FIJI: REMOTE SENSING-GIS CONSULTANT TO SUPPORT THE RAPID INVENTORY ASSESSMENT

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Project: Fiji bamboo to adapt and mitigate climate change
• Duty Station: Colo-i-Suva Forestry station – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Unit, Forest Resource Assessment and Conservation and REDD+ (FRAC) Division
• Contract Duration: September 2024-February 2025
• Number of Workdays Estimated: 120
• Consultant Level: Level 3
• Total Fees: USD 15,720

The Fiji Bamboo to Adapt to and Mitigate Climate Change project aims to support the sustainable and inclusive production and use of bamboo as a resilient, sustainable and cost-effective construction material in Fiji that can be used to help increase the supply of affordable, resilient and accessible buildings in Fiji while also economically empowering women and other marginalized groups in Fiji, who are expected to play a key role in both the sustainable production and use of bamboo as a construction material. The project is being implemented by Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) with a coalition of Government and Non-Government partners both locally and internationally, and is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ MFAT) under the Low Emissions and Climate Resilient Development (LECRD) Phase 2 Pacific regional program

The project aims to create an evidence-based and an enabling environment (the local capacity and policy environment) that will support and encourage:

• the use of locally grown bamboo as a cost-effective, sustainable and resilient construction material;
• the adoption of environmentally sustainable (or even regenerative), socially inclusive and economically viable methods for cultivating, harvesting, treating and processing bamboo (for use in construction); and
• women and other marginalized groups to seize the economic opportunities that are expected to arise from the development of a new green and sustainable bamboo industry in Fiji.

One of the important steps in building the evidence base is to estimate the amount of bamboo that can be sustainably produced and harvested to meet future demand in Fiji. To help estimate this, GGGI is collaborating with the Fiji Ministry of Forestry to conduct a lean rapid inventory assessment of the bamboo stock using a combination of field verification methods and remote sensing tools in 3 or 4 selected provinces in Fiji’s Viti Levu. This assessment will seek to identify the quantity, age and species of bamboo growing in different locations, along with any other relevant information about the bamboo.

The findings from this inventory assessment are expected to be sufficient to estimate the existing bamboo stock throughout the whole of Fiji and will guide the development of appropriate policies and regulations that will enable and encourage the sustainable production and harvesting of bamboo in Fiji. In turn, it will also support the development of bamboo as a viable, lower cost and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional construction materials and is expected to create significant new green business and employment opportunities, including for women, youth and for the poor living in rural and remote areas of Fiji.

The objective of the assignment is to support and work in collaboration with the Fiji Ministry of Forestry, Forest Resource Assessment, Conservation and REDD+ (FRAC) Division to estimate the amount of bamboo that can be sustainably produced and harvested in Fiji to meet future demand by:

1. conducting an inventory mapping of bamboo in at least 3 provinces in Viti Levu;
2. scientifically extrapolating the findings from the inventory mapping exercise to estimate existing bamboo stock in Fijian forests; and
3. using information on the availability of suitable land for growing bamboo, to estimate the amount of bamboo that could potentially be sustainably produced and harvested in Fiji in the future.

To meet the objectives of this assignment GGGI is aiming to hire a Remote Sensing-GIS consultant. The consultant is required to work in close collaboration with the Fiji Ministry of Forestry, Forest Resource Assessment and Conservation (FRAC) Division to:

• develop an inventory map of the bamboo stock in the selected 3 provinces in Viti Levu using appropriate tools. This will include mapping the coordinate of the bamboo stands, and in collaboration with forestry officials carrying out ground truthing for confirmation;
• develop an inventory report of the bamboo stock in the selected 3 provinces in Viti Levu by species;
• develop a scientific estimate of bamboo stock throughout Fiji’s natural forests;
• develop a report on the scientific estimate of the amount of bamboo that can be potentially grown in Fiji through sustainable practices;
• report progress on a day-to-day basis to a supervisor from the Fiji Ministry of Forestry; and
• assist the supervisor in any other tasks assigned by the project supervisor related to the bamboo inventory work.

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

EXPERTISE REQUIRED

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION