Consultant (Environmental & Climate Assessments of Aquaculture in Bangladesh)

About WorldFish

“WorldFish is a leading international research organization working to transform aquatic food systems to reduce hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. It collaborates with international, regional, and national partners to co-develop and deliver scientific innovations, evidence for policy, and knowledge to enable equitable and inclusive impact for millions who depend on fish for their livelihoods. As a member of CGIAR, WorldFish contributes to building a food- and nutrition-secure future and restoring natural resources. Headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, with country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, WorldFish strives to create resilient and inclusive food systems for shared prosperity. For more information, visit: www.worldfishcenter.org”

Position Objective

The main purpose of the assignment is to conduct the environment and climate assessments on existing coastal and marine aquaculture in Bangladesh could include several key objectives to ensure sustainability and environmental management.

Responsibilities

The selected consultant will be responsible for following tasks:

Baseline Environmental Assessment:

• Conduct comprehensive baseline studies to gather data on environmental conditions, including water quality, sediment quality, and biodiversity within and around the coastal and marine aquaculture sites.
• Evaluate the environmental impact of the current coastal and marine aquaculture practices.

Climate Resilience Assessment:

• Assess the vulnerability of coastal and marine aquaculture systems to the impacts of climate change, variabilities and extremes such as sea-level rise, temperature fluctuations, tidal surges

Biodiversity Conservation Strategies:

• Develop and recommend strategies to enhance and conserve biodiversity in and around coastal and marine aquaculture sites. This may involve creating protected areas, restoring habitats, and implementing best management practices.

Regulatory and Policy Recommendations:

• Review existing regulatory frameworks and policies related to coastal and marine aquaculture and provide recommendations for improvements based on the assessment findings. This includes suggesting new regulations or modifications to existing ones.

Monitoring and Reporting Framework:

• Develop a robust monitoring and reporting framework to ensure continuous environmental oversight and adaptive management of coastal and marine aquaculture operations. This includes setting up indicators, thresholds, and reporting protocols.

To effectively address the key areas outlined in the scope of work, the following data requirements need to be considered:

1. Environmental Data

• Water Quality:
• Parameters:
• Water temperature
• Salinity
• pH
• Dissolved oxygen
• Turbidity
• Nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus)
• Presence of contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides)
• Other important parameters
• Biodiversity:
• Data on:
• Species inventory
• Abundance
• Distribution
• Health of flora and fauna in and around coastal and marine aquaculture sites

2. Geospatial Data

• Satellite Imagery:
• Data on:
• Topography
• Land use/land cover
• Infrastructure

3. Climate Resilience Data

• Sea Level Rise:
• Historical and projected data on sea level changes
• Temperature Fluctuations:
• Historical temperature data and future projections
• Ocean Acidification:
• pH trends over time and projections of future acidification levels

4. Biodiversity Conservation Data

• Protected Areas:
• Information on existing and proposed marine protected areas
• Restoration Efforts:
• Data on habitat restoration projects and their outcomes
• Species Monitoring:
• Ongoing monitoring data for key species of interest

5. Regulatory and Policy Data

• Current Regulations:
• Information on existing regulations and policies governing aquaculture
• Compliance Data:
• Data on compliance levels and enforcement actions
• Policy Gaps:
• Identification of gaps and areas for improvement in the regulatory framework

6. Monitoring and Reporting Data

• Indicators and Thresholds:
• Data on environmental and operational indicators used for monitoring aquaculture impacts
• Reporting Protocol:
• Information on reporting procedures and frequency

Sample and data collection tools:

The consultant should provide a comprehensive survey sampling plan, including the sample size for each stakeholder type along with appropriate data collection tools.

Deliverables

The consultant will need to deliver the following deliverables:

• Protocol, survey tools submission and sharing.
• Prepare a comprehensive report detailing the findings, analysis, and recommendations from the assessment. The comprehensive report comprises Environmental Assessment, Climate resilience assessment, Biodiversity assessment, Policy regulatory and Monitoring framework reports.
• KII report.
• FGD report.
• All type of data clean set.
• A comprehensive presentation with the findings and a manuscript for submission to a peer review journal.

Requirements

This consultancy opportunity is open for all National Consultant with the following skills and qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Environmental science/ Marine science/ Fisheries or related subject from an accredited university. Preference will be given to candidates holding a PhD in a related field.
• Extensive experience in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, and impact evaluation research related with environment and climate change or similar kind of assessment.
• Experience in facilitating national or international sessions and seminars.
• 8-10 years of experience working in assessment on marine and coastal aquaculture.
• Experience in conducting survey/research in environment/coastal aquaculture and mariculture
• Strong report writing skills.
• Experience to analyze hydro-climatic, environmental and biodiversity relevant data.
• Having a VAT registration number is mandatory.
• At least Peer reviewed journal publication record.
• Statistical analytical skills using SPSS or R or any other relevant software.

Location and Duration

The successful consultant will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh with some field visits on part-time basis. The selection of consultant will be based on the relevant qualification and experience and the most competitive proposal. The interviews are expected to be held in September 2024 and only shortlisted consultant will be notified and expected to attend the interview. The successful consultant should be available to commence the consultancy contract for a maximum of thirty (30) working in between 20 September 2024 to 20 November 2024.

How to Apply

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following information online latest by 04 September 2024:

• Letter of interest of why you are an ideal consultant and what you can deliver; including your daily rate in BDT;
• A current curriculum vitae.
• Names and contacts (telephone and e-mail addresses) of three professional referees who are familiar with your qualifications and work experience. Your nominated referees ideally should be professional referees (clients) which you have consulted for.
• Samples of work (must specify if you are solely responsible for producing or editing each of the materials).

The screening will start as soon as possible, and will continue until the position is filled. Only selected consultant candidates will be contacted.

Our Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

WorldFish has seven offices across Asia, Africa and the Pacific, with more than 400 staff and 27 nationalities who contribute to a dynamic multicultural work environment.

WorldFish is committed to promoting a work environment where diversity and inclusion is valued and we seek to have gender balance in the organization. Our Leadership Team is 50/50 in terms of its gender split and 60% of our management cadre are women.

We continue to seek diversity and gender balance across other dimensions and we support individual performance and potential in achieving our organizational goals and mission.

We are an equal opportunities employer and strongly encourage women and men from developing nations to apply.

Read Full Description