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TERMS OF REFERENCE Policy Analyst for the Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management Project Integration of Sustainable Land Management into the Draft National Land Use Policy Background to the UNCCD The International Community has long recognized that desertification or land degradation is a major economic, social and environmental problem of concern to many countries in all regions of the world. It contributes to food insecurity, famine and poverty, and can give rise to social, economic and political tensions that can cause conflicts, further poverty and land degradation. On June 17, 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was adopted in Paris. It entered into force on December 26, 1996. Guyana ratified the UNCCD on September 24, 1997, and effectively joined the international community in the recognition that land degradation is a major economic, social and environmental problem of concern. Guyana’s Profile Guyana’s population of 751,223 (National Census, 2002) has a skewed spatial distribution with approximately 90% residing along Guyana’s coastal strip, which represents approximately 15% of the country’s land area of 215,000 square kilometres. 75% of Guyana’s land area, approximately 165,000 square kilometres is covered with natural forest. While logging and mining remain Guyana’s principal natural resource activities, annual deforestation has been recorded at 0.3% with 80% of forest still in a relatively pristine condition while freshwater resources per capita (cubic metres) is estimated at 281,600 (Guyana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2001). The country has five (5) natural geographic regions: the Coastal Plain, the Hilly Sand and Clay Region, the Highland Region, the Forested Region and the Rupununi Savannahs. The Coastal Plain lies about 1.4 meters below mean high tide level and is protected by natural and man-made sea defences. It is 430 km long and varies in width from 26 to 77 km. Most of the population resides on the coastal plain which consists of the most fertile lands in the country. The Hilly Sand and Clay Region varies in height from 2 m to 400 m and is found immediately south of the coastal belt. The soil consists of sand and is covered with dry evergreen climax vegetation. The Intermediate Savannah is found in this region. The Highland Region consists of the Pakaraima Mountains forming a part of the extensive Guiana Highlands that cover an area of 1,300,000 sq km in Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil. The Forested Region spans the entire length of the country with elevation southwards, and in which is located lush, almost pristine, tropical forests and extensive mineral deposits. 1 Geologically, the southern section of this region forms a part of the Pre-Cambrian Brazilian Shield and it is a continuation of the Amazon Forest. The Interior Savannahs are located in the southwest of Guyana, and are divided into the North and South Savannahs by the Kanuku Mountains. Cattle ranching and farming are two of the main activities in the Interior Savannahs. Guyana’s climate has traditionally been uniform and characterized by high temperatures, humidity and heavy rainfall with temperatures along the coast on an average high of 32oC and a low of 24oC, humidity around 70% year round and rainfall averaging 250 cm annually with two rainy seasons on the coast (May-June and December-January) and one in the southernmost region (April-September). Within the last decade, Guyana has experienced unpredictable changes in weather patterns characterized by severe El Nino in 1997-8 and extreme levels of precipitation on the coast in 2005 and 2006 resulting in widespread flooding along the coast to the extent that several areas were declared disaster areas. The country is well endowed with natural resources including fertile agricultural lands, diversified mineral deposits, and an abundance of tropical rain forests. The agricultural sector (mainly sugar and rice) is the most important to the economy, both in terms of foreign exchange generation and the number of persons employed. Mining (gold, diamond and bauxite) and forestry also contribute significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which has continued to grow over the last decade. Per capita GDP for 2009 was US$2,308, up from US$942.4 in 2000 and US$528 in 1990 (Guyana Data Profile, 1996-2009). Policy Framework The overall policy is one of sustainable development which emanated from the Rio Summit, 1992. A number of strategies and action plans for sustainable development and sustainable resources use have been developed and are now in various stages of implementation. The four principal strategies are: o Low Carbon Development Strategy o National Development Strategy (2001-2010) o National Poverty Reduction Strategy o National Competitiveness Strategy In addition, the following Action Plans have been prepared: o National Biodiversity Action Plan o National Environmental Action Plan o National Mangrove Management Action Plan o Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan o National Forest Plan. 2 National Action Programme for Combating Land Degradation In 2006, a National Action Programme (NAP) was formulated and adopted by Government. The main issues identified in the NAP are as follows:o Need for rational planning and management of land resources o Need to harmonize and rationalize legislation to remove overlaps, and promote o effective coordination, information exchange and institutional synergies. o Need for financial resources. o Need for greater Public Education and Public Awareness. o Need to increasing Capacities – undertaking skills assessment and training in sustainable land management. o Utilising Traditional knowledge – enhancing and incorporating this into systems of land planning and development. o Need for sustainable management of drainage basins and watersheds o Need for Early Warning Systems and Emergency Plans to mitigate drought, flood and other natural disasters. The NAP proposes the following actions to address these issues: o rationalising the planning and management of land resources o rationalising legislative overlaps o promoting effective coordination and information exchange o establishing institutional synergies o securing financial resources and establishing financial mechanisms o promoting public education and awareness o undertaking training and capacity building o addressing issues of food security, management of agriculture and sustainable development o sustainably manage drainage basins and watersheds o developing early warning systems and emergency plans to mitigate drought o utilising traditional knowledge and o promoting regional aspects of preventing land degradation. Key immediate actions are: 1. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current land use practices and factors contributing to degradation. 2. Finalisation of a National Land Use Policy and Developing a National Land Use Plan Critical long term actions are: 1. Harmonise and strengthen institutional arrangements for land use planning and management. 2. Identify and Implement Early Warning Systems for disaster preparedness 3 Land Degradation in Guyana Land degradation in Guyana, while perhaps not highly visible at this stage, has been increasingly occurring and the potential exists for it to expand, corresponding to an increase in the exploitation of natural resources and coastal erosion. Change in land use has been due to a rapid upsurge in economic activity over the last ten years, in particular the sectors of forestry, mining, agriculture with the expansion in state land leases for agriculture and commercial activities. Guyana’s principal vulnerabilities stem from the low-lying nature of its populated seacoast which makes it vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise, intense precipitation and breaches of the sea defences. Factors which contribute to land degradation are loss of forest and vegetation due to inappropriate logging, forest fires, irresponsible mining and urbanization; improper land management; changing climatic patterns and coastal erosion due to flooding. Guyana’ response to the threats of land degradation has been the implementation of the Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project. The objective of the SLM Project is to establish an enabling environment to combat and reverse land degradation through a participatory process of mainstreaming of SLM into national development strategies and processes. The overall goal of the Project is to contribute to maintaining and enhancing of ecosystem health, integrity, stability, and functions by strengthening the enabling environment for SLM at the institutional and systemic levels through increased and enhanced national capacity to respond to issues related to SLM. The SLM Project has completed four (4) baseline technical studies under capacity development and has commenced the mainstreaming of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) into national, policies, strategies and plans. The four (4) baseline studies are:o A National Diagnostic and Pilot Assessment of Land Degradation o A Bio-physical and social Assessment of the sub-Demerara Watershed, an important watershed area with eight sub-basins that recharge groundwater supply for the City and the coast. o Valuation study of eco-system services in a pilot area with multiple land uses o A Framework for a fully functional and integrated Early Warning System. It is fundamental for SLM Policy to be integrated into a framework for sustainable management of land and land based resources. The draft National Land Use Policy, 2007 to be updated by the Development of Land Use Planning Project provides the framework for mainstreaming SLM Policy component into a national policy. This is highly relevant as Guyana is a country dependent on the sustained use of natural resources. 4 The Need for the Integration of Sustainable Land Management within the context of a National Land Use Policy There is need to integrate Sustainable Land Management Policy into a National Land Use Policy and Plan. It is crucial that exploitation of natural resources does not lead to land degradation which reduces the health, integrity, stability and functions of eco-systems, thereby reducing the quality of land and its resources. Further, Guyana needs to align its national policies, development strategies, national and plans with sustainable land management policy to support the country’s obligation to reduce land degradation as part of the national and global strategy to the UNCCD. The implementation of the Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project has received six (6) months extension to its three (3) year cycle to facilitate the completion of mainstreaming SLM Policy into a National Land Use Policy. It is proposed that this effort be undertaken in collaboration with the recently initiated Development of Land Use Planning Project. The Development of Land Use Planning Project commenced in January with three (3) key experts, an Urban and Regional Planner, a Land Use Specialist and a Database Specialist. The draft National Land Use Policy and Plan and three Regional Land Use Plans are to be completed during a twenty-two (22) month period. This Consultancy is expected to draft an SLM Policy component for incorporation into the existing Draft National Land Use Policy, 2007 at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. The updated National Land Use Policy will then be considered in the formulation of the National Land Use Plan and the three (3) Regional Land Use Plans. Objective To integrate sustainable land management policy component into a draft National Land Use Policy. Specific Tasks 1. Discuss and agree on the final set of Tasks and a Workplan with the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys within one (1) week of award of the Contract. 2. Submit a draft Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Policy component in the draft National Land Use Policy, 2007. 3. Present the Draft SLM component to a focused stakeholder consultation with the land, natural resources, energy and environmental Agencies. 4. Finalise and submit a SLM Policy component (in the draft National Land Use Policy), and a Stakeholder Consultation Report for the consultations completed with various Agencies. 5 Key Deliverables 1. Workplan for the activities to achieve the drafting of the Sustainable Land Management Policy and the Code of Practice for Sustainable Land Management in the Mining Sector 2. Stakeholder Consultation report for the Draft Sustainable Land Management Policy and the Code of Practice 3. Final Report consisting of the Draft Sustainable Land Management Policy component within the updated draft National Land Use Policy. All deliverables must be submitted both in printed and digital copies (digital copy on a disc) using Microsoft Word software. Duration The consultancy should be executed within one (1) month. Qualification and Experience for the Consultancy A minimum of a Masters Degree in Environmental Law, Natural resources or related field, with experience at policy development level with knowledge and understanding of the UNCCD, environmental and natural resource management issues in Guyana. Reporting and Supervision The consultant will work under the technical guidance of the Chief Executive Officer of the Executing Agency, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and will liaise with the Project Associate for all administrative and logistical arrangements. 6