The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) announces a vacancy for Service provider for consultancy services in Windbreaks Development
within the “Land restoration measures to prevent land erosion and to maintain the fertility of about 650 ha of arable land in vulnerable municipalities of Shida Kartli region” implementing under Agriculture Modernization, Market Access and Resilience (AMMAR) project of the Government of Georgia CONTRACT No. AMMAR/CS/2018/164
REC Caucasus executing the project “Land restoration measures to prevent land erosion and to maintain the fertility of about 650 ha of arable land in vulnerable municipalities of Shida Kartli region” aims to implement Pilot Project focused on the establishment of a windbreak/agroforestry system to reduce wind erosion, which is the main degradation factor and threatens agricultural production in the region.
Overall objective of the project is to improve water availability, farmland productivity and smallholders’ income through investments in climate-resilient farming systems and value-chain technologies.
REC Caucasus announces vacancy for windbreak development expert. The assignment of the expert is given in the attached file.
Other important details: Interested applicants should submit a current CV to the following e-mail address: vacancy@rec-caucasus.org with copy to Project coordinator: kety.tsereteli@rec-caucasus.org or submit hard copy application package to the following address: 13, Badri Shoshitaishvli Street, David Arakishvili 1st Dead-end, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
Deadline for application is April 5, 2018. Only shortlisted candidates will be interviewed.
Terms of Reference
Service provider for consultancy services in Windbreaks Development
| Project Title: | Land restoration measures to prevent land erosion and to maintain the fertility of about 650 ha of arable land in vulnerable municipalities of Shida Kartli Region |
| Programme Title: | Agriculture Modernization, Market Access and Resilience (AMMAR) project under the Global Environment Facility (“GEF”) financing |
| Primary Donor: | International Food and Agricultural Development (IFAD) |
| Lead Executing Agency: | The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) |
| Implementing Organization: | Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) |
| Contract type: | Service Agreement |
| Starting Date: | April 10, 2018 |
| Duration: | April 10 2018 – December 31, 2018 |
| Duty Station: | City of Tbilisi and Gori & Kareli Municipalities, Georgia |
Background
The Agriculture Modernization, Market Access and Resilience (AMMAR) project of the Government of Georgia, with IFAD funding, aims to raise incomes of smallholder farmers and increase climate resilience through public and private investments in upgrading climate-proof productive infrastructure, enterprises and smallholder farmer production systems and technologies in support of inclusive growth of climate smart agricultural value chains.
In frames of AMMAR Project Global Environment Facility (“GEF”) Secretariat has made available to the IFAD, the financial support on a grant basis from the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) (the “GEF Grant”) to provide additional financing to enhance the adaptive capacity of farmers to climate change risks through resilient agriculture systems. The development objective of the Project is to improve water availability, farmland productivity and smallholder’s income through investments in climate-resilient farming systems and value-chain technologies.
The Project shall adopt a landscape restoration approach to assess climate risks in the target areas, identifying vulnerable sites that jeopardize the proper functioning of irrigation systems and the protection of agricultural land, and supporting ecological restoration measures and bioengineering technologies to restore them. Matching grants for the restoration interventions, and the processing of plant products shall be made available to eligible beneficiaries.
The project aims at securing the productivity of about 650 ha of arable land and to reduce land degradation caused by wind erosion through contribution to re-establishment and rehabilitation of 25 km (18ha) of windbreak system in Gori and Kareli and Carbon sequestration of 117 t CO2 eq (during 5 years). The proposed pilot measures will demonstrate local farmers as well as regional and national policy makers the economic and ecological importance of windbreaks and to encourage them to expand the restoration of windbreaks to the other parts of municipalities.
Rationale
The proposed project will contribute to implementation of Shida Kartli Regional Strategy and Agriculture Development Strategy of Georgia (2017-2020). Both strategies underline decreasing of soil fertility due to the improper land management as acute problem for agriculture development and poverty reduction in rural communities.
The particular pilot areas and intervention measures were selected according to the Georgia’s National Action Program to Combat Desertification (NAPCD) and the Georgia’s Third National Communications to the UNFCCC. Both policy documents define the municipalities of Gori and Kareli as most vulnerable to Climate Change and land degradation. The two most vulnerable municipalities (Gori and Kareli) in this region have been defined according to values and coefficients of vulnerability indicators for Georgia. The communities of these municipalities have a limited portfolio of assets, including technical know-how to enable them to address the challenges of land degradation. There is, therefore, a poverty-SLM nexus that needs urgent interventions to support the avoidance, arrest and reversing of land degradation in the municipalities of Gori and Kareli.
Necessity of windbreaks rehabilitation underlined by the Agricultural Development Strategy and named as most efficient and appropriate measure to reduce land erosion and improve land productivity.
The project is designed to support vulnerable communities to reduce land degradation and improve resilience towards climate change and desertification. The baseline situation consists primarily of efforts and actions implemented by governmental institutions targeted to development of national legislation on development and maintenance of windbreaks. However there are no mechanisms available to support local initiatives on windbreak rehabilitation and maintenance. The local farmers, suffering from decreased income due to low soil fertility, are not in a position to afford development of windbreaks. Although farmers do realize the need of windbreaks for soil conservation and reduction of wind erosion of agricultural land.
Lands previously occupied by windbreaks were seized by owners of adjacent plots and brought under cultivation. In recent years, no actions have been taken to restore windbreaks, neither by national and local authorities nor by local farmers. Local farmers have low capacity, limited resources and knowledge to implement restoration measures supporting windbreaks development to maintain the fertility of the land.
Taking stock of above-mentioned and considering the high demand of farmers from the municipalities of Gori and Kareli it is necessary to start implementation of immediate, urgent wind erosion control measures on two fronts: reducing wind-speed at ground level, and increasing soil cohesion, thus improving soil resistance to wind.
Scope of the Assignment
Service provider for consultancy services in windbreak development, under the overall management of the Project Coordinator, will assist to plan and implement re-establishment and rehabilitation of 25 km (18ha) of windbreaks in Gori and Kareli municipalities, via:
Preparation of detailed windbreak management plan (windbreak establishment/rehabilitation and maintenance plan)s for selected sites (incl. site selection; selection of tree species for the selected sites and development of windbreak schemes for selected sites; preparation of budget breakdown for development and maintenance of windbreaks on each selected site).
Technical control on windbreak development and maintenance works (incl. quality control of field works, planting material and planting/maintenance equipment).
On-job consultations and provision of guidance for works to be conducted on ground in selected sites.
Participation in consultative meetings with the representatives of Agricultural Information Consultations Centers (ICC) of the Municipalities of Gori and Kareli, farmers, local administrative units.
Regular monitoring of selected sites during 9 months and preparation of regular monthly monitoring reports on windbreak development and maintenance works.
Final reports on implementation of windbreak management plan (windbreak establishment/rehabilitation and maintenance plan/s for selected sites.
The main deliverables will be as outlined below:
– Windbreak management plan (windbreak establishment/rehabilitation and maintenance plan/s for selected sites in Gori and Kareli Municipalities.
– Technical control documentation (delivery-acceptance acts) on windbreak development and maintenance works.
– Monitoring reports on windbreak development and maintenance works.
– Final reports on implementation of windbreak management plan (windbreak establishment/rehabilitation and maintenance plan/s for selected sites.
Time schedule
| N | Deliverables | Date
|
|
April-May, 2018
|
|
|
June-September, 2018 | |
|
September-December, 2018 | |
| Final reports on implementation of windbreak development plans for selected sites
|
December, 2018 |
All outputs have to be submitted in Georgian language.
Qualifications and Experience
The Service provider for consultancy services in windbreak development must demonstrate the following qualification and experience:
– Hold at least master’s degree in forestry, agro-forestry and/or related field with at least 10 years’ relevant experience of working on forest and/or windbreak restoration/re-establishment/afforestation projects;
– Practical experience in forest/windbreaks restoration/re-establishment/afforestation works;
– Strong analytical and writing skills, with a proven record of producing high-quality written outputs;
– Excellent communications skills with ability to express ideas clearly, logically and effectively, both orally and in writing;
– Demonstrated skills in participatory methodologies on information gathering, analysis and presentation;
– Be fluent in speaking and writing;
– Proven computer literacy in full Microsoft Office, and preferably with familiarity with GIS, remote sensing, and spatial modeling approaches related to forest and land management.
Language:
Fluency in Georgian, knowledge of English is an asset.
