NIRAS
NIRAS
The project, Support to Preservation, Restoration and Regeneration of Malawi’s Natural Resource Base and Diverse Ecosystem falls under the Programme, Greening and Growing Malawi – Ulimi ndi Chilengedwe m’Malawi (UCHI) which tackles two of the major challenges that are hampering resilient transformation of economy and food systems in Malawi, namely depletion of natural resources capital and limited marketing and financial opportunities for rural farming households and agribusiness operators. The UCHI programme is designed around two interlinked components: (1) natural resources management, including agriculture practices along agro ecological principles (Greening), and (2) integration of farming households and agribusiness operators into markets and financial services (Growing). This consultancy will focus on specific objective 1 – Better preservation, restoration and regeneration of natural resource base and its diverse ecosystems with the following Outputs 1.1: Land use planning, watershed management and soil conservation/ at district level improved, 1.2: Forest cover regenerated and increased, including through improved customary land rights and community-based solutions and 1.3: Capacities to manage natural resources in a multi-sectorial fashion are improved (see section 2 above). These out puts will be achieved through activities that will be defined at district level through a Call for Proposals responding to priorities in relation to land use planning, coupled with land registration (customary estates registration) – coordinated with traditional authorities to slow down or reverse the process of farm expansion into forest and marginal lands (integrated land use development – crops, livestock, forests advisory service). There will also be a specific focus on the forest fringes to help stabilise the agricultural frontier as a buffer zone around Malawi’s forest reserves and protected areas through (but not limited to) planting of fast-growing trees for biomass, promotion of higher value forest plantations in function of domestic wood industry, promotion of trees on farm land, agro-ecology and agroforestry. Soil and water conservation activities, integrated climate change adaptation, disaster risks reduction interventions which combined aim to enhance soil and water management across the territory to reduce the speed of water flow, prevent the build-up of large volumes of water, enhance infiltration and prevent sediment loading. Priorities at the district will also explore Payment for Ecosystem/Environment Services (PES) with forestry and agriculture sector (irrigation), the power sector, the town water authorities and tourism sector as main clients where possible. Participating districts will have to engage sectors in dialogue to determine how much these sectors can contribute in form of payment for avoided deforestation or payment for afforestation, reforestation and forest, water and land conservation.
Business area:
Development Consulting
Country:
Malawi, Southern Africa
Qualifications required:
A minimum of MSc degree in natural resources management; alternatively, a BSc degree in Agriculture or Forestry with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience facilitating implementation of sustainable land and water management interventions; Fluent in English;
Professional experience required:
Must have at least five (5) years professional experience in planning and implementation of Development Partner’s funded projects; Must have at least three (3) years’ professional experience in facilitating training workshops for Development Partners funded initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa; Must have at least three (3) years’ professional experience in support to decentralised governance structures. Specific professional experience Must have worked on at least three (3) assignments on sustainable land management in the context of changing climate and also suited to agro-ecological zones; Must have worked on at least three (3) assignments on sustainable forestry or sustainable land and water management interventions using landscape approaches. Must have worked on at least three (3) assignments in participatory natural resources management approaches. Experience managing EU funded grants will be considered an asset.
Position length:
>Temporary
Position length:
approx. 700 work days over 5 years
Commencement:
February 2023
Deadline:
Tuesday, August 30, 2022