Deadline: 31-Mar-22
RTI International has launched the USAID/Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience (B4R) Activity, to assist communities, the Government of Uganda (GOU), and the private sector to conserve and manage biodiversity in target ecosystems for lasting environmental and economic sustainability and increased community and household resilience.
The overall purpose of the study is to identify feasible implementation models for carbon finance in the three target landscapes, which would foster the successful implementation of management and conservation enterprises activities for the benefit of the target communities and ecosystems.
The feasibility study is expected to:
- Inform and generate recommendations and strategies for development of carbon finance projects (eg fit with national regulations, implementation models).
- Conduct financial analysis of the proposed carbon finance models for both expected revenues, operations, and required investment.
- Identify the specific opportunities, including preparing the requisite information for their development (eg types of feasible carbon projects, scale).
Outcomes
The B4R Activity will achieve this through three interrelated outcomes:
- Outcome 1
- Economic, financial, and social investments are linked to and incentivize conservation.
- Outcome 2
- Governance arrangements benefit biodiversity and enable communities to benefit from biodiversity.
- Outcome 3
- GOU strengthens its sustainable management of targeted protected areas and biodiversity adjacent to protected areas.
The USAID/Uganda Biodiversity for Resilience (B4R) Activity provides direct financial support in the form of sub-awards from its Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) to private sector and other community-based enterprises towards achieving biodiversity conservation objectives in Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls , Lake Mburo, and Budongo Forest landscapes. The B4R SIF aims to stimulate investment in nature-based
Specific Activities
- B4R Result: Innovation in developing best practices, products and partnerships.
- B4R Activity: Conduct feasibility study for carbon finance in target landscapes economies in target landscapes.
Geographic Areas
Geographic scope is to focus specifically on these three regions:
- Kidepo Valley Greater Landscape – primarily the areas around the forming Karenga Conservancy in six districts of Karenga, Kaabong, Kotido, Kitgum, Abim, and Agago, including about 14 Central Forest Reserves in the landscape.
- Murchison Falls and greater Western Acholi Region – areas buffering the national park, such as
- Murchison Community Conservancy and other surrounding areas.
- Lake Mburo – the areas bordering the national park, such as Rurambira Conservancy.
Required Qualifications
The Consultant team/firm is expected to have professional qualifications in the relevant field with demonstrable experience in the designing research institutions/organizations. Additionally, the consulting firm/consultant team should possess the following skills/experiences:
- Expertise in land-use and/or forest carbon projects design, development, and verification (including compliance and application of the best verification standards).
- Successful track record in commercialization, project monitoring, and implementation of land-use and/or forest carbon projects, including sales and marketing of verified carbon offsets.
- Practical knowledge and experience in conservation management with an integrated land-use carbon component.
- Experience in conservation finance, such as financing conservation initiatives through private sector initiatives.
- Experience in benefit-sharing mechanisms related to carbon finance and conservation, including negotiations with the communities and government.
- Excellent financial modeling and writing skills.
- Practical experience in undertaking feasibility studies as well as sustainable use of natural resources will be added advantage.
- At least five years’ experience working with projects, agencies or government institutions dealing with carbon finance and/or community based natural resources utilization.
- Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and professional skills in interacting with government and development partners.
- Skills in facilitation of stakeholder engagement/workshops.
For more information, visit https://www.rti.org/sites/default/files/sow_carbon_finance_feb_2022.pdf