1. Background
Lang Sen Wetland Reserve is located in Vinh Loi commune, Tan Hung district, Long An province, in a low floodplain called the Plain of Reeds. A great diversity of geomorphological conditions in the area results in a high diversity of wetland ecosystems: marsh, seasonally inundated grassland, melaleuca forest, flooded forest, riverine etc. These ecosystems harbor a rich diversity of plants and animals. Preliminary survey results show 156 species of plants belonging to 60 families; 149 species of vertebrates in 46 families, including 13 species in Vietnam's Red Book (Le Phat Quoi et al, 2006); and 86 species of fish belonging to 9 families (Bui, 2008). Together with Tram Chim National Park, Lang Sen is a priority wetland conservation area and the last remnants of the Plain of Reed natural wetland .
To ensure the sustainable management of the wetland area and improve ecosystem health, WWF-Vietnam is working in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of Long An province and Lang Sen Wetland Reserve (LSWR) implementing the project “Avoidance of maladaptation through climate smart agriculture and restoration of Lang Sen Wetland Reserve in Vietnam” (2014 – 2017), which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ). The Project area covers the core zone and seven villages of the three buffer-zone communes (Vinh Dai, Vinh Loi, and Vinh Chau A) of Tan Hung district, Long An province.
Project overall objective:
Biodiversity conservation and integrity of the environmental services of Lang Sen Wetlands restored and maintained as well as increased adaptability to climate change by three local communes in the buffer zone.
Specific objectives:
- Restoring wetland habitats in Lang Sen wetland reserve to maintain ecosystem services of wetland in “Plain of Reed”
- Study and introduce new Climate Smart Models to communities around LSWR
- Study and implement a co-management model in LSWR.
- Develop a communication strategy to raise awareness of communities about climate change, climate change adaptation measures that supports to biodiversity conservation and local community livelihoods.
The restoration under the Project is achieving through the capacity building and assistance in the establishment of the monitoring system, planning and implementation of the reserve management, management and monitoring of water and fire, plus other restoration interventions. Fire is considered as a habitat management and restoration tool, placing community-based fire management (CBFiM) in a holistic approach of community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) for sustainable use of resources. Therefore, the Project is seeking a consultant for development of the CBFiM Plan 2016 – 2020 for LSWR, which meets the national requirements and standards for forest fire prevention and fighting, and connected with the co-management operation in LSWR
2. Objectives and key tasks
The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop the Community-based Fire Management Plan 2016 – 2020 for LSWR which is approved by the provincial level.
Specific objectives of this assignment are:
- To assess the risks, roles of fire, fire use and its impacts
- Review the existing planning and responding capacity, resources and practices in LSWR to define strengths, limitations and rooms for improvements;
- Develop the CBFiM Plan 2016 – 2020 for LSWR, which has to be approved by the provincial level (PPC/ DARD), and well-integrated with the co-management operation during the project time (until 2017) and beyond (until 2020).
- Provide hands-on training to project staff and Lang Sen Wetland Reserve and community groups on: national codes and standards for fire prevention and fighting, prescribed burning or controlled burning, annual planning for implementation based on the CBFiM Plan 2016 – 2020.
The consultant will:
- Present the proposal to DARD/ LSWR and revised it as appropriate
- Work closely with the Project staff, DARD/LSWR staff and consult relevant stakeholders for suitable methodology oriented to a realistic CBFiM Plan
- Develop the methodology for secondary data collection and field work adopting the CBFiM methodologies[1] for assessment, mapping and formulation of the plan
- Present the draft plan in to stakeholders a workshop and revise it as agreed
- Prepare and conduct the 2 training courses (for LSWR staff, community groups)
- Submit a technical report
3. Location
- WWF-Vietnam field office in Ho Chi Minh city (base)
- Tan An and Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, Tan Hung district, Long An province (field)
4. Deliverables
- Inception report/ revised proposal briefly describing the methodology, timeline and result framework accepted by LSWR and Project Manager.
- The technical report (following a template co-developed by the Project Team and consultant) including 2 parts:
- Part 1: The Fire Management Plan 2016-2020 (for approval)
- Part 2: The guidance for community involvement in fire management at field level
- Training materials (agenda, handouts, teaching aids…) and provision of 2 training courses in LSWR (reserve staff and community groups)
5. Time and management
This consultancy work is 20 working days (travel days not included), and expected to start in late October and completed around the end of November 2015. The consultant will be working closely with the project assigned staff of WWF-Vietnam and Lang Sen Wetland Reserve, and under the supervision of the Project Manager and the person assigned by WWF-Vietnam following the workplan and timeline mutually agreed.
6. Requirement of the consultants
The consultant is expected to meet the following requirements:
- At least bachelor degree preferable in Forestry, Natural Resources Management or relevant fields
- Over 10 years of work experiences relating to conservation, forest management in Vietnam forest enterprises, management skills on flammable forest such as: plantation forest, dry dipterocapus forest, melaleuca forest
- Have a sound knowledge of co-management/ community-based natural resources management, preferably in the Mekong Delta
- English fluency will be an advantage.
Interest candidates, please kindly submit the application:
[1] a cover letter
[2] a proposal briefly describing your approaches (with timeline and budget included; see budget template below)
[3] a CV max. 3 pages
by email to: [email protected] [2]
Also kindly be noted that the application will be reviewed in a roll on basis until the position is filled (but no later than 20 October 2015)