Tajikistan: TRAINING CONSULTANCY

Project title: Creating Opportunities in a Safe Environment (COSE); Fostering Self-Sustained and Resilient Communities Project

Country: Tajikistan

Project No.: 7F-06585.04.01

Project duration: 01.07.2016 – 31.07.2019

Description of Assignment: Delivery of “Remote sensing and modeling” training

Planned time of the assignment: March 2018

Location: Tajikistan, Khorog

Deadline for application: March 15, 2018

1. BACKGROUND

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), an apex agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), was formed to strengthen the AKDN’s commitment to build disaster-resilient, economically empowered and sustainable communities in Central and South Asia. With a broad and innovative mandate, AKAH brings together a number of activities prioritizing preparation for both sudden and slow-onset disasters.

Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), a programme of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, provides relief and support services during and following natural and man-made disasters. Operating primarily in the developing world, FOCUS aims to provide disaster mitigation and preparedness programmes in vulnerable communities. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat merges the capabilities of FOCUS, Disaster Risk Management Initiative, Aga Khan Planning and Building Services, and the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment to fulfill its commitment to building capacity in Tajikistan, where its programmes have been active since 1997.

AKAH in close partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation and Mountain Societies development Support Program (MSDSP) is currently implementing the second phase of “Creating Opportunities in a Safe Environment (COSE II); Fostering Self-Sustained and Resilient Communities” project, funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project is envisaged for a timeframe of 36 months and targeting about 30 villages /communities, which are further divided into clusters. The Phase II of COSE project will build on the success and lessons learned from COSE Phase I and is aiming to promote and enable sustainable livelihood opportunities to improve communities’ resilience to disasters through reduced vulnerability and increased livelihood opportunities in Khorog town, Shugnan and Roshtqala districts of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO). Through COSE Phase II, the implementing organizations will continue to work with communities and government institutions to address the underlying causes of social and economic vulnerability at the grassroots level and further develop the capacity of the partner institutions at the local, regional and national government levels.

The geography and topography of Tajikistan make it one of the high-risk countries for natural disasters. Almost 93% of Tajikistan surface area is covered with mountains. Earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, floods, mudflows and glacial lake outburst flood are common hazards in Tajikistan, and it is expected that the rising temperatures, the rapid snow melt and the changing rain patterns will increase the intensity and frequency of these disasters leading to serious economic and social impact. The World Bank has classified Tajikistan as one of the disaster hot-spot countries in the world and the most vulnerable country to climate change in Europe and Central Asia (World Bank Report, June 2009). Tajikistan accounts for the largest water resources in the form of glacial ice in Central Asia and the Pamir Mountains are home to hundreds of these land-locked glaciers. It is generally accepted worldwide that due to climate change, glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates and in the situation of land locked glaciers many dangerous glacial lakes have formed as a result of this rapid melting. This rapid melting may result in catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) such as the one which destroyed the villages of Dasht in 2002 and Barsem in 2015 in GBAO, Tajikistan, due to which hundreds of people w/ere rendered homeless.

In mountainous environment addressing hazards and disaster threats can be more complex and pose more significant challenges than in other areas. The sources of natural hazards can be local as well as remote. While the natural hazards originating locally (rockfall, local landslides, avalanches, inundation) can be noticed easily, the distant triggers of hazards or in other words “remote hazards” (glacial lakes, snowpacks, glaciers) that lie up in the mountains are more difficult to see. In spite of difficulties of inaccessibility as well as remoteness of these hazards, it is still crucial to carry out continuous monitoring, assessment and analysis of these hazards, the results of which must be taken into account for any kind of development planning, in order to prevent the growth of risk on time. This makes disaster risk management an important part of a sustainable future for mountain communities and country development planning in general.

To address this, the COSE II project is planning to arrange for the training on “Remote sensing and modeling (flood modeling, debris flow and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) modeling) for project and government staff, which will help to enhance the technical capacity of targeted specialists to better examine and map the possible remote and local triggers of hazards, that could potentially affect the communities and their livelihoods. Special attention will be paid to glacial lakes, glaciers, areas with large mass movements and other hidden natural threats that have high potential impacts.

1. POSITION, OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK

AKAH is currently looking for a qualified expert / group of experts with a strong experience in Geographic Information System (GIS), geology and glaciology to deliver the training on “Remote sensing and flood modeling techniques for project and government partnering agencies staff. The main objective of this training is to enhance the knowledge and skills of local specialists on remote hazards analysis and assessment through applicable remote sensing techniques and flood modeling with application of relevant software (widely used software and programs). More specifically, the training thematic should comprise of the following subjects:

GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) for Hazard assessment:

• Using the GIS and RS for natural hazard identification in mountainous region with and scale of impact in case of glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) and consequences of the impact on environment – GLOF, mudflow/ modelling (application of Flow 2D and other relevant programs and free software programs) and mass movement; Developing the tools for reflection of the changes and dynamic with free software in watershed or natural hazard zones;
• Interpretation of satellite images – Using RS for trend analyses with available satellite image and bands classification for identification of vegetation area of the gorge, permafrost, (upper and lower bounds), surface material (bedrock, residual stone); Condition and type of the dam, pulsing or receding glacier, size of the glacial lake, changes in vegetation and geomorphological objects;
• Frozen glacier;
• Rock glacier;
• Undifferentiated complex of landslides;
• Landslide precipice;
• Landslide deposit, not cut by river;
• Landslide sediment, cut by river;
• Cone of scree or alluvial rock;
• Flange of river erosion, excluding river terrace;
• Thermocarst;
• Cone, cut by river;
• Large accumulation of alluvial rocks, undifferentiated;
• Lake;
• Snow;
• Firn;
• Ice;
• Rare vegetation;
• Dense vegetation.
• Topographical analysis. Create accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Triangular Irregular Network (TIN) for modeling and topographic visualizations.
• Derive information from maps– selection and processing of tectonic faults and lithology of assessed areas.
• Hazard assessment at regional scale.

• Visual interpretation of images – Visualization and Cerography -, using – ERDAS IMAGINE, Geomatica, ArcGIS and other free software applications.

• DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT AND DELIVERABLES

The consultant is expected to deliver the followings, in collaboration with technical staff of AKAH:

• Deliverables: a) Finalize the training plan and timeframe in consultation with the Operational Research and Technical Department of AKAH in Tajikistan;
• Indicative delivery date: March 31, 2018
• Deliverables: b) Develop a training plan including step by step module to achieve the objectives as outlined in paragraph 2 above;
• Indicative delivery date: April, 02, 2018
• Deliverables: c) Develop methodical manual, with step-by-step instructions for usage of proposed software’s and applications.
• Indicative delivery date: April 04, 2018
• Deliverables: d) Administer the training based on the developed and approved plan to relevant staff selected by organization and nominated by government agencies;
• Indicative delivery date: 2^nd week of April 2018
• Deliverables: e) Prepare the training report that assesses the implementation of this activity. The report should highlight the Consultant’s and participants overall perspective of the training, limitations of the training, strengths and weaknesses, and recommendations for improving similar training sessions in the future;
• Indicative delivery date: 3^rd week of April 2018 ementing **

TIMEFRAME

It is anticipated that the contract will be undertaken on the third week of March 2018, with the actual training delivery in April 2018, on dates agreed mutually by Consultants and the organization.

1. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF CONSULTANT

The successful Consultant should possess at least a Master’s Degree in Geographic Information System (GIS), Geography, Geology or other related field with over five years’ experience in training the relevant specialists to use GIS and other associated technologies and applicable software for remote sensing and flood modeling of local and remote hazards. In addition, knowledge of Tajik or Russian languages is a strong advantage.

1. PAYMENT AND LOGISTICS

The consultant should submit financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs i.e. daily consultancy fee, flight tickets, accommodation, and printing. The submitted proposal will be evaluated in terms of the quality of complete coverage of all aspects of the terms of reference as well as compliance with qualifications as provided for this assignment herein.

Contract reporting line: Hadi Husani, Chief Executive Officer, AKAH Central Asia

Technical reporting line: Ruslan Bobov, Head of Operational Research and Technical Department, AKAH Central Asia.

1. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Applications can be submitted at AKAH in Tajikistan at following e-mail address hr.tajikistan@akdn.org;

Applications should include a) CV/Resume, b) training outline along with the time-frame considered for training delivery, c) budget indicating lines and associated cost and d) report outline. Closing date for submitting the applications is March 15, 2018.

Please note that AKAH gives equal chances to all applicants, however, shortlisted candidates will be approached only.