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CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY

Terms of Reference:

ECONOMIC STUDY OF ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPLEMENTED BY FOUR PICs UNDER THE CIDA/SPREP CBCAMPIC PROJECT

Project Background

Capacity Building to enable the Development of Adaptation Measures in Pacific Island Countries project (CBDAMPIC) is an adaptation to climate change project focusing on improving the sustainable livelihood of Pacific Island people by increasing their adaptive capacity to climate-related risks. The project is implemented in four countries, which are Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. These terms of reference apply specifically to adaptation activities identified for the four project countries identified above.

One of the main outputs of the CBDAMPIC project is the identification of community vulnerabilities to climate related risks, current coping capacity as well as their resilience to current climate risks. In the four project countries, this information was assessed from the community using the vulnerability and adaptation assessment CV&A approach. As a result, vulnerabilities were identified and assessed and coping capacities determined. The communities also made suggestions as to how their current vulnerabilities can be improved by means of specific adaptation measures. In discussion with communities’, several adaptation options have been identified for the CBDAMPIC project to fund as part of the project’s contribution to increasing adaptive capacity at community level. These are; relocation to higher grounds, water harvesting support, and coastal erosion buffers et cetera.

Due to the lack of expertise at national level as well as the very tight time-frame at which the CBDAMPIC project is operated, delaying implementation in order to carry out detail economic cost-benefit analysis of adaptation options would not have been feasible although was a preferred approach by SPREP. Some crude economic cost-benefit analysis had been carried out during the assessment stages but this was largely to determine adaptation recommendations for implementation.

Outputs

The outputs from the economic study will be:

•  An assessment of the economic net benefits of implementing the various adaptation recommendations in addressing climate change;

•  An analysis of the economic implication of the adaptation recommendations that had been implemented to current and future climate change and comment on whether it had improved community resilience;

•  Explore relevance of CBDAMPIC project work with current debates and developments on the economic cost of climate change adaptation;

•  Recommendation for climate change policy development at the national level; and

Duties

The consultant will review relevant literature and consult with relevant local and international agencies and experts on the economic cost benefit analysis of adaptation options that have been implemented by the CBDAMPIC project. Travel to the four project countries (Cooks, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu) will be arranged.

The benefit cost analysis will include:

•  The economic net benefit of the ‘proactive risk management’ activities based on work already implemented by the CBDAMPIC project;

•  Identification and comparison of a ‘with’ and ‘without’ scenario - that is, what would happen in the presence and absence of any interventions. The ‘with’ and ‘without’ scenarios will be used as the basis against which to compare the economic net benefit of implementation of the various options;

•  Assessment of the net economic benefits of implementing the various options and using an economic benefit cost framework and referring to the ‘with’ and ‘without’ scenarios identified above. The consultant will make quantitative estimates of the net economic benefits from adopting alternative interventions. In addition, where appropriate and comment on the robustness of these estimates (sensitivity analysis). In cases where quantitative estimates are not possible or appropriate, the consultant will make appropriate qualitative assessments of net economic benefits;

•  Consult with relevant climate experts what would be the relevant base climate scenario to be used when planning an adaptation intervention 10-50 years or more so that any planned adaptation intervention and like wise any Cost Benefit Analysis should take this scenario into consideration; and

Selection Criteria, Experience and Personal Qualities

•  A description of the methodology that will be used in this study;

•  Knowledge of climate change issues and environmental hazards and risk management. Some knowledge of the vulnerability approach to climate adaptation as being developed by UNDP and employed in some AIACC, NAPA projects, would be helpful, but not necessary;

•  Familiarity with the UNFCCC processes, adaptation debate, particularly in the area of incremental costing and global benefits;

•  A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a Resource Economics or/and Resource Management field;

•  Excellent verbal and written communication in English; and

•  Work experience in the Pacific region.

Report

The report will be prepared in English and will:

•  contain an executive summary providing a general overview of activities, findings and recommendations as relevant;

•  detail approach (es) used to estimate values/findings (methodology);

•  detail sources of information used for evaluations (including summaries of consultations conducted as part of the evaluation);

•  provide quantitative estimates of the net economic benefits from adopting alternative interventions where appropriate and comment on the robustness of these estimates. Where quantitative estimates are not possible or appropriate, provide appropriate qualitative information;

•  link the CBDAMPIC project economic assessment to current debate globally on cost of adaptation, incremental cost associated with climate change, financing mechanisms et cetera;

•  provide other relevant findings or recommendations as appropriate (such as for future research to address gaps in information etc.)

Timing

Applications

Application letters should be accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae summarizing your experience and qualifications relevant for this consultation, including an outline of approach to meet tender requirements, personal details, address and full contact information of three professional referees who are prepared to provide testimonials. References, if available from three recent employers and/or supervisors, are to accompany your application. Application should also indicate how soon you are available to start if successful, and must be addressed to:

The Director

SPREP                  Telephone: (685) 21 929

PO Box 240            Fax:          (685) 20 231

Apia, Samoa           E-mail:      SPREP@sprep.org