Best Practices on the African Continent on Adaptation and Mitigation

Result of Service The overarching objective of the consultancy- delivered under the joint supervision of RC’s Office and the ECA - is to provide a synthesis report of successful mitigation and adaptation projects, as well as gaps, challenges, and recommendations on how to take these successes forward across the African continent. It is expected that the consultant will define set of criteria and their indicators that will be applied to the selected projects for assessment. Projects to be featured for the compilation of the report would be selected from the following thematic priorities: Access to Energy:

• Increased access to affordable clean energy including decentralized renewable energy solutions, low carbon energy from waste, mini-grids and electricity storage systems;

• Identified socio-economic benefits in energy projects such as job creation, support to economic and/or community development activities, increase access to those deprived from energy;

• Identified and recommend synergies in impact between energy and other complementary sectors like agriculture towards maximizing both climate and socioeconomic impact including health benefits; reduced deforestation and other ecosystem benefits; etc. Transportation:

• Projects which promote sustainable transport systems that depend on clean energy, public transportation or non-motorized transport;

• Identified socio-economic benefits for transport solutions such as job creation and enhancing economic development;

• Identified and recommend synergies in impact between sustainable transport and other complementary sectors like agriculture towards maximizing both climate and socioeconomic impact;

Adaptation in Water Sector: - Increased available unconventional water resources through low-cost technologies for water harvesting, water reclamation including wastewater treatment, sea water desalination and other innovative methods;

• Increased access to low-cost water supply and sanitation solutions including wastewater reuse;
• Recommend key success factors for complementarity between adaptation actions in the water sector and dependent key

economic sectors like agriculture

• Provided protection systems/structures for lives and livelihood from flash floods, extreme weather events;

• Offered practical early warning systems for all weather events including flash floods, droughts, and heavy precipitation all;

• Contributed to efficient irrigation systems;

• Solutions provided to reverse land degradation and desertification;

• Provided water based adaptation solutions which contribute to nature based solutions taking into account upstream water management and source water sustainability considerations

Protections of Coastal Zones:

• Protection of low-lying lands in river deltas from flooding associated with sea level rise.

• Protection of lives and livelihoods for people living in the coastal Zones from coastal flooding during extreme weather events:

• Offering alternative livelihoods for local communities in coastal zones affected by sea level rise and both Climate induced impacts.

• Interventions to enhance resource efficiency in utilization of coastal food resources, e.g., through reducing postharvest losses of fish, by complementing with clean energy solutions e.g., solar-powered cold-storage, solar-dryer preservation etc.

• Strengthening of coastal zone management to restore lost wetlands, stop degradation and destruction of coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves that play a crucial role in storm hazard reduction, flood mitigation and livelihoods (e.g through fisheries) Adaptation of Agriculture Sector:

• Practical early warning systems and advisory services for small farmers to maintain the productivity of crop and livestock systems, fisheries and other food production systems;

• Low-cost solutions for climate smart agriculture systems including protected cultivation, climate resilient crops, post-harvest technologies etc;

• Drought tolerant crop and livestock production technologies

• Access to inputs and other forms of improved markets integration for small-holder farmers

• Recommendations to enhance resource efficiency in agriculture through complementing with clean energy to power value addition to minimize loss of ecological resources that go into producing food that is wasted.

Eco-tourism: - Reduced impact of climate change on tourism - Best practices from tourism sector (sustainable practices that meet climate change and integration of local community); - Engagement of local communities promoted in conservation of biodiversity thus improving livelihood and ownership of the initiatives;

Waste Management: - Reduced impact of Waste on climate change;

• Promotion of startups in the area of solid waste management;

• Solutions proposed for recycling of waste materials

• Identification of project impacts on quality of life

• Addressing plastic waste and its impact on biodiversity and climate change

• Key success factors in waste recovery to wealth solutions especially in key areas in Africa like domestic clean cooking that is key to minimizing risks in forest degradation and indoor air pollution

Guidance on methodology The consultant will be expected to prioritise the following considerations in measuring impact of projects: - Socioeconomic impacts – especially job creation, enterprise creation, food security, health impacts

• Contribution towards GHG mitigation

• Adaptation impact

• Access to facilities and services (e.g. access to energy/water)

• Financing flows unlocked

• Scalability

It is recognised that no one set of indicators can realistically applied across all identified projects, and so the consultant will be expected to develop broad criteria on the basis of the priorities above.

The consultant is expected to provide broadly equal attention to mitigation and adaptation impact, but it is recognised that numerous best practice projects are likely to straddle both in terms of impacts.

Geographic coverage: The consultant is expected to deliver a report which covers all regions of Africa in a balanced fashion, ensuring that appropriate attention is provided to LDCs, LLCs, and SIDS. It is not expected that every country will be featured individually.

Consultations: Consultation with UN entities will be facilitated by UNECA and the UNRC office in Cairo

Work Location Ethiopia

Expected duration The consultancy is for a full time equivalent of three months.

The inception report is expected to be delivered three weeks after the award of the contract.

The draft report will be expected to be delivered 8 weeks after the award of the contract.

The validation workshop will be held 12 weeks after the award of the contract.

Duties and Responsibilities Background

This consultancy seeks to deliver a synthesis report of best practices, and an analysis of gaps, challenges, and recommendations for the African continent on adaptation and mitigation, to set the basis for forward progress and replications whenever possible. This report will also go beyond a sectorial consideration of adaptation and mitigation actions and prioritize the synergies and interconnectedness of actions across sectors towards maximizing socioeconomic & environmental impacts. It is expected that the report should be started with efficient introduction showing the analytical framework. Such framework will define the methodology used to reach set of criteria and their assessment indicators, that will be applied in assessing the defined projects. The report will be presented at the meeting of the 27th Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report will aim to identify specific interventions with measurable success that have been implemented across the continent, in particular, interventions that have potential for scaling up.

Under the direct supervisor of United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cairo, Egypt, with secondary reporting to the Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Division director the consultant will assume the following duties and responsibilities

The consultant will also provide progress updates (e.g., monthly) and a briefing on the draft and final reports to the Government of Egypt (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Environment).

a. Inception report including a proposed methodology for identifying projects on the basis of a desk-based review and consultation with UN entities, the COP 27 presidency, COP 27 Envoy and other appropriate partners. It also will define the set of criteria and their indicators mentioned earlier earlier.

b. A synthesis report of projects which can be considered as best practice in adaptation and mitigation across the African continent, identifying in particular those aspects of the identified interventions that can be scaled up and replicated in other contexts.

c. Facilitation of a workshop for validation of the report.

Qualifications/special skills Competency: Planning and Organizing: The consultant is able to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed work plan and strategies; identify priority activities and assignments; adjust priorities as required; allocate appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work;

Skills: Communication: The consultant must possess excellent report writing, written and verbal communication skills, as well as excellent presentation skills.

Other skills: Good computer skills are required.

Academic Qualifications: Advanced university (Master’s degree) in economics, environmental economics, climate change and environment, infrastructure or related fields is required. A first level university degree in a combination of additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

Experience: A minimum of seven years of experience in at the national and/or international level in macro-economic research, environmental/ developmental economics, project implementation and management is required.

Experience in research/analytical work as well as experience in working in Africa related to environment, energy, infrastructure, climate change and macro-economics is required.

The consultant should ideally possess considerable experience in environmental development, project management and climate change is required.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in English is required. Working language of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.