Environmental Impact Assessment of rehabilitation of irrigation canals – Bulaburde District, Hiraan region of Hirshabelle state, Somalia

Closing date: 10 Nov 2023

Organization: STS International Solidarity

Terms of Reference

Feasibility Study to determine the suitability and possibility of rehabilitation of irrigation canals in Bulaburte District.

Background

STS International Solidarity is a non-governmental organization dedicated to providing lifesaving relief in emergencies and development assistance to the most vulnerable people recovering from conflict, disaster, and the impact of climate change. We believe in the importance of sustainable livelihoods and food security for individuals and communities, and we are committed to improving these critical components of sustainable development.

STS works with communities including women, children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and returnees to build resilience that transforms and safeguards their rights and wellbeing through a variety of programs and initiatives. STS has been implementing projects in hard-to-reach areas for over 15 years. Currently STS is working in Somalia districts including in Jowhar, Baidoa, Bulaburte Beletweyne, Marka, Afgoye, Dollow, Kismayu, Warsheikh, Abudwak and Dusamareeb districts.

Project Background

The project emanates from the premise that livelihoods are people’s best defense against hunger and malnutrition: people with resilient livelihoods are better prepared for and can better cope with shocks and withstand crises. Investment in resilience reduces humanitarian needs and allows for a more targeted allocation of humanitarian resources, increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability and needs. In this regard, the attention to the resilience of food systems aims to strengthen the enabling environment in which livelihoods operate and resilience takes shape. Somali farmers lose up to 30 percent of their crop harvests annually due to poor post- harvest storage and inadequate climate smart farming practices which limits potential export growth. Household access to food is hampered by poor crop production amongst other factors. This project specifically looks to address this challenge and support select farmers’ cooperatives to improve production, adopt climate smart production techniques, improve yield management, understand, and leverage market opportunities better.

The project will support the development of cereal grains (maize, sorghum, and cowpea) value chains to improve effectiveness and efficiency for enhanced smallholder farmer’s profitability. Farmers will be assisted in making appropriate production and marketing plans to ensure sustainability and profitability.

To achieve this, the project will support the analysis of the linkages and roles of the different value chain agents (from the producers to the consumers) to identify gaps and opportunities for investments. Second, the project will also focus on capacity building and institutional development of farmers, farmer associations, and public-private partners to enhance skills in production, marketing, business management, and leadership. Strengthened organizations will facilitate producers’ collective access to inputs, credit, output markets, and technical training.

STS working in partnership with WFP will support Small Holder Farmers with a package of activities including (i) training on climate smart agricultural technologies and practices; (ii) rehabilitation of canals through desilting and cleaning which can benefit vulnerable households (iii) improvement market linkages including through training and linkage with agro-dealers, institutional buyers, and grain traders locally. These interventions will improve farming practices and strengthen agricultural production and trade. By connecting these farmers to WFP’s HGSF programmes, the proposed approach will also provide stable markets for local farmers’ produce. The project will be implemented in Bulaburte and will focus on improving production and climate smart technology and practices as well as market linkages in farmers’ cooperatives.

Purpose and Rationale

The main purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to determine the potential environmental, social, and health effects of desilting and embanking of sections of the water canals within Bulaburte District. Ordinarily, the process of rehabilitation loosens the soil in the basin of the canals, causing the deposit of sediments downstream. This intervention therefore calls for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to guide on mitigation measures that should be considered during the process of desilting and embanking of the drainage canals. The EIA report will be prepared for submission to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) in accordance with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (1999) and the Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit Regulations (2003) and as a requirement of WFP monitoring and safety standards.

Objective

The specific objectives are as follows:

1) Describe the baseline conditions of the project site, areas affected by floods base on observations and desk review of the previous Needs Assessment Report as well as through studying other available materials and literature;

2) Significant environmental issues of concern through the presentation of baseline data, which should include social, cultural and heritage considerations. Assess public perception of the proposed development;

3) Highlight the Policies, Legislation and Regulations relevant to the project

4) Describe the likely impacts of the proposed action on the environment, including direct, indirect and cumulative impacts, and their relative importance to the design of the proposed action. Describe the anticipated environmental impacts of the following:

a) Constructional Impacts (Soil erosion and sedimentation; Dust, noise emissions; Transport and disposal of dredged material; Impacts on burrow areas)

b) Impacts on hydrology (Drainage problems; Inundation of reservoir area; Ground water recharge)

c) Impacts on land stability and land use (additional inundation area etc.,) due to reservoir

d) Impacts on biological environment (Impacts on fishery; Effects on flood plain ecology; Loss of flora and fauna; Effects on protected areas)

e) Sociological Impacts (Relocation of people; Impacts on economic activities: Impacts on land use pattern; Impact on altering water supply on users; Number of families to be affected and to be replaced by the development; Impacts on occupational health and safety and community health and Safety; Increased threats from wildlife and potential for human elephants conflicts in the project area; Socio-cultural impacts due to migratory works (if any); Socio economic benefits to be provided to the local people; Impacts on existing infrastructure and service facilities available for people of the area; Impact on water users during the construction & operation

f) Climate change Impacts (Impacts at borrow sites, quarry pits, Impact on disposal sites)

5) Describe the positive impacts of desilting and embanking the irrigation canals

6) Mitigation action to be taken to minimize predicted adverse impacts to acceptable levels and quantify associated costs in conformity with the standards of Somalia’s Environmental Management and Coordination Act (2009) and the Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit Regulations (2003).

7) Outline the monitoring Plan that should ensure that the mitigation plan is adhered to

8) Provide alternatives to the project that could be considered at that site or at any other location including the no action alternative

Methodology

The Environmental Impact assessment will be conducted are follows

• Data Review – desk review of the existing available materials (design documents and available literature to collect the environmental baseline data) as well as field works conducted on proposed site (site-specific surveys conducted during design development).

• Screening – determine the need and scope of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• Scoping – identify significant issues, determine the subject matter of the assessment and the methodologies for undertaking the assessment.

• Surveys – undertake surveys and monitoring to identify existing environmental conditions;

• Consultation – conduct public hearings to provide an opportunity for the public to make

informed contributions on the proposed action.

• Assessment and alterations – assess the likely effects of the proposed action (including alternatives) on people, communities, and the environment; identify the need for mitigation through improved design and environmental management during construction and operation; and re-assess the residual effects of the mitigated development.

• Summarize comments and concerns received and describe how these comments have been addressed in project design and mitigation measures, with special attention paid to the needs and concerns of vulnerable groups, including women, the poor, and indigenous peoples.

• Preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report.

Task/Output & Suggested Timeframe

Inception meeting with Program Manager to review key project documents – 0.5 days

Detailed inception report including detailed work plan, detailed draft methodology and sampling approach for quantitative data collection, quantitative and qualitative tools finalized in agreement with the Senior Programs Manager – 1 day

Recruitment and training of additional data collectors/enumerators – 0.5 days

Public Hearings in Bulaburte District villages. Where necessary, conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Household Surveys (administering Questionnaires through Enumerators) – 5 days

Data analysis and draft EIA report submitted for comments – 5 days

Oral presentation to project staff and receiving comments on the first draft – 1 day

Final EIA document incorporating an Environmental Management Plan (EMP)showing how the adverse impacts can be prevented, minimized and additional loads by timely and due implementation of mitigation measures – 1 day

Application of a license from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) in accordance with the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (1999) and the Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit Regulations (2003)

Suggested total – 14 days

STS field staff will prepare the field visits for the consultant ahead of time. STS field staff will ensure respondents are prepared and ready to participate in the public hearings, KIIs, FGDs and

data collection. If required by the consultant, we will accompany the consultant and enumerators on data collection.

Deliverables

1. Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document providing the following:

• Description of existing environmental situation in the project areas,

• Identification of the relevant legal and administrative framework in Somalia revealing the

potential beneficial and adverse impacts associated with project implementation and defining the measures that are appropriate to enhance the potential beneficial impacts and to prevent mitigate or minimize potential adverse impacts.

2. The report must be in English, clearly and concisely addressing the information outlined above.

3. The reporting will be organized as follows:

The main report will be a comprehensive and well-organized document complete with standard reporting formats recommended by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). The main body of the report should be a minimum 50 pages in length, excluding tables and annexes).

The summary report will be an abridged Report synthesizing the main findings and indicators

of the survey (not to exceed 7‐ 10 pages in length).**

There last document will be an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) showing how the adverse impacts can be prevented, minimized**

Qualification and Experience

STS is seeking is looking for a consultant/team with the following skills and qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent in any field plus training in environmental impact assessment from recognized institution, with 8 years’ experience in environmental impact assessment.

• Demonstrable expertise on designing and executing Environmental Impact Assessment, especially in Somalia and Certified with NEMA or International Environment Regulatory body.

• Experience in conducting Environmental Impact Assessment for irrigation water canals.

• Previous experience in designing and executing an EIA that covers the legal, technical, and social aspects of project design and impacts.

• Licensed by the National Environmental Management Authority or International

Environment Regulatory Body.

• Familiarity with the flooding issues in Somalia.

• Strong communication and participatory skills.

• Ability to work independently and under a tight deadline.

• Ability to work with communities in relevant local languages would be an advantage.

• Ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely, appropriate manner

• Ability to write high quality, clear, concise reports in English

How to apply

How to apply

The application is open to individual consultants or firms. Applicants must provide:

1. A proposal clearly showing the following:

a) Approach and methodology for meeting the objectives of this assignment. b) Number of days it would take to complete this assignment.

c) Detailed work-plan based on the scope of the Consultancy and methodology.

d) Financial proposition showing all the expenses.

1. A detailed CV and professional background relevant to the assignment

2. Firms are required to provide their company profile

Applications in PDF form should be emailed to info@stsint.org on or before 10th November.

 

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