Consultant

Country:          Vietnam
Organisation:    SNV – Netherlands Development Organisation
Program:          REDD +
Projects:          Markets and Mangroves
Abstract:          Explore GHG accounting and finance options for shrimp/mangrove production
Duration:         30 person-days
1 Background

Vietnam has lost half its mangroves over the past 30 years, more recently as a result of clearing for shrimp ponds. Healthy mangroves make important contributions to both climate change adaptation and mitigation.
To help reverse this trend the Markets and Mangroves (MAM) project will support the authorities to access markets to pay for the multiple benefits which mangroves provide. This will be achieved by: working with shrimp importers, traders and farmers to introduce ecologically sound shrimp production and support access to potential carbon finance.
The Project will be conducted over three and a half years (from 2012-2015) with funding from the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

2. SNV’s Assignment Objectives

This Task will have 3 major components;
(i)To examine different mangrove/shrimp models in Vietnam and recommend interventions to maximise mitigation potential
(ii)To explore different carbon finance options and recommend appropriate accounting, date collection and data management systems
(iii)Provide recommendations of inclusion of REDD+ and into current shrimp aquaculture standards [in particular Naturland]

3. Tasks of the consultant

1.Rapid review of existing shrimp aquaculture/mangrove models and practices in Vietnam Mekong Delta; identify any differences in the models with respect to climate change adaptation and mitigation (biomass)
2.Identify potential sources of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions related to shrimp/mangrove aquaculture, focussing on emissions from on farm activities and avoided deforestation but also highlighting emission sources beyond the farm gate (i.e. shrimp processing and waste)
3.Identify potential to increase carbon sequestration and avoided deforestation and forest degradation from mangrove shrimp models [with reference to the Principles for a Code of Conduct for the Management and Sustainable Use of Mangrove Ecosystem]
4.Determine to what extent these emissions could be practically managed and reduced, and/or carbon sequestration increased, and identify appropriate actions and/or initiatives to do so under the SNV MAM Project [provide initial estimate of costs and potential carbon benefits]
5.Discuss the possible Climate Finance options for shrimp/mangrove aquaculture for: (i) carbon credit offsets (CDM/VCS) and small-scale programmes (such as Plan Vivo http://www.planvivo.or/about-plan-vivo/); (ii) performance based donor finance (e.g. NAMAs); and (iii) commodity certification ‘climate positive’ impact (e.g. Sustainable Agriculture Network Climate Module)
6.For each of the 3 Climate Finance options, provide guidance and recommendations on:
GHG accounting approaches (covers additionality, project scope, baseline, emissions quantification and leakage)
Data collection
Data analysis reporting and verification
7.Review the extent to which these actions which maximise mangrove carbon, are already addressed in the existing best practice guidelines and standards for aquaculture, and indeed, to what extent they are consistent with these Naturland guidelines
8.Provide recommendations of inclusion of REDD+ and into current shrimp aquaculture standards [in particular Naturland]
9.Assess the potential for ‘’insetting’’ under the different climate finance regimes, through working along the company value chain; provide recommendations and criteria (and positive incentives to be met) for companies to integrate into mangrove/shrimp production (see point 6 above)
10.Assess potential GHG emissions along the rest of the value chain; and potential for production of renewable energy from wastes
11.Based on point 1-11 above and given the current situation at  the Ca Mau field site [in terms of capacity, costs and data availability] recommend strategy and detail activities for accessing climate finance for mitigation (including GHG accounting, data collection and analysis) 
4. Expected outputs and deliverables

(i)Draft annotated Table of Contents, indicating final report structure, for consultation and approval by SNV
(ii)Draft Technical Report on mangrove/shrimp models and interventions to maximise biomass in MAM site:
(iii)Final report on mangrove/shrimp models and interventions to maximise biomass in MAM site:
(iv)Draft technical report on different carbon finance options and recommend appropriate accounting, date collection and data management systems for MAM site
(v)Final report on different carbon finance options and recommend appropriate accounting, date collection and data management systems for MAM site
(vi)Final technical report on integration of REDD+ into certification schemes
5. Qualifications

The consultant should demonstrate:
A degree in Environmental Economics, Natural Resource management, Carbon markets or related topic
A solid understanding of carbon finance, carbon markets and the basic concepts of GHG accounting
Knowledge of the shrimp aquaculture industry in Vietnam; specifically shrimp/mangrove production in Ca Mau Province
A good knowledge of mangroves and mangrove carbon; in particular interventions to increase overall mangrove biomass
Proven experience in working in Vietnam
6 Timeframe and Location

The consultant will be recruited for a period of 30 days over a period of 2 months (with possible extension if necessary) from the date of signing the contract for activities.
It is expected that the consultant must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform these services to the highest professional standard.  A consultant for this assignment will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out by SNV. Interested individual consultants and may obtain further information from the SNV by contacting Richard McNally at [email protected] . Interested consultants should submit their application letter and latest CV, by email to no later than 17 February 2013