Consultant or Institution - Forests and Climate Change

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) seeks to recruit a Consultant or institution to prepare a paper on the current understanding of climate change impacts on forests, current or potential adjustments by forest managers in forest planning and management to accommodate adaptation and mitigation actions and the related challenges which forest managers face. The main purpose of the paper would be to facilitate discussion for the preparation of an FAO guide to assist forest managers in responding to climate change at the forest management unit level. If interested, kindly send a copy of your curriculum vitae before 08 April 2011. 

Contact Person: Jesper Tranberg, Forest Officer (APO), phone +39 06 570 551 37, e-mail: jesper.tranberg@fao.org

Forest management decisions made now could affect forests many decades into the future. Thus it is important for managers to take account of how forests may respond to future climatic conditions. Because it is difficult to predict with accuracy what the climate will be at  a  specific location and time in the future, it will be important  that forest managers  give greater weight to risk management measures and allow greater flexibility  for  adjusting forest management plans and practices.  Some forest managers will be in a position to capture emerging incentives forforest-based mitigation (e.g. REDD+), and will change their forest management plans and practices accordingly.  In assessing adaptation options,  forest managers may wish to consider  their relative contributions to climate change mitigation, and vice versa, then choose management options that have synergistic adaptation-mitigation benefits.

Forest management decisions related to  mitigation and adaptation will have to be considered within the larger
context of other management objectives for the site including changing social and economic conditions and other
values placed on forests by society.

FAO is developing guidelines to assist forest managers to respond to climate change challenges and opportunities at the forest management unit level.  These guidelines will be relevant globally, and apply to all types of forests (boreal, temperate, tropical), for all management objectives (production, conservation, protection and multi-purpose) and by all types of managers (public, private and community). To facilitate the development of the guidelines, a background paper will be prepared to review current understanding of climate change impacts on forests and forest management; to assess the capacity  and associated needs  of forest managers and forest management institutions and agencies to respond to climate change; and to determine if and  how forest management is changing or could  change in order respond effectively to climate change challenges and mitigation opportunities. The background paper (50 pages) will be informed by a survey of forest managers to determine their perception of factors that contribute to, or limit the ability of forest management and forest managers to prepare for/respond to climate change.

Tasks
The consultant will prepare the background paper under the overall guidance and technical supervision of the SeniorOfficer, Forests and Climate Change.

The specific tasks are as follows:
→ Review and analyze the literature on key climate change impacts on forest ecosystems (8 pages)
→ Evaluate the new challenges, opportunities and constraints posed by climate change to forest management (8
pages)
→ Assess the ability of forest management to adapt to and/or mitigate climate change  (including examples of
current country responses) (10 pages)
→ Identify if and how forest managers are adjusting their management practices to accommodate climate change
considerations and what changes they might make in the near and medium term (10 pages)
→ Identify gaps in knowledge required for adequate management responses to climate change (8 pages)
→ Prepare a document in English of about 50 pages (including the list of references cited and annexes) and submit it in Word in electronic copyKEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Expected Outputs:
1) Outline of background paper
2) First draft of background paper
3) Final draft
Required Completion Date:
April 29  2011
May 20 2011
June 1 2011

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
Academic Qualifications
Advanced University Degree in Forestry or related subject
Technical Competencies and Experience Requirements
Experience in forest management and climate change including international experience. Working
knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two.