Consultancy to Provide technical support to The Nature Conservancy and its conservation partners in Fire Management Planning for the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia.

Summary

Purpose

Provide technical support to The Nature Conservancy and its conservation partners in ‘Fire Management Planning for the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia’

Location
Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia

Duration
9 months

Estimated start date
1 September 2024

Reporting to
Conservation Director, TNC Zambia

Background

The Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE) comprises the core conservation area in Kafue National Park (KNP), adjacent community-stewarded Game Management Areas (GMAs) and communal lands surrounding these that act as buffer zones where people and wildlife co-exist. Recently the GKE has seen a considerable increase in conservation investments via conservation management partnerships between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), African Parks and the Ministry of Tourism. The focus of African Parks (AP) through Greater Kafue Landscape Ltd (GKLL), the delivery vehicle for AP’s co-management mandate for the KNP, is the protection and restoration of KNP which forms the core of the GKE. TNC’s focus is the improved management of the GMAs around KNP through supporting communities and the Government through a Conservation Collaboration Agreement. These agreements have catalysed significant long-term funding with the potential for conservation successes that have local, regional, national and international significance.

Historically, conservation has largely failed to deliver the tangible benefits that promote reinvestment and stewardship of conservation areas, and the government and communities have seen little economic benefit from these landscapes. The underlying premise is that protected areas should offer tangible economic benefits to communities through tourism, employment, conservation education, and access to natural resources. The lack of delivery of these benefits is driving unprecedented human-facilitated change across the GMAs and greater anthropogenic pressure on the National Park, including unprescribed fires, unregulated and illegal resource abstraction, habitat destruction and shifting agriculture that threatens the ecological integrity of the landscape and its associated benefits to communities. Conservation revenue sources have predominantly been through donor funding which has been insufficient to sustain the long-term protection and sustainable development of the GKE. To change this will require a change from the ‘business as usual approach to developing strategic plans that support the financial outcomes of the area. A significant boost for this is enabling conditions provided by a robustly governed and professionally managed conservation landscape to secure increased durable revenue flow into conservation and community benefit.

In the short term, TNC and GKLL must explore all options available to drive sustainable financing into the Park and GMAs from both traditional sources (e.g. tourism), evolving sources (e.g. natural climate solutions including carbon) and innovative sources (e.g. biodiversity assets, human-wildlife conflict insurance) to create a portfolio of applicable financing opportunities that can be tested and incubated – either by TNC itself or its partners – with the support of existing private funding before being implemented and hopefully amplified leveraging commercial finance.

Improved fire management is a key protection and restoration strategy for the sustainable management of both KNP and surrounding GMAs that also has the potential to deliver revenue to the GKE based on carbon financing associated with emissions reduction or reduced deforestation through improved fire management.

Fire Carbon Abatement Project- Expression of Interest

TNC and GKLL had recent approval from the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment for an Expression of Interest (EOI) to explore the financial feasibility of multiple carbon revenue streams across 50 000km2 of the GKE. While the primary objective of the original EOI was based on payments for emissions reduction through improved fire management. recently approval was given to explore a layered approach. In addition to emissions reductions, this approach involves investigating the potential to tap into multiple additional revenue streams such as afforestation or reforestation, avoided conversion, and improved forest management in community conservation areas across the GKE.

While seasonal fire is a natural dynamic of the miombo forest ecosystems of the 66,000sq km Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE), human-induced fire is widespread, unplanned, and unmanaged at a scale that vastly exceeds any ecological benefit.  According to TNC data, over the last 13 years, over 70% of the Kafue National Park (KNP) and 30% of the surrounding community-owned Game Management Areas (GMAs) burn every year, with almost half of the fires in the ecosystem burning in the late season (July-November), when their intensity and destructive nature are significantly increased.

The current fire regime in the GKE has negative, but largely unquantified, consequences for habitat health, vegetation composition, food sources for wildlife and soil structure, soil moisture, productivity and erosive potential. Evidence suggests that regular and high-intensity fire incidences reduces carbon stocks through killing trees reducing ecosystem carbon stocks. As a part of a protected area management strategy across the GKE to reduce the ecological impact of wildfire in the landscape, the primary objective is shifting the fire regime from the current extensive, late, hot and uncontrolled fires to reduced, planned, early season fires through a comprehensive fire management programme.

Consultancy Assignment:

TNC and GKLL are seeking to engage a consultant to support Government with the Fire Management Planning process that will be integral to the implementation of an emissions abatement initiative. The specific objectives and tasks to be performed under this consultancy are articulated below under the Objectives and Activities section of this TOR. In summary, the consultant will be expected to 1) Lead the development of a workplan for the review and revision of the Greater Kafue Ecosystem Fire Management Plan (GKE FMP) and consult on the emissions abatement initiative (carbon project) being developed that leverages this applied information. 2) Provide a framework and structure outlining key considerations during the fire management planning process  – as reference material to guide the review process and ensure adherence to ‘best practice guidelines; 3) Co-facilitate stakeholder workshops to develop and later validate the FMP; 4) Revise the GKE FMP based on stakeholder inputs. 5) Provide a structure and framework of key considerations for the development of area or sector specific burn plans, which will be implemented as part of the FMP.

Purpose of contract

The primary objective of this consultancy is to provide robust, science-based technical support to guide the consultative review process for the Greater Kafue Ecosystem Fire Management Plan. The consultant will co-facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops and integrate scientific principles and best practices into the development of fire management strategies and burn plans and lead on the preparation and delivery of fire management planning documents, all in alignment with the objectives of a potential emissions abatement initiative.

Objectives and Scope of Work

This project will draw on international experience of managed burning to protect and restore the ecosystem health. AP and TNC will support DNPW with updating its Fire Management Plan (FMP) for Kafue National Park and its Surrounding Game Management Areas (GMAs), last updated in 2007. The process will be undertaken in collaboration with the Forestry Department, and communities around the KNP and other stakeholders. The plan will be based on both international ‘best practice’ and a participatory process and speak to the objectives of an emissions abatement initiative. Guiding principles of the landscape-level plan will be devolved into dynamic, science-based and adaptive management unit-level plans (e.g. at the level of GMA or national park sector) to guide the implementation of a fire management model for the landscape.

Specific tasks

Task 1 – Develop a workplan for the review and revision of DNPW’s Greater Kafue Ecosystem Fire Management Plan – This workplan will ensure that the process is systematic, inclusive, and based on scientific principles, with active participation and input from key landscape partners. This should include the following key components:

• Review the existing Fire Management Plan and relevant documents to understand the current framework and identify areas of improvement.
• Conduct a preliminary review of the Greater Kafue Ecosystem to gather baseline data on fire incidence, patterns, and ecological impacts & existing or historical research & monitoring – what data exists and where are the data gaps in developing a well-informed Fire Management Plan specifically tailored to the local context. Coordinating with TNC, the consultant will leverage this information and contribute to the development of a Theory of Change that addresses the drivers of ecological degradation in GKE and the conservation actions that will produce tangible, lasting impact.
• Consult with TNC and stakeholders on the development of an emissions abatement initiative (carbon project) in the GKE that improves fire management and ecosystem conservation efforts, including reforestation and avoided degradation efforts in tangent with improved forest management. The development of the FMP and carbon project need to coordinate together on development timelines, project activities, budgets, monitoring, reporting, and anticipated implementation strategies.

Task 2 – Provide a framework and structure outlining key considerations during the fire management planning process  – This will be used as reference material to guide the review process and ensure adherence to best practice guidelines and scientific principles. The following key themes need to be included:

• Ecological impacts; wildlife protection and habitat conservation; fire regimes and history; fire prevention & mitigation; policy & regulatory frameworks; fire management capacity & resources; fire risks – health & safety; land use, key infrastructure & human activities, monitoring and research frameworks
• Vegetation Management: Assess current knowledge related to GKE vegetation types and recommend potential approaches to manage and monitor fire regimes which will support heterogeneity, landscape biodiversity, and carbon objectives
• Capacity assessment: Drafting an actionable, proactive fire management plan that considers current and future operations resources abilities, as well as carbon monitoring and reporting needs.

Task 3 -. Facilitate several multi-stakeholder workshops to review the GKE FMP – review of the FMP is a fully participatory process that involves input from stakeholders including DNPW as the custodian of the FMP, Forestry Department, local communities, traditional leaders, conservation partners and local Government. This requires the co-facilitation of workshops (alongside the AP Head of Biodiversity and Science Support) to guide the process and provide sound fire management and science technical support.

Task 4 – Revise the GKE FMP based on stakeholder inputs – using information from the multistakeholder workshops, revise the GKE FMP document and prepare it for final stakeholder approval during the stakeholder validation workshop. The FMP will need to align with Government and Management frameworks, including the Greater Kafue Ecosystem Long-Term Sustainability Strategy, the KNP 5-Year Business Plans and the General Management Plans, Research Framework and Monitoring Programme.

Task 5 – Provide a structure and framework of key considerations for the development of area or sector-specific burn plans. The GKE FMP will contain a proposed implementation plan. Due to the context-specific requirements of burn plans for each of the different areas within the GKE and the need for burn plans that address these specific needs, a structure and framework of key considerations will guide the development of areas-specific burn plans prior to the 2025 fire season.

Task 6 – Provide technical and science support to the integration of the FMP into the online fire monitoring platform and carbon reporting requirements. TNC and GKLL are in the process of development a fire monitoring dashboard for active fire monitoring, burn scare and fire impact monitoring and provide reporting metrics for tracking progress against fire management objectives, including annual burn plans. Technical input to ensure that burn objectives are integrated into the platform creates a link between the FMP and Sector Specific Burn Plans, and that monitoring and reporting comply with carbon project requirements.
Fire Management Planning Process

The development of the FMP involves a participatory approach that begins with a multi-stakeholder workshop. Facilitators provide the background and rationale for the FMP, and an overview of the approach that will be taken, forming the backdrop to the stakeholder engagement workshop.

The workshop follows an integrated conservation management approach, ensuring that not only the ecological components of fires are considered, but also the socio-political and financial aspects. The workshop follows the process below:

• Workshop participants list what they perceive as the positive and negative attributes of fire in the park, GMAs and surrounding communities in relation to ecological, social-political and financial aspects. The top negative and positive attributes for each of the three aspects are then determined.
• These attributes are then used to determine the overall goal towards which the fire management plan should strive, as well as articulating what fire management should mitigate against.
• The traditional methods for managing and using fire are discussed and listed.
• Having agreed on the desired endpoints for the fire management plan, participants then share their understanding of the ecological, socio-political and financial aspects of the system to develop an integrated conservation model that captures the various factors that may influence successful fire management. This process ensures that the value systems of varying stakeholder groups are recognized, but that these are moderated through group consensus and, importantly, available evidence.
• The integrated conservation model is then translated into high-level objectives for the fire management plan, based on enhancing the positive drivers and minimizing (or mitigating) the negative drivers of successful fire management. The management interventions required to achieve these objectives are drafted by area managers and then discussed and agreed by a Technical Committee, representing the larger group.
• A validation meeting is convened where the objectives and actions are presented to the stakeholder group, agreed and validated.

Note: The successful organization/individual will be required to work closely with TNC, GKLL, DNPW and their partners in the GKE, including local communities, other government entities, NGOs and private sector partners. The work may involve periods in the field in very remote settings. The successful organization/individual will need to be fully self-sufficient with the ability to operate independently in the field for the duration of the study.

Deliverables and timelines:

Deliverable

Timeline (from contract signing)

Task 1- Develop a workplan for the review and revision of DNPW’s Greater Kafue Ecosystem Fire Management Plan
15 August 2024

Task 2 – Provide a framework and structure outlining key considerations during the fire management planning process
31 August 2024

Task 3 – Facilitate several multi-stakeholder workshops to review the GKE FMP
1 September – 15 November 2024

Task 4 – Revise the GKE FMP based on stakeholder inputs
15 December 2024

Task 5 – Provide a structure and framework of key considerations for the development of area or sector-specific burn plans
January-May 2025

Task 6 – Provide technical and science support to the integration of the FMP into the online fire monitoring platform
Throughout project duration

Core delivery team:

The consultant will be required to liaise closely with Conservation Director, TNC Zambia with regular interface with the Regional Biodiversity and Science Coordinator, African Parks and the Commercial and Enterprise Manager, Greater Kafue Landscape Limited.

GKE Partners and Stakeholders:

A number of partners within the landscape need to be considered and included in the development of a Fire Management Plan. These include but are not limited to:

• Zambian Forestry Department (FD)
• Zambian Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW)
• Zambian National Designated Authority (NDA)
• Zambia Ministry of Tourism
• Zambia Ministry of Green Economy and Environment
• GKE GMA Community Resource Boards
• NGO Stakeholders and Partners: International Savanna Fire Management Institute (ISFMI), Musekese Conservation, Game Rangers International, Panthera, Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mushingashi (Kashikoto) Conservancy and Charles Darwin University: Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Kafue Park Operators Association

Products Delivery

Final report including all supporting information and data in Microsoft excel format must be delivered electronically as stipulated to: Bruce Ellender – bruce.ellender@tnc.org

Desired consultant profile – CV, academic qualifications & experience

• 10 years of practical experience implementing science-based fire management planning, fire ecology, or a related field, preferably within protected areas or conservation landscapes.
• Familiar with the scientific literature and an excellent understanding on the ecology of Miombo Woodlands include the role and impact of fire.
• A minimum of a Master’s degree (PhD preferable) in a relevant field such as Fire Ecology, Environmental Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct and publish scientific research related to fire ecology in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, and conservation organizations.
• Skills and demonstrable experience in organizing and facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops and meetings.
• Excellent writing skills for producing comprehensive fire management plans and technical reports
• Ability to facilitate meetings and working groups to ensure stakeholder collaboration and buy-in that supports the management needs of GKE.

Call for Applications

Please send your technical proposal, cover letter, financial proposal and sample of relevant work by xxxxx, to africa.tenders@tnc.org and copy Bruce Ellender – bruce.ellender@tnc.org. In the email subject in application: refer to “Consultancy to conduct Fire Management Planning for the Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia’. All applications should be submitted by 11:59pm 5th September 2024.