Hydroplan Ingenieur-Gesellschaft mbH
Description
The Project Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP, designed to be implemented over a period of 6 years, will target the upper and middle Shire River Basin which include parts of Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga, Zomba, Ntcheu, Blantyre and Neno Districts.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) of MWASIP is to increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices and improve watershed services in targeted watersheds. The project scope consists of three related components that will contribute to the achievement of the PDO described as follows:
Component 1: Scaling–Up Landscape Restoration; The component will support interventions to improve and restore capacity of watersheds (catchment rehabilitation) and improve livelihoods of small-holder farming communities.
Component 2: Improving Watershed Services; The component will support interventions that will help to maximize benefits that the communities and downstream water users will obtain from managing watersheds and also developing capacity of institutions to manage the watersheds. The component will also support development of enabling infrastructure investments such as irrigation schemes, dams, high yielding boreholes, roads and bridges, market centres, etc. in the basin.
Component 3: Technical and Project Management; The Component will support the process of strengthening the capacity of the Ministry Water and Sanitation (MoWS) to manage the project and also the provision of technical assistance for preparation of phases of the project and investments.
OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The overall objective of this assignment is to design a PWS system to be piloted in the Shire River Basin. Specifically, the Consulting firm of the assignment is expected to, design a PWS system in the Shire River Basin to inform decision making for future land restoration programming in diverse catchments areas. The assignment should develop implementation guidelines and guidelines for conducting monitoring and evaluation of a pilot phase.
SCOPE OF WORK
The following are the key tasks for the assignment:
i) The firm is expected to provide evidence to the potential buyers about whether payments to individual farming households or groups of households can sufficiently encourage land-use practices to sustain a market for landscape restoration and downstream reduction in sediments. Assessing the Willingness to Pay (WTP) by the potential buyers is an important step in this process and the firm is expected to engage the buyers to understand the options that will entice them to buy in the context of the land management interventions implemented to generate the benefits and design appropriate size of the payment or incentive for the land users which would be the most appropriate for the PWS pilot.
Following the reviews and consultations, it is requested to develop a model of the PWS:
Design of an implementable Payment for Watershed Services (PWS) scheme, complete with the necessary requirements of the PWS taking into consideration all the elements outlined under section 4 above but also drawing on community-level background assessments, consultation with potential buyer stakeholders (e.g. from ESCOM, EGENCO, SRWB, Illovo, Kasinthula Cane Growers Limited, Castel, African Parks, and other Tourism entities, etc.), and experimental tools for reducing uncertainties regarding pilot program structure. This should be done after 90 days after the inception report.
Duration
The firm will be expected to undertake and deliver the assignment with a maximum of 4 months (120 days) from the date of commencement of this assignment.
The required expertise and guidance for the Consulting Firm (s) is stipulated as follows; the PWS consulting firm will be conducted by specialist(s) with expertise but not limited to as follows:
The Team Leader
- Should have a minimum of Master’s degree in Environmental Science/Forestry, Resource Economics,
- At least 15 years of working experience in the NRM/forestry/environmental sector and
- At least 5 years’ experience in development and/or implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Services.
- Work experience of at least 5 years in the Sub-Saharan Region
- Should also have 3 years’ experience as a team leader with very good coordination and communication skills in dealing with diverse institutions and stakeholders.
- Have excellent written and presentation skills. Fluent in English.
- Those with proven record of similar assignment, author of such work in journal papers, and or the development of policies, plans, manuals and guidelines related to PES will have added advantage.
- Will be expected to spend 40% time in country.
Water Resources Expert /Hydrologist / Modeler
- Should have a minimum of Master’s degree in Water Resources Engineering or Hydrology,/Hydro-Informatics,
- At least 10 years of general working experience in the water sector in hydrological assessments, modeling, and climate change
- At least 5 years’ specific experience in hydro-meteorological monitoring, water quality monitoring (sediment sampling and analysis), and climate variability and change modelling
- Work experience of at least 3 years in the Sub-Saharan Region
- Have very good coordination skill in dealing with diverse institutions and stakeholders.
Resource Economist
- Have advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in Environmental Economics
- Minimum of 10 years work experience in Natural Resource Management