within the landscape, summarized in a draft report by August 30th 2019;
- Finalize basin-level analysis of key ecosystem
services, communicated via final written report by March 1st , 2020
- Collaborate remotely with WWF staff and GIS specialist
as needed to develop an interactive story map to communicate key results
to stakeholders in Zambia, to be completed by April 31st
Working Relationships:
- Internal: Interacts
regularly with staff within the Lusaka Office, and other WWF network
partners.
- External: Interacts
with all institutions in the country and abroad who will be involved in
the project, namely Government institutions NGOs, private sector and local
communities.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Knowledge: The
ideal candidate should have relevant qualifications in Natural Resources
Economics. He/she should hold at least a MSC (honours) degree on
Natural Resources Economics OR alternatively hold a MSc in Natural
Sciences (Forestry, Ecology, Wildlife Management) with specialization in
resource economics or relevant extensive practical experience in valuation
of natural resources.
- Experience: The
above notwithstanding, the candidate should have at least 3 years
experience in Economic Valuation of Natural Resources in one or more of
the following areas: freshwater/forests/wildlife management, protected
area management and implementation of management programmes and CBNRM
programmes and project implementation. Ideally, he/she should have an
understanding of the institutional and legal framework of protected areas,
forest and wildlife management, marine conservation and fisheries.
Experience in working with communities and capacity to transmit basic
scientific knowledge would be an advantage. He/she should have a good on
project design and monitoring.
- Skills and Abilities: English
speaking, writing and reading skills are extremely essential.
He/she should relate easily with people and should be an excellent team
player. He/she should also be willing to work under difficult field
conditions and have the ability to work successfully with little
assistance. Knowledge and experience of lobbing and advocacy is also key.
Document to be submitted:
- Maximum 5 page CV highlighting related assignments done
with client name, contract person and mobile number.
- Copies of Academic and Professional Qualifications
held.
- Detailed proposal with an emphasis on suggested
methodologies, implementation plan and financial proposal
WWF role and reporting line:
- It is the responsibility of the Firm/ Consultant to
plan and carry out the assignment. WWF will where possible, link the
consultant with relevant stakeholders when need be. The consultant will be
responsible for maintaining correspondence and outputs in a timely and
efficient manner keeping the Freshwater Programme Coordinator informed via
written email correspondence.
Application:
- Interested candidates are requested to submit a
technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment; required
documents including CVs, and financial proposal by 14th June, 2019. These should be emailed
to wwfzambia@wwfzam.org with
the email Subject marked “Economic value of the natural resources in the
Luangwa catchmentâ€.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
WWF is an equal opportunity Employer and is committed to having a
diverse workforce