LBN-CO-IC-277-21-Short-term consultancy to conduct a study on the “Vulnerability and adaptation of health care service providers to climate change in Lebanon and lessons learned from COVID-1

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

The project aims to enable Lebanon to prepare, produce and disseminate its Third Biennial Update Report (BUR) and Fourth National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in order to fulfill Lebanon’s commitments as a Non-Annex 1 Party to the Convention. As part of the activities planned under the Fourth National Communication 4NC, the project aims at updating Lebanon’s vulnerability and adaptation assessment to climate change, with a focus on the health sector amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Lebanon experiences, and will continue to face, increased temperatures, more frequent and severe natural disasters related to climate change caused by shifts in temperature, precipitation and water regimes (e.g. heat waves, drought spells, floods and other climate-driven extreme events). Climate change not only has direct impacts on human health but also threatens the capacity of health care delivery services to manage and protect population health (e.g. through the vulnerability and reliability of infrastructure or critical services).

Preliminary assessments of the vulnerability of health care delivery services in Lebanon consider the overall adaptive capacity to be low as many of them lack the capacity and resources needed to prepare for and respond to this challenge. The COVID-19 crisis has further exposed these vulnerabilities and highlighted the urgent need for better disaster preparation, strengthened resilience not only to withstand future pandemics but also future threats coming from an unstable and changing climate.

In its updated Nationally Determined Contribution to Climate Change (NDC), Lebanon outlines 7 adaptation priorities, which includes: “Ensure overall public health and safety through climate resilient health systems”[1]. In addition, Lebanon’s National Health and Environment Strategy (2020) recommends to develop the preparedness and response capacity of the public health sector to manage the health effects as the main strategic response to climate change.

In line with the NDC and the National Health and Environment strategy, the purpose of this consultancy is to

assess the vulnerability of the Lebanon’s health care delivery services and provide guidance to increase the resilience of service providers to current and potential climate threats.

[1] Lebanon’s Nationally Determined Contribution, Updated 2020 Version https://climatechange.moe.gov.lb/viewfile.aspx?id=319

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work, responsibilities, and description of the proposed analytical work

By combining findings from background desk review and external and internal consultations with lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis response in Lebanon, the consultant will 1) Assess the vulnerability of health care service providers in Lebanon to climate change 2) Assess the adaptive capacity of health care service providers based on the COVID-19 lessons learned, and 3) recommend priority adaptation measures to build climate resilience of health care service providers.

Competencies

• High proficiency in Arabic and English languages;
• Demonstrable analytical skills, such as an extensive list of publications, etc.;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as ability to establish and maintain good relationship with stakeholders;
• Excellent facilitation skills; and
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

• Masters’ degree in health, public health, environmental health, or closely related fields. PhD will be considered as an asset.
• Experience****:
• Local relevant experience of not less than 10 years;
• Extensive knowledge of and experience in Public health systems assessment and national related policies and projects
• Previous experience in preparation of studies, reviews, sectoral recommendations regarding the analysis of vulnerabilities of the health sector and health facilities in Lebanon.
• Knowledge of climate change and implications on health