Consultancy for assessment of livestock grazing in protected areas and its impacts to biodiversity in Vietnam

SCOPE OF WORK

ASSESSMENT OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING IN PROTECTED AREAS

AND ITS IMPACTS TO BIODIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

I. Background and contexts

The USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity (BCA), the Project on Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation in (VFBC Project) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) approved in Decision No. 1689/QD-BNN-HTQT dated April 22, 2021 of the Minister of MARD for the period from 2021 to 2026 in 11 provinces and 3 National Parks directly under the central government, including Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Lam Dong, and 2 National Parks: Cuc Phuong and Cat Tien. Implementing partners of the project include World Wildlife Fund in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam), organizations; Fauna & Flora (formerly FFI), IUCN, ENV, Helvetas, Re:wild. Project activities include the following sub-components: 6) Promote conservation-friendly production and business for forest-dependent communities; 7) Strengthen the management of special-use forests and protection forests; 8) Strengthen the effectiveness of the law enforcement system against crimes that destroy forests and wildlife and 9) Reduce consumption demand through behavioral change methods.

Livestock grazing inside protected areas, primarily practiced by local communities for livelihoods, may negatively affect biodiversity conservation goals. It can lead tointense landscape degradation, cause large-scale changes in vegetation structure, and impact ungulate distribution and population sizes. Livestock grazing often leads to overgrazing that exacerbates soil erosion, and affect water quality and availability. Additionally, the introduction of non-native species through grazing animals can disrupt local ecosystems, leading to competitive exclusion and loss of native species, and an increase in invasive plant species. In addition to ecological concerns, there exists a pertinent risk of zoonotic disease transmission associated with livestock grazing in protected areas. The proximity of domesticated animals to wildlife populations heightens the potential for disease spillover, posing a threat to wild ungulates and other wildlife.

Assessing livestock grazing in protected areas and its impacts on biodiversity in Vietnam is therefore crucial for conservation efforts.

II. Goals and Objectives

The goal of this study is to support the Department of Forestry (DoF), local governments and PA management boards in formulating management responses to adverse effects and impacts of livestock grazing on biodiversity conservation. This will be achieved through the following objectives:

III. Tasks

Under the technical guidance of IUCN and in close coordination with DoF and PA management boards, the consultant(s) will undertake the following tasks:

1. Analyze policies and regulations on livestock grazing in National Parks and Nature Reserves. This analysis will emphasize the extent to which these policies empower protected area managers and relevant government agencies to:(i) restrict, regulate, deter or prohibit grazing by livestock, (ii) allocate protected area budgets and secure additional funding for implementing management and mitigation measures, and (iii) engage with local governments to establish livelihood support initiatives aimed at minimizing or ceasing livestock grazing within PAs. 
2. Develop a comprehensive policy analysis report with an implementation plan comprising:

• Findings and conclusions of the policy analysis.
• Approaches and methodologies for conducting surveys, including coordination, and facilitating agreement with collaborative management institutions. 
• Develop questionnaires that will be sent by official letter to collect all relevant information on grazing in all PAs in Vietnam (174 sites). These questionnaires will be jointly established with DoF, IUCN, and USAID BCA. 
• Criteria to select a minimum of nine protected areas for the field survey, considering at least landscape typology, biodiversity and ecological integrity, geographical coverage, population density, and poverty level. These criteria will be jointly established with DoF, IUCN, and the USAID BCA. 
• A detailed timeline with key implementation milestones.

3. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the status quo of cattle grazing activities, trends, and their impacts on conservation, including:

• Using official statistics for all terrestrial protected areas and field verification in nine selected sites, assess the presence of cattle grazing and its impacts/effects within protected areas, as well as the number of cattle reared in enclosures/local communities. Include in the field survey verifying for all terrestrial PAs whether cattle grazing is included in the sustainable forest management plan, whether as an issue, as a management activity, or both. Analyze historical trends over the past ten years and estimate future trends. Include, if possible, a cause-and-effect-chain and analyze declines of ungulate populations in the context of the concurrent threats of encroachment, habitat conversion and hunting. Describe grazing regimes employed by local villagers and other livestock owners.
• Assess the current impacts of grazing activities on biodiversity in particular wildlife habitats in PAs, based on interviews with PA managers, communities, and field surveys to develop scenarios depicting potential impacts over the next ten years.
• Collaboration with PA managers and multi-stakeholder management committees to identify potential mitigation and management plans. These may include: (i) management measures feasible within current budgets, (ii) collaborative management approaches with local governments and access to government funding, and (iii) livelihood support recommendations that DoF can propose in collaboration with provincial and district governments, and with multi-stakeholder management committees, to reduce cattle grazing inside protected areas. Consider the effect of immediate cessation of grazing by livestock in the diminished presence or absence of native herbivores.

4. Produce a draft final livestock grazing survey report and organize a technical workshop to present the findings. Workshop participants will include representatives of DoF, IUCN, BCA, the PA management board, scientific institutions, experts, and relevant stakeholders. Revise the grazing survey report based on feedback received during the workshop.
5. Produce the final report on the assessment of livestock grazing in PAs and its impacts on biodiversity in Vietnam.

IV. Deliverables

V. Scope and time frame

Scope 

A feasible number of National Parks and Nature Reserves to be determined based on selection criteria.

Timeframe 

3 months, in Q3-Q4/2024.

VI. Personnel requirements

Qualifications and Expertise

VII. How to apply

Interested groups or qualified individuals can apply by sending:

1. A letter of interest (1-2 pages, no more than 2 pages), briefly describing the proposed approach and any recommended variations from the above-outlined SOW.
2. Full CVs in English.

Applications should be sent to the following email address: [email protected], copy : [email protected]  with the subject line of “Applicant full name_Grazing in PA research” no later than 17:00,  31 July 2024.

Note: Each position (Protected Area Management and Conservation Specialist, and Zoonotic & Public Health Specialist) will be filled by an individual. This is not a request for a group of two.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We would like to thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates who meet the requisite criteria and are shortlisted will be contacted.