VALUE CHAINS IN LEBANON

Transcription

1 Annex 1 Labour Intensive Forest Activities with Vulnerable Communities in Lebanon 1. Background Information The Syrian crisis has placed a tremendous pressure on the economic situation in vulnerable communities across the country, limiting the capacity of vulnerable Syrians and Lebanese to sustain their own well-being. Moreover, the crisis is having a large impact on the already strained natural resources and energy supplies, including negative impacts of over felling of trees during the winter season and overgrazing by Syrian sheepherders all year around. Lebanon s surface is covered by 13% of forest including Pine, Cedar, Oak, Fir, Juniper and others. Most of these forests are found on the western slopes of the Mount Lebanon chain in the north, whereas the South has the least forests. In addition, Lebanese forests contain a wide range of aromatic, wild and medicinal plants and are habitat to a wide range of animal and bird species. The forest area has decreased by 35%. This reduction was among others caused by erosion, wars, temperature surges, urbanization and the increase in fuel prices which has forced people to look for alternative sources of heating. The main threats to forests are over felling, overgrazing and forest fires. Forest fires, are an annual occurrence due to the dryness of the terrain, climate change, agricultural malpractices and poor management. Lebanon loses approximately 1,500 to 2,000 hectares annually to wildfire, deforestation, urbanization and other factors. These forests provide economic opportunities for many Lebanese and support ecological functioning in an ever-changing regional climate. Forests are one of the country s most important natural assets. They contribute to: land degradation neutrality; livelihoods for forest-dependent communities especially when they provide valuable products including seeds, fruits, aromatic and medicinal plants; and recreational opportunities. In Lebanon, Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) directly generate between US$ 80 to 97 million of sales per year, creating (primary and secondary) income for to rural households, so between and people 1. With an unclear horizon to the situation in Syria, it is expected that Lebanon will continue to face increased threats in addition to the existing ones that put communities at risk. The Government of Lebanon, along with UNDP and the EU conducted an environmental needs assessment of the Syrian conflict and priority interventions (September 2014). This was conducted to ensure that environmental concerns are mainstreamed into the response plans for the Government and its partners. This assessment highlighted several concerns especially in the sector of land use and ecosystem management including an increase in illegal felling of trees for firewood. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) aims to reach a 5% increase in green spaces by 2019 as part of its strategy. Moreover, the National Reforestation Initiative launched by the Ministry of Agriculture in December 2012 aims to increase green spaces from 13% to 20% in the next 20 years. This amounts to the planting of 40 million trees throughout the country. In 2007 more than 4,000 hectares of forests were ravaged in the worst fires to hit Lebanon for decades. The devastating forest fires raged across Mount Lebanon, burning as many trees as the , FAO, Non-Wood Forest Product, Value Chains in Lebanon VALUE CHAINS IN LEBANON 1

2 total amount burnt during Lebanon's civil war. This crisis shed light on the problem of poor forest fire management, which led the government to take emergency steps, including the development of Lebanon s National Strategy for Forest Fire Management and the establishment of the National Committee to Combat Forest Fires and Support the Restoration of Lands. A Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Unit has been established at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, with the development of a national disaster management strategy, a disaster management draft law and a National Response Plan, (Contingency Plan). In addition, 270 municipalities in Lebanon have signed up to the international resilient cities campaign My City is Getting Ready to reduce the risk of disasters. In line with the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy, the Ministry of Environment has launched the National Strategy to Manage Forest Fires in May The strategy identifies specific activities to prevent forest fires. This includes enhanced forest management, building forest infrastructure such as observation towers and forest roads for enhanced fire response, in addition to the rehabilitation of already damaged forests. UNDP seeks to support these different forest and land management initiatives through its Livelihoods and Local Economic Development Strategy. The strategy seeks to address the challenges faced by Lebanon, in light of the Syrian crisis, in relation to the deteriorating economic conditions in the country and the increasing unemployment rates, poverty levels and consequently social instability, particularly in the most vulnerable host communities. This includes labor intensive forest and land management activities, with the dual benefit of supporting vulnerable Syrian and Lebanese beneficiaries with an income for their daily work, while contributing to the implementation of the national strategies of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) for increasing green spaces and reducing the risks of forest fires. 2. Objectives The overall objective is the implementation of labour intensive forest and land management activities such as reforestation, forest maintenance and management, irrigation, terracing and other forest activities in vulnerable communities in Lebanon. The forest and land management activities should be labour intensive providing short-term work opportunities while spurring local economic activity and supporting the Ministry of Agriculture to meet its set goals for increasing green spaces and reducing forest fire risk in relation to the National Reforestation Initiative, the National Strategy to Manage Forest Fires and the Ministry of Agriculture Strategy of Scope of Work Identification of activities and sites The labour-intensive forest initiatives should apply a holistic approach in which the initiatives maximize the number of worker days of the implemented activities, providing work opportunities for vulnerable Syrians and Lebanese women and men, while identifying activities that will have a long lasting positive impact on the environment. This involves carrying out forest and land management initiatives, such as reforestation, terracing, seedling production, forest maintenance and management activities in support of the national reforestation and forest management strategies of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Moreover, priority should be given to initiatives that also spur additional economic activity in the local community such as initiatives that support: 1) Collection of seeds, acorns, and drupes from high-value trees from forests and fodder species and cuttings from shrubs and perennial plants; 2) Biomass briquetting plants for household heating and cooking; 3) Sustainable harvesting of a defined species of medicinal And aromatic plants (MAPs) as well as edible plants (e.g. Sumac) and mushrooms; 4) promoting eco-tourism in the targeted areas through the rehabilitation of trails in the forest corridors as well as other trails as per the outcomes 2

3 of other ongoing UNDP Projects and 5) other economic activity derived from forest and land management initiatives. Moreover, effort should be made to identify activities that will allow for the involvement of women. The forest and land management activities to be carried out should follow the guidelines, rules and recommendations of MoA and must be approved by UNDP. The proposed forest and land management activities should take into consideration supply constraints (e.g. availability of seedlings, necessary tools etc.) and seasonal constraints. Due to the seasonality of forest activities the time in the year is critical in the definition of the type of interventions. Reforestation can normally be carried out from October to February and Forest Management from September to April. From April to August focus is on forest maintenance including weeding and irrigation of young seedlings. Other labour intensive forest and land management activities include production of improved varieties of seeds and seedlings in the nurseries, and terracing on hilly or mountainous terrain. The NGO is expected to identify different activities that can be carried out during the different seasons of the year so that the labour intensive forest and land management initiatives will be providing work opportunities on a continuous basis throughout the duration of the project The specific sites and forest and land management activities should be identified in close collaboration with UNDP and MoA, and will be selected based on the needs of vulnerable communities targeted under the Lebanon Host Community Support Programme across North, South, Bekaa and Mount Lebanon, the economic impact of the activities, the priority activities and locations of MoA and the level of community commitment. Implementation plan A detailed implementation plan should be developed for each site including factors such as type of forest and land management initiative and activities, timetable for which forest and land management activities will be carried out at which time of the year, number of workers and number of worker days per activity, hectares to be covered, amount and type of seedlings/cuttings collected and planted (if applicable) and justification, relevant maps of the sites, actions to improve the involvement of women in the forest and land management activities, overview of planned training, capacity building and awareness raising activities, and maintenance and sustainability considerations. The implementation plan should also include an overview of the activities supporting economic opportunities in the community that will be linked to the forest and land management activities. Moreover, the implementation plan should include a communications plan for the project. The implementation plan must be approved by UNDP before implementation of the forest and land management initiatives. Training, capacity development and awareness raising activities In addition to the specific forest and land management activities, the NGO must carry out training of the workers (on the job training or other training needed to carry out the work) as well as plan and carry out at least 1 capacity development event and 1 awareness raising event for each location of intervention. These activities must have a strong focus on a) developing the capacity of local actors to maintain the forest and land management activities and ensure the sustainability beyond the end of the project; b) developing the capacity of local actors to benefit from economic activity derived from the forest and land management initiatives c) Strengthening the involvement and progression of women in the forest and land management activities and d) raising awareness in the local community in relation to the most pressing environmental concerns in the specific location. A detailed plan for these activities must be included in the implementation plan. Workers/Beneficiaries The workers included in the initiatives should be vulnerable Syrian (50%) and vulnerable Lebanese (50%) women (50%) and men (50%) in need of an additional income source. The workers should be selected based on a rapid socio-economic assessment of the potential workers. In this relation the NGO must obtain information on the current household income of each of the workers involved 3

4 in the forest and land management initiatives. The workers should be vulnerable and have a family income below 394,000 LBP per month per capita. The workers may be identified through local campaigns, the municipalities, local NGOs, CSOs and other means. However, particular effort should be placed on identifying female workers. Documentation on the workers must be collected and provided to UNDP, including copy of ID, proof of payment (e.g. signature of the workers stating that the daily fee received), and amount of days each worker worked. The minimum daily rate for the workers is US$ 20 per day per worker. The workers should be paid equally for equal work (i.e. the pay per worker cannot differentiate based on age, nationality, gender or other). The NGO should provide work insurance for the workers. The working conditions (including working hours) must comply with the Lebanese labour law and regulations. UNDP will be working with multiple NGOs for the implementation of the forest and land management initiatives. The minimum number of worker days created must be 20 worker days per 1,000 USD of the total budget provided to the selected NGO. To enable a larger number of beneficiaries to benefit from the initiatives the workers should be rotated and each worker may work on the forest and land management initiatives for a maximum duration of 40 days. At least 5% of the total project budget should be allocated to support economic opportunities in the communities linked to the forestry activities. 4. Activities 1. Identification of specific localities for forest and land management initiatives, based on the needs of the most vulnerable communities2 prioritized by UNDP and the Agriculture and Rural Development Project (ARDP) zoning exercise of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).3 These localities should be identified in close collaboration with UNDP, the local officials (Agriculture regional service-forest centers.) and other key local stakeholders in the targeted areas. Particular emphasis should be placed on identifying areas that meet certain vulnerability criteria as well as identifying areas which meet sustainability criteria in terms of environmental factors (e.g. topography, climate, soil, access to water, natural regeneration, quality of the plant seedlings (varieties and nursery production techniques)), external risks (e.g. proximity to grazing areas and plot ownership) as well as long term maintenance and protection (e.g. site accessibility and willingness and capacity of local stakeholders to maintain and protect new green zones); finally economic impact criteria should be included in the site selection process, such as the annual cost to maintain the forest site, Jobs created/maintained due to the intervention, additional investment generated due to the forest activity, rate on the return on investment. 2. Identification of forest and land management activities per zone in close collaboration with the local officials and other key local stakeholders in the targeted areas, including particular emphasis on defining activities that support the involvement of female beneficiaries, labour intensive activities, activities that spur additional economic activity and activities that ensure the sustainability of the areas (protection, irrigation, etc.). Maintenance activities to be carried out by municipalities to ensure sustainability should be identified and agreed with the respective municipalities to ensure follow-up upon completion of the project. Moreover, the local NGO should collaborate with the MoA regarding the type of species of trees that will be planted in the different zones (if applicable). Forest management activities should include approaches and techniques that respond to the need for mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, increased demand for wood and non-wood forest products and services, and threats from fires, pests, natural hazards and grazing pressure. Finally, a simplified rapid study should be carried out by the NGO detailing the economic impact of the suggested 2 Attachment 2: list of vulnerable villages. 3 Attachment 1: list of villages prioritized by MoA 4

5 forest and land management interventions and how it can be linked to other economic opportunities such eco-tourism and non-wood forest product value chains. 3. Development of implementation plan for each site in close coordination with MoA and UNDP. The plan should include factors such as type of forest and land management initiative and activities, timetable for which forest and land management activities will be carried out at which time of the year, number of workers and number of worker day per activity, hectares to be covered, amount and type of seedlings planted (if applicable), relevant maps of the sites, actions to improve the involvement and progression of women in the forest and land management activities, overview of planned training, capacity building and awareness raising activities, maintenance and sustainability considerations. The implementation plan should include a description of the activities supporting economic opportunities in the communities. Moreover, the implementation plan should include a communications plan for the project. The implementation plan must be approved by UNDP. 4. Implementation of local trainings of the workers, forest and land management capacity development events, and awareness raising events in the localities of the forest and land management initiatives. The NGO must coordinate closely with UNDP on all communication material developed for this purpose to obtain necessary approvals (UNDP, MoSA, Donor). Particular effort should be placed on increasing the number of women participating in the forest and land management training and capacity development events. The NGO must obtain signatures of participants of trainings and capacity development events, using template provided by UNDP. Moreover, the participants should complete a training evaluation form at the end of each event. The NGO must compile an overview of this information in excel. 5. Identification of workers to implement reforestation and forest management activities and collection of baseline information on workers (including their age, gender, current household composition and income). 6. Implementation of forest and land management activities as per the forest and land management implementation plan, including on the job training/support and particular emphasis on ensuring appropriate health and safety consideration are taken into account while carrying out the activities. 7. Provision of documentation of workers on a monthly basis (copy of ID, high resolution pictures of implementation, proof of payment, and amount of days each worker worked). The NGO must compile an overview of this information in excel using templates provided by UNDP. 8. Monitoring of the intervention during the project duration. 9. Evaluation of impact of forest and land management and economic interventions, documenting results and ensuring an appropriate handover to local stakeholders for future maintenance and protection. 10. Provide access to sites and information to UNDP team, including any potential donor visits. The NGO is required to take into consideration the below requirements and criteria while implementing the tasks: Coordinate with UNDP National and regional Offices in relation to all activities; this is mandatory when meeting with local stakeholders; 5

6 Coordinate with UNDP National and regional Offices for all communications related activities (development of promotional material, visibility and awareness raising); Coordinate with MoA, and local entities such as regional agriculture centers, Municipalities, forest centers etc. (in addition to UNDP) in relation to the forest and land management initiatives, particularly activities 1, 2 and 3. Take into consideration national strategies for reforestation and forest management, specifically the National Reforestation Initiative, the National Strategy to Manage Forest Fires, the Ministry of Agriculture Strategy of and the 40 million trees program. 5. Work plan A preliminary proposed project work plan is required in the proposal, covering all the activities described in Section 4 (a GANTT chart showing detailed list of tasks, duration and schedule per task and allotted resources per task shall be included in the bid). The work plan shall provide information on the number of workers needed throughout the project. Note, early labour inputs or frontloading of labour content will be considered favourably. It shall also include the resources (including Human Resources assigned and their CVs) as well as other dependencies, which affect the project duration. Upon contract award, UNDP shall be provided with a revised project work plan, if necessary. Once agreed upon, the new plan shall be adopted and shall form the basis for project supervision and monitoring. 6. Deliverables 6.1 Deliverables All deliverables shall be delivered in one original hard copy, two hard copies and one electronic soft copy, preferably in Microsoft Word format, where applicable. The following deliverables are requested for the project: Phase 1 1. Project work plan 2. Implementation plan for forest initiatives. The implementation plan should include: specifications on the localities of the forest activities, technical specifications on the approach, specifications on the type of activities to be carried out and timetable for the year, number of worker days per activity, relevant maps, sustainability plan, training, capacity development and awareness raising plan, overview of activities for supporting economic opportunities in the communities, a communication plan, and a strategy for increasing the involvement and progression of women in the forest and land management initiatives. 3. Rapid study detailing the economic impact of the suggested forest and land management interventions. Phase 2 1. Brief on the completed local trainings, capacity development and awareness raising events. including documentation on the number of participants and training evaluation using UNDP templates. 6

7 2. Baseline information on workers (Age, gender, household composition and household income etc.) and documentation on the insurance of the workers, including a copy of the insurance policy. An overview of this information should be submitted in excel using templates provided by UNDP. 3. Economic baseline information for assessing the economic impact of the forest activities (number of jobs, income, production capacity, markets). 4. Progress report on the forest and economic development activities carried out to date. 5. Monthly documentation on workers implementing forest and land management activities. This must include high resolution pictures of project implementation, copy of ID, proof of payment and amount of days each worker has worked. OAn overview of this information should be submitted in excel using templates provided by UNDP. Phase 3 1. Progress report on the forest and economic development activities carried out since previous reporting period. 2. Monthly documentation on workers implementing forest and land management activities. This must include high resolution pictures of project implementation, copy of ID, proof of payment and amount of days each worker has worked. An overview of this information should be submitted in excel using templates provided by UNDP. Phase 4 3. Final report detailing results and measures taken for handing over to local stakeholders as well as any recommended follow up support required. The final report should also provide the results of the economic development activities in the communities and its KPIs (Jobs, income, production, markets and investment attracted. 4. Monthly documentation on workers implementing forest and land management activities. This must include high resolution pictures of project implementation, copy of ID, proof of payment and amount of days each worker has worked. An overview of this information should be submitted in excel using templates provided by UNDP. 5. A presentation/one day seminar addressed to UNDP. 6.3 Delivery Schedule The Consultant is expected to complete and submit the deliverables specified below as per the identified time schedule. Deliverables Due Date Payment terms Phase 1: Completion of all phase 1 Deliverables August 31 th, % Phase 2: Completion of all phase 2 Deliverables October 31 th, % Phase 3: Completion of all phase 3 Deliverables February 28th, % Phase 4: Completion of all phase 4 Deliverables June 30 th, % 7

8 7. Qualifications 7.1 NGO Qualifications NGOs wishing to be considered for the services described herein should have the following qualifications: 1. Registered Lebanese NGO 2. Economic and financial standing: total annual turnover must exceed US$ 150, Professional capacity: at least 20% of all permanent staff working for the NGO currently works in fields related to the contract. 4. Technical capacity: the NGO has worked on at least one major project in fields related to the contract in the past three years, and in particular in the following fields: Reforestation Forest Management Other forest and land management related fields 5. Operational capacity: the NGO has previous experience in implementing labour intensive forest initiatives. 6. Knowledge of the geographic areas in question. 7.2 Profile of requested staff The NGO will include in his offer a proposal regarding the team composition and structure with recent CVs. The requested team should have diversified skills including amongst others The following minimum required profiles are requested: Team leader Advanced degree in Rural Development, Environmental Sciences, Agriculture or any related field At least 7 years of relevant experience in implementation and management of forest initiatives and /or development projects related to forest and land management Proven experience in project management and proficiency in project management tools is required. Fluent in Arabic and English (French is an asset). Full time presence for this position is preferable. Forest and Land Management Specialist Bachelor Degree in Rural Development, Environmental Sciences, Agriculture or any related field At least 5 years of relevant experience in forest and land management in rural areas. Experience in carrying out training and capacity development events in the field of forest and land management Fluent in Arabic and English (French is an asset). Full time presence for this position is preferable. 8

9 8. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS All requested reports/deliverables shall be written in English. 9. Duration All deliverables should be completed by June 30 th,