The Sustainable Financing and Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystems Project Demonstration Site Concept Woburn Clarkes Court Bay Marine Protected Area Improving Water Quality in Marine Protected Areas with Multiple Pollution Threats 1
Overview Vision: The waters of WCCBMPA are of high quality, providing habitat for fish, reefs, mangroves and sea grasses and services for people including bathing, recreation, cultural activities, and opportunity for marine based livelihoods. GOAL: To demonstrate best management practices in WCCBMPA, setting in place a community-based water quality improvement program that integrates environmental monitoring, education, research, ecological restoration, private sector and community involvement, improved livelihood opportunities, and supporting policy and legislation. Rationale: The National Project Steering Committee for the Sustainable Finance Project met for the first time in September 2012. At this meeting they discussed the potentials for the demonstration project and determined that a Water Quality Improvement Program was the best option based on the following: Water pollution has been identified as a major threat to the region s MPAs, and especially for coral reefs and beaches. The pollution in WCCB has impacted ecological functionality, community use and recreation, and is degrading opportunities for increasing livelihoods around marine recreation, tourism, aquaculture and fisheries. The WCCB area is known to be a nursery for the replenishment of the stock of reef fish and shell fish important to the livelihoods of persons in the south of Grenada. Improving the water quality in the WCCB MPA is critical to the sustenance of the mangrove swamp and sea grass communities in the enclosed bay as the nursery for the replenishment of the reef fish and shell fish stocks, which is important to the livelihoods of the southern communities. The May 2012 Management Plan for WCCB was the result of numerous stakeholder meetings, focused interviews with various interest/user groups, and identification of key issues related to MPA management. Water quality was identified as one of the highest priority issues by all of the diverse stakeholder interests. The high level of support for improving water quality was considered to be a good starting point for developing a water quality improvement program. Partnership Opportunities. The University of St. Georges Marine Resources and Environmental Health Programs are strong partners that may provide laboratory facilities, student volunteers, research students, and technical advice to such a project. The University is close to the WCCB and the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) is in support of this concept. 2
Government enforcement agencies, community organizations, the private sector, investors and residents are very concerned about the continued degradation of water quality and are ready to support such a program. The WCCB-WQIP would provide an opportunity for developing and implementing pragmatic solutions to complicated marine and coastal water quality degradation involving public private sector and community collaboration and initiatives. A comprehensive water quality improvement program for MPAs does not exist in the Eastern Caribbean and this would serve well as a demonstration for the Sustainable Finance project. The Concept: A water quality improvement program will be developed to include the following: Waste management assessment (liquid, solid, industrial and hazardous) for the entire WCCB watershed Determination of the key sources of pollution from land and marine based activities and key water quality threats to ecosystem health to be addressed. Development of a WQIP and Implementation Programme including identification of WQ improvement policy, strategies, targets and concrete actions consisting of inter alia: feasibility, cost, key stakeholders, responsible parties, partnership opportunities and requisite activities. Develop a community involvement component of the WQIP to build capacity among residents (monitoring, analyses, data management, data interpretation and presentation) interested private sector agencies and NGOs to promote ownership and demonstrate citizen monitoring and co-management of natural resources. Identification of priority strategic actions for implementation of the WQ program including community engagement, partnerships, equipment, training, staffing, financing, etc. Included in the WQ Improvement Plan will be the development of first phase monitoring program including staffing and budget, SOPs, equipment, training, data management, analysis, and reporting requirements. Development of an outreach and education component to be embedded in the program including identification of target audiences such as policy makers, private businesses, fishers, yacht owners, tourism concerns, and community members 3
Sustainable Financing and Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystems Project Full Size Project (FSP) Terms of Reference for a Water Quality Management Specialist/Demonstration Project Coordinator 1. Introduction This consultancy focuses on the second component of the Sustainable Financing and Management of Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystems Project, (the Project) one aim of which is to establish demonstration sites in the region to showcase good practice in the management of marine protected areas. (Please refer to the Project Appraisal Document in Annex A for a more detailed treatment of the Component and the project generally). The Woburn/Clarke s Court Bay Marine Protected Area (WCCBMPA) in Grenada is one of two demonstration sites funded under the Project. The waters of WCCBMPA are currently in a degraded condition due to numerous sources of pollution. The degraded water quality is impacting the WCCBMPA functions including that of providing habitat for fish, reefs, mangroves and sea grasses and services for people including bathing, recreation, cultural activities, and opportunity for marine-based livelihoods. There are multiple threats to water quality in the MPA and the improvement of the waters of the area have been identified as a high priority in recent stakeholder consultations conducted as part of the draft plan for the WCCBMPA. One of the most significant threats to water quality is site pollution from the rum industry in the area. The industry has pledged to reduce its input into the MPA but there is still much to do in terms of reducing this level of pollution from the industry. Other sources relate to point sources from boat owners, urban runoff, and untreated sewage. In order to demonstrate good management practice in WCCBMPA, the Project will design and establish a water quality improvement program (WQIP) that integrates identification of key threats, engagement of responsible parties, outreach and education, research, biophysical monitoring, and private sector and community involvement. The WQIP will be designed to provide longer term outcomes such as implementation of water quality improvement projects that address point and non-point source pollutants, improved livelihood opportunities, and development of supporting policy and legislation. 4
The WQIP will be developed to include the following: Assessment of the sources of pollution and development of a programme of action to address all water quality issues in a holistic way. Determination of the key sources of pollution and key water quality threats to ecosystem health to be addressed. Monitoring system to track changes to the MPA from all point source pollution- the monitoring system should be tiered to allow normal, everyday users and community people to take measurements, as well as university scientists, MPA staff, etc Identification of WQ improvement actions that include assessment of feasibility, cost, responsible parties, partnership opportunities, potential of action to lead to improvement in WQ and potential to include citizen monitoring. Identification of priority strategic actions for implementation of the WQ program including community engagement, partnerships, development of a monitoring plan, data to be collected, Standard operating procedures, requirements, equipment, training, staffing, cost/budget, financing, etc. Development of an outreach and education component to be embedded in the plan including identification of target audiences such as policy makers, private businesses, fishers, yacht owners, tourism concerns, and community members. Implementation of agreed priority actions as per agreed work plan and schedule. 2. Consultancy Objectives The purpose of this consultancy is to develop the first phase Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) including goals and objectives, identification of type and sources of pollution, stakeholders to engage,, and a tiered monitoring system that can be implemented based on various levels of funding, technical support, timelines and other resources. The WQIP will also identify for each tier the necessary equipment, data management considerations, staffing needs, timelines and budget, parameters to monitored, SOPs,, training, data management, analysis, and reporting protocols. The WQIP will include priority actions that are designed to ensure that actions are happening that can improve the water quality of the WCCBMPA. The consultancy will include start up of implementation of these priority demonstration actions as identified in the plan based on available funding and resources. The consultancy will work with TNC and the NIE to identify funding sources, including private enterprises, and apply for funds for implementation 5
3. Scope of Work Activities To accomplish the above-referenced objectives, the consultant will work with The Nature Conservancy, and in close coordination with National Implementing Entity within the Government of Grenada s Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and their MPA Officer, the Project Steering Committee for the GEF Sustainable Finance Project for MPAs, the Stakeholder Committee for the WCCBMPA, and the National Project Steering Committee, the Grenada Distillers Limited, and will conduct the following tasks: Develop Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) with a phased implementation plan (over 3 year period with the identified priority demonstration activities to start within 1-2 months of completion of the plan based on availability of funding) and strategy including goals, objectives, and targets, staffing, timelines, budget, procurement procedures, parameters to be monitored, SOPs, equipment, training, data management, analysis, and reporting protocols Establish baseline conditions using applicable parameters to assess the current environmental conditions and acquire data that will determine change in status over time. Conduct consultation and communication with key stakeholders associated with the demonstration site activity, in collaboration with the NIE Seek additional sources of funding for Implementation of key aspects of the WQIP Document all processes/actions/activities etc. and lessons learnt which would be used to guide the replication of the demonstration project nationally and internationally. Identify potential partners and develop effective partnerships with stakeholders, as through the execution of memoranda of understanding (MoU), for assisting in implementation of the WQIP. Partners may include the University of St. Georges Marine Resources and Environmental Health Programs, which may provide laboratory facilities, student volunteers, research students, and technical advice to such a project. Develop a workplan including log-frame for the comprehensive implementation of the WQIP in WCCBMPA to be approved by TNC and the NPSC Prepare and submit reports (once every two months) on activities/actions conducted as per the scope of work. These reports will provide details on meetings and consultations, (goals, discussions, participants, next steps, issues and challenges), update on current progress in developing the WQIP, and once the WQIP is finalized include reporting on the implementation of priority demonstration activities as identified in the plan. 6
All outputs shall be submitted as electronic documents in MS Word to The Nature Conservancy. 4. Reports and Deliverables Deliverables expected from the consultant include: Deliverables Due Date on or before 1 A detailed work plan for contract activities and deliverables, containing a concise annotated outline, description of approach (methodology), timeline, and budget for materials. 2 Stakeholder Consultation for WQIP development, Bi-monthly Report #1 Month 1 Months 1-3 Each bi-monthly report will relate what has been accomplished with respect to the tasks and functions of the role in the relevant time period. These reports will adhere to a template provided by the Conservancy and should be based on in-person meetings, attendance at workshops and consultations, identification of issues and problems, suggested solutions, and agreed next steps. Next steps should be followed and outcomes and results reported upon in subsequent submissions. Reports should contain detailed information on relevant meetings and gatherings, the goals of such meetings, information on who attended, work done, notes, minutes, and the like. 7
When project funded workshops or consultations fall in the relevant reporting period, reports should be more detailed, containing notes and/or minutes of the events, as well as agenda, presentations, main agreements, recommendations and decisions, participants lists, and photographs. 3 First Draft of WQIP due Month 4 4 Stakeholder Consultations on Draft Implementation Month 4 (Implementation of WQIP begins) 5 Bi-monthly Report #2 Month 4 6 Bi-monthly Report #3 (including report on implementation progress) 7 Final Draft of WQIP (including report on implementation progress) 8 Bi-monthly Report #4 plus report on implementation progress plus description of hand over plans - who will continue this work? Month 6 Month 7 Month 8 9 Bi-monthly Report #5 plus report on implementation progress Month 10 10 Bi-monthly Report #6 including lessons learnt document Month 12 8
5. Qualifications a) An in-depth knowledge of water quality in marine environment, water quality monitoring, citizen monitoring programs, and pollution prevention strategies and implementation of water quality improvement activities as acquired through at least five years of postqualification experience. Working experience with industrial pollution. Rum factory waste experience would be an asset. b) An in-depth knowledge of Marine Protected Area management including governance, community engagement, MPA planning, enforcement, education and outreach, conservation and restoration of marine and coastal environment and biophysical monitoring c) A demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders. d) Experience in working with volunteers to conduct biological monitoring preferably in the Caribbean region. e) Experience in and ability to effectively document and then share with others methods, tools, lessons learned, challenges, and opportunities such that the WCCBMPA will serve as a demonstration site for other MPAs f) At least a Master s degree in water quality, environmental engineering, environmental science, with relevant work experience of 5 or more years in a relevant area. g) Ability to develop methods of data collection, install and maintain monitoring equipment, interpret data and analyze environmental information to apply solutions, guidelines and policy to field problems. h) An ability to effectively interact and communicate with user groups (fishermen, yacht people, private businesses, etc) government officials, regional, intergovernmental organizations, and the multi-lateral donor community in the Caribbean. i) Excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills in English. j) Ability to work independently and be a team player. k) Ability to communicate on a regular basis via email and phone. 6. Length of Contract The contract will be for one year. Individuals interested in providing the services described above should send letters of interest and curricula vitae to the following persons: Robbie Bovino (TNC) rbovino@tnc.org Brittany Isabelle (TNC) bisabelle@tnc.org Mr. Justin Rennie (Chief Fisheries Officer, Grenada) justinar7368@hotmail.com 9
Roland Baldeo (Government of Grenada) rolandbaldeo@hotmail.com Yolande Newton (Government of Grenada) yolande.newton@gmail.com Annex A Project Appraisal Document 10