Terms of Reference for a Consultant to Estimate Carbon Storage in the Urban Forests of Brazzaville
Job Summary
Job Description
- Forest cover monitoring expertise
- Experience in mapping, forestry, and remote sensing
- Knowledge of Congo's and Brazzaville's forests
- Strong analytical and communication skills
2 skills required
Job Details
Terms of Reference for a Consultant to Estimate Carbon Storage in the Urban Forests of Brazzaville
May 2025
I. Context and Justification
The forests of Brazzaville, encompassing parks, gardens, and trees planted along streets and in residential plots, have been steadily declining over the past fifty decades. Despite efforts by municipal and national authorities, the city has lost more than 80% of its forests in just 70 years. At a time when the effects of climate change are increasingly evident, the central role of forests as a barrier against environmental risks—such as flooding and water erosion—has become a major concern.
Indeed, urban development has continuously undermined this protective role, resulting in the loss of Brazzaville’s vegetation cover, which directly impacts the lives of its inhabitants (e.g., erosion, flooding, heatwaves). Consequently, there is a clear need to revitalize urban forestry to make Brazzaville’s forests resilient to extreme weather events. Specifically, this involves increasing carbon storage capacity through enhanced urban biomass and positioning Brazzaville’s forests as natural solutions to combat the effects of climate change.
Recognizing these challenges, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Municipality of Brazzaville have entered into a collaboration agreement that has facilitated the joint development of an urban forestry strategy called "Brazza la verte" (Green Brazzaville). As part of implementing this strategy, digitization sessions known as "Mapathons" have been organized to estimate the current area of Brazzaville’s forests. It is within this context that WRI is seeking a consultant to conduct a study on estimating the amount of carbon stored in Brazzaville’s urban forests, utilizing data from the Mapathons.
II. Description of the Consultancy
The primary objective of this consultancy is to complete the digitization (Mapathon) of Brazzaville’s urban forests and estimate the amount of carbon stored within them. To achieve this, the selected consultant will be required to:
- Develop an operational plan and methodological approach for the study and submit it to WRI for approval.
- Complete the digitization (Mapathon) of Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- Conduct a literature review of studies on Brazzaville’s urban forests, similar studies in other countries, and any additional research related to forest carbon estimation.
- Based on this literature review, develop a scientific method for estimating forest carbon using available digitized data, potentially supplemented by field surveys on a sample and meetings with municipal authorities responsible for implementing the "Brazza la verte" strategy.
- Perform the assessment of carbon stored in Brazzaville’s forests.
- Facilitate a workshop to present preliminary study results to Brazzaville municipal staff and various stakeholders (e.g., academics and other researchers).
III. Consultant’s Tasks
In line with the expected outcomes of the Cities program for Brazzaville, the selected consultant will be responsible for:
- Conducting an inventory of Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- Producing a comprehensive digital database of Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- Proposing a scientific and tailored methodology for evaluating the amount of carbon in Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- Assessing the amount of carbon sequestered in Brazzaville’s urban forests.
IV. Contract Duration
The consultancy will last for 6 months from the date of contract signature between WRI and the consultant.
V. Deliverables
The selected consultant will be required to produce the following deliverables:
- An operational start-up plan including the work methodology.
- A comprehensive digital database of Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- A report on the literature review and field surveys conducted, including the methodology for estimating forest carbon.
- A study report on the estimation of carbon stored in Brazzaville’s urban forests.
VI. Supervision and Reporting
The selected consultant will work closely with WRI representatives in the Republic of Congo. All deliverables will be produced in French and submitted to WRI for review and approval.
VII. Technical and Functional Competencies
The candidate must demonstrate technical competencies in the following areas:
- Forest cover monitoring.
- Mapping, forestry, and remote sensing.
- Ecology or botany.
- Thorough knowledge of Congo’s forests in general and Brazzaville’s urban forests in particular.
- Ability to adapt current climate change issues to Brazzaville’s urban forests.
- Skills in facilitating discussions and interactions among stakeholders.
- Competence in collecting relevant information about Brazzaville’s forests.
- Strong analytical, data synthesis, and written and oral communication skills.
VIII. Consultant Profile
The consultant should have the following qualifications:
Education:
- A Master’s degree (Bac +5) in geography, ecosystem management, forestry management, remote sensing and mapping, or any other third-cycle degree specializing in forest monitoring themes.
Experience:
- At least 5 years of general experience in forest cover monitoring studies, ecosystem management, mapping, and remote sensing.
- Proven experience in formulating environmental monitoring projects, preferably according to the standards of international governmental and non-governmental organizations.
- Strong knowledge of methods and techniques for estimating forest carbon rates, adapted to the effects of climate change in urban settings.
IX. Information to be Provided by Candidates
Candidates must submit the following:
- Technical Proposal: The technical proposal should demonstrate an understanding of the project, provide evidence of similar assignments, outline clear methodologies for each component described in the Terms of Reference (TDRs), include a proposed work plan, and provide the applicant’s details and CV.
- Financial Proposal: The financial proposal must specify a total lump sum amount in US dollars, encompassing consultancy fees and all associated costs (e.g., travel expenses, meals, taxes). Note that the cost of preparing a proposal and negotiating the contract, including any related travel, is not reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment.
X. Evaluation for Candidate Selection
Applications will be evaluated based on their compliance with the Terms of Reference (TDRs) according to the following criteria:
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