TOR For Consultancy Opportunity – Wetlands International
Consultancy and Training
Wetlands International
Wetlands International is the only global not-for-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of wetlands. We are deeply concerned about the loss and deterioration of wetlands such as lakes, marshes and rivers. Our vision is a world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.
Wetlands International is dedicated to maintaining and restoring wetlands— for their environmental values as well as for the services they provide to people. We work through our network of offices, our partners and experts to achieve our goals. Most of our work is financed on a project basis by governments and private donors. We are also supported by government and NGO membership.
Our Vision
A world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.
Our Mission
To sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity.
ToR Consultancy Opportunity to prepare a Policy/Discussion Paper on Wetlands, Climate Resilience and WASH Services: Considerations for WASH Programming
Background
Wetlands International is dedicated to safeguarding and restoring wetlands for people and nature. We are driven by the knowledge that safeguarding and restoring wetlands is urgent and vital for water security, biodiversity, climate regulation, sustainable development and human health. We bring knowledge into policy and practice, connect local actions in 100 countries to make a global difference, we catalyse actions that support those that use or depend on wetlands, and we are passionate about the positive change we make for people and nature. See our website (www.wetlands.org) for more information on the values, strategies and policies that guide our work.
Under WAI consortium, Wetlands International in Ethiopia is implementing the Climate Resilient WASH Component of the Netherlands WASH SDG consortium project.
This call/ToR is designed to facilitate the recruitment of competent and interested consultants/consultancy firm to” prepare a Policy/Discussion Paper on Wetlands, Climate Resilience and WASH Services: Considerations for WASH Programming”. The assignment is a short-term consultancy work.
Introduction/Context
Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively affect human wellbeing, ecosystem health, food security and livelihood opportunities for millions of people across the world. The need for sustainable WASH services to include water security issues is becoming increasingly accepted. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) acknowledges and promotes the use of integrated approaches to address sustainable WASH services delivery in an increasingly water insecure world. The integrated approaches including watershed management, wetland protection, and water quality control are imperative for ensuring the sustainability of WASH as expressed in the SDG targets.
Ethiopia has one of the most complex and varied climates in the world due to its diverse geography resulting in drought and flood, which has a direct negative impact on the quantity and quality of water for drinking, domestic use and agriculture. Thus, it is important to adapt climate resilient water safety plans approach to rural contexts of Ethiopia to ensure sustainability of the drinking water sources and improve efficiency and effectiveness of the WASH committees and the boards.
The 2015 Climate Resilient Strategy for the WASH sector identified 2 strategic priority areas:
- Strategic Priority 1: Accelerate universal access to WASH– Prioritize delivering the One WASH National Program by focusing on the most vulnerable.
- Strategic Priority 2: Enhance the climate resilience of self-supply – additional approaches and interventions to supplement self-supply, for example: improving local water storage facilities or participatory water resource management.
In many parts of Ethiopia, water supply and quality is going down, and demand is going up. For this reason, we particularly need to appreciate the inherent interconnectedness of Climate Change, WASH, wetlands and water resource management at the policy (conceptual) and pragmatic levels, and build stronger links and co-operation between actors involved in the vital water using WASH sector (drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene) and those working on the equally vital supply related field of water security and wetland conservation and management.
Achieving SDG 6 will require closer links between WASH, wetland protection and integrated water resources management. Wetlands, WASH services and IWRM depend on each other. To ensure a sustainable supply of good water quality drinking water for all, water sources should be properly managed. Likewise, freshwater ecosystems risk pollution from untreated wastewater and degradation by overexploitation of groundwater. If we want sustainable WASH services and mitigate the effects of climate change, integration is inevitable, not a choice. Addressing the wetlands-WASH-IWRM linkages from a « narrow » problem-based perspective may appear most feasible, but the most productive and sustainable approach will be to address the linkages within a wider, holistic catchment or landscape approach.
Scope and Objectives of the Assignment
The scope of this assignment is mainly to develop a policy/discussion paper highlighting the role and importance of the protection and sustainable management of wetlands for climate resilient WASH and the implications for WASH programming in a climate constrained environment. The task requires developing the policy paper taking in to account international such as the SDG, Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for DRR, and Ethiopia’s national sectoral policy frameworks (water, wetlands, climate change/ environment, WASH). The discussion/paper is expected to be based on a thorough understanding and analysis of the situation in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia (Abijata-Shalla Lakes sub-basin).
The paper is expected to address/meet the following objectives:
- Identify and describe the vital linkages between wetlands and WASH in a changing climate and the associated risks and benefits (with a focus on the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia).
- Describe the circumstances of wetlands dependent communities in the CRV under climate stress and associated risks (what this means in terms of their access to equitable and sustainable WASH and why this is of concern).
- Identify key issues and approaches regarding how these vital linkages can be sustainably managed.
- Provide a way forward by providing guiding principles for the conceptual integration of wetland and WASH issues to increase the effectiveness of current and future interventions.
- Provide policy recommendations on key consideration for future Climate Resilient WASH programming.
Required expertise
- The assignment will require a multi-disciplinary and reliable team of experts. Required expertise within the team shall include experts on Wetlands, WASH, Climate change.
- Experience in the development of policy/discussion papers is a must.
- Knowledge of the environmental, biophysical, socio-economic context of the CRV is advantageous.
Deliverables
- Technical and financial proposal, separately sealed envelopes
- Inception phase report: Revised technical proposal with a table of content and proposed list of materials to be reviewed
- Presentation of the inception report to WI Ethiopia Office staff.
- Draft report
- Final report
- Facilitation of a 1-day presentation in a high-level platform (to be organized by the Client).