Job ID
22627

Job Title
Climate Change Consultant - RFQ-SYDAM-20-0036

To work for
Oxfam Syria

Country
Syria

City
Der Al Zour

Field of Work
Agriculture - Humanitarian/Disasters

Job Type
Free Lancer

Military service
Finished or Exempted (For male)

Minimum Education Level
Bachelor/ License Degree

Responsibilities
Oxfam is requesting research in Deir EzZor, Syria, to analyse the impact of climate change on agricultural land and water, the impact of traditional farming practices on the climate change, and to provide recommendations for government policies, humanitarian programmes, and farming practices to be more climate sensitive in the future.
The output of this research will be used in training of farmers and encouraging their use of climate change resilient crops/adapted agricultural practices; advocate to both government and civilian national and international stakeholders for the integration of climate-sensitive approaches to agricultural strategies and interventions in water-scarce areas, and with the UN and INGOs to shape their future programme delivery.
Globally, Oxfam is actively engaged on issues related to the impact of climate change. Oxfam in Syria works in WASH, agriculture, and food security and wants to design programmes that take these impacts into consideration with a view to ensuring suitable mitigating measures. It equally wants to ensure that its activities do not contribute to climate change.
The Eastern areas of Syria have been subject to increasing desertification, cyclical droughts and water scarcity. Oxfam has been programming in Deir EzZor since 2018, including providing productive assets to small-scale farmers, installing irrigation pumps, and repairing damaged irrigation systems to allow the resumption of agricultural activities. Oxfam is beginning WASH programme in Syria that will begin to increase household level to water, for example by rehabilitating the water network in communities through Deir EzZor.On September 8, 2019, Oxfam organised a workshop in Damascus to develop the research ToR in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders. Oxfam invited representatives from different Damascus and Deir EzZor based governmental departments in addition to ACSAD. The attendees have discussed several topics including: the change in temperature and rainfall pattern in Deir EzZor and in the region over the last 40 years, the change in agricultural practices after the war, the available scenario for the next 50 years, capacities in Syria to monitor climate change, the most important questions to be answered by the research. The first draft of the ToR has been shared with the attendees after the workshop to get their feedback and approval.
As part of a project funded by the Belgium Government, Oxfam in Syria is seeking to better inform its approach to climate sensitive programming in Syria, focussing on the governorate of Deir EzZor. The research will be used to inform other activities under this project, the design of future projects, and advocacy within Syria on public policy and the work of other humanitarian agencies.
2. Overview of Gender and Livelihoods Study
Language of the consultant Required: Arabic + English
Location Research conducted in Deir EzZor and Damascus
Length The research is expected to take up to 12 weeks including: document review; methodology reviewed and validated internally; field visits in Deir EzZor; finalisation of first draft; internal review and validation process; final draft approved.
Target Group The research will cover the following target groups:
The research outcomes will benefit all farmers in Deir EzZor.
Goal The completed research will provide information specific to agriculture and water conservation in Deir EzZor and support Oxfam and others in scenario planning for the likely future climate in the area.
Guiding Questions The researcher should consider:
o Introducing innovative untraditional water resources such as water harvesting, grey water, agricultural wastewater and treated effluents to fill the shortages in the water budget.
o The realistic needs for the locally cultivated crops using modern technologies such as GIS, remote sensing instruments, drip irrigation systems, etc.
o The climate impact/effects on land-use and agricultural land-use by analysing satellite images and the impact on biodiversity using indicators.
o The effects on the socioeconomic contexts of Deir EzZor using field surveys.
o Researching the quality of irrigation water and its different uses.

The researcher will be able to utilise:
o the outputs of the RICCAR project, the mathematical model specializing in predicting future droughts, building various scenarios taking climate change into consideration.
o Satellite imagery.
o Oxfam support to visit Deir EzZor to conduct agreed field studies and meet with local stakeholders.
o Evaluating lands, calculating its level of salination in accordance with climate change in their respective regions.
o Researching Using water-saving irrigation systems modern irrigation techniques especially laser land levelling for surface irrigation i.e. spray and drip irrigation, and their effects on productivity.
o Supporting the local community depending on such techniques such as tunnels and green houses by providing high tech solutions such as genetically modified seeds, plants, and plastic covers.
Outputs A research document (in Arabic and English) comprising of 10,000 words (plus maps and relevant annexes), including recommendations to government, humanitarian agencies (including Oxfam’s current and future programme), and the farming community and those with leadership roles within it.

The research will be split into three distinct areas:
1. A desk review of the change in climate-related weather indicators in Deir EzZor (e.g. rainfall, average temperatures), immediate pre-crisis (2011) and current farming outputs, practices, and techniques; The effect on the degradation of the land i.e. salination, desertification, and soil toxicity, and its effects on the productivity; current water management plans.
2. The development of scenarios for future climate patterns in Deir EzZor, utilising the RICCAR project, and likely levels of future water availability.
3. Recommendations for restoring a climate sensitive agricultural industry to Deir EzZor, including:
a. Water conservation plans.
b. Suitable crops and agriculture strategy
c. Suitable farming practices.
d. A potential understanding of the size of a new agricultural economy in Deir EzZor.
Methodology The researcher will benefit from the inputs provided by:
- The general commission for scientific agricultural research in the ministry of agriculture publications.
- Oxfam’s minimum gender standards in humanitarian response as background documents to inform the research tools; Reference them as needed.
- General Organization of Remote Sensing, satellite data regarding:
o Rain.
o Soil moisture.
o Soil temperature.
o The amount of living matter.
o Plant efficiency to water use.
- ACSAD publications.
- Data on the local and governmental projects.
- Plans of the grids and treatment plants.
- Raising the efficiency of governmental irrigation grids.
- The actual water needs for crops and alternative crops.
- The climate data for the studied region.
- The degradation of the productivity of land, climate change.
- The damage done by the crisis to the grids irrigation infrastructure.
- Strategies already put in place:
o Drought fighting strategy.
o Desertification fighting strategy.
o Rural development strategy.
o Biodiversity protection strategy.
o The national strategy for environment protection.
o The first national notice on climate change.
- Reports by the mission for evaluating food and crops security (FAO).
- Relevant international agreements.
- Local NGOs and community members.


Qualifications
• Experience in the agricultural sector especially in drought areas.
• Experience in identifying climate data for different scenarios and different regions, with the specified data already available at the dispose of the researcher.
• Has the technical ability to analyse the aforementioned data.
• Experience on the issue of climate change effect on agricultural crops (A minimum of three research papers in this field).
• Experience on the issue of climate change effect on water resources.
• Experience in climate change effect on agricultural lands in the social and economic contexts, as well as on food security (As a factor of stability).
• Experience in researching climate change effect in extreme climatic contexts (Floods, droughts, heat and frosting waves).
• Experience in researching the socio-economic effects of climate change on the local population.
• Experience in applying adaptation methods to adapt to climate change.
• Has experience in water, climate, agriculture, and soil studies.
• Experienced in bilingual research.



4. Expected Timeline
Activity Timeline
Research Phase
Inception report 1st week
First Draft Finalised 9th week
Second Draft Finalised, Signed Off 11th week
Research Validation & Presentation 12th week




Specific Vacancy Requirements
Oxfam is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those that are suitable to work within our values are recruited to work for us.

Salary and Benefits
As agreed

About us
Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations networked together in more than 90 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from the injustice of poverty.

In Syria :
While Oxfam has been present in the region since 1970, it began operating in Syria through its Damascus based presence in July 2013. Since then, Oxfam has been responding to both the urgent WASH needs for vulnerable people, and has been working on the rehabilitation of water systems in order to provide durable, more sustainable solutions to the affected populations. Interventions implemented under Oxfam's WASH Programme include: Provision of Acute Emergency Life-Saving WASH Services, Rehabilitation of Water Systems, Hygiene Promotion and Water Conservation, Capacity Building and Training, and Improved Emergency WASH Coordination. To date, Oxfam has been worked in 10 governorates, seeking out to over 2.5 million beneficiaries.

Required employees number
1

Posted On
Apr 01, 2020

Expiry Date
Apr 22, 2020

Photo
Required

CV Language
English




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