International Consultant: Biodiversity Conservation Planning and Management under the UNDP/GEF project: Conservation of Biodiversity in the Central Zagros Landscape Zone

The Central Zagros Mountains contain a vast range of species including over 2,000 species of higher plants and several endangered and endemic mammal species. In addition to their biodiversity value, the Zagros Mountains are recognized for having been the birthplace of important civilizations and now provide a home and livelihoods to about 1.2 million people. The Central Zagros Mountains are also greatly valued as the source for approximately 40% of the nation’s water supply. Despite immense environmental endowments, the Central Zagros Mountains Zone is one of the poorest regions of Iran. The interdependency between the inhabitants including nomads, the economy and biodiversity is very high. Some estimates suggest that harvesting of wild plant and animal species accounts for up to 50% of the cash income of poor households. People harvest 35-70% of the fodder requirements for their livestock from near by protected areas. The natural resource management sectors – agriculture, forestry and rangeland are the mainstay of the economy across the proposed Conservation Zone. Biological resources have been and continue to be a lynchpin of both economic and social development.

Although the importance of biodiversity conservation has been established in environment and development policy in Iran for some times, it is only in recent years that sectoral policies and programmes have started to mention the importance of nature and/or biodiversity conservation.

The ‘Central Zagros Landscape Conservation Zone Project’ is one of the most challenging, innovative and ambitious conservation projects the government of Islamic Republic of Iran has been currently undertaking with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) www.thegef.org and UNDP www.undp.org.ir Since late 2005, the Department of the Environment (DoE) of the Islamic Republic of Iran www.irandoe.org has been implementing the project in some parts of four provinces of the country covering over 2.5 million hectares of the central Zagros Mountains region. It has also been envisioned that the successful conservation approaches developed by the project would be replicated in the adjoining provinces to achieve conservation and development objectives at the larger landscape level.

The Project helps to achieve overall goal of the Government of Iran, which is to ensure that the socio-economy in the Zagros Mountains develops and is mutually supportive of biodiversity conservation and restoration. Through this project, the Government also intends to demonstrate that biodiversity can be conserved over a sizeable region, in a cost-effective and financially sustainable manner. The project, at the landscape and village levels, aims to maintain biodiversity by effectively mainstreaming biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilisation into the natural resources and tourism sectors.  The project integrates biodiversity conservation and sustainable use into land use and natural resources use management plans and supports integrated pilot projects providing improved livelihoods to indigenous communities in biodiversity rich areas. The project adopts a business-oriented approach to biodiversity conservation, and is designed to support ongoing efforts to improve livelihoods and stimulate economic development across the Zone. In gist, the project will help design, demonstrate and disseminate a viable landscape based conservation model for the sustainable conservation of biodiversity and socio economic improvement in the Zagros Mountains region.

About this Consultancy:

The conservation paradigms have been evolving together with the changing perceptions and understanding of the society on biodiversity. There is a growing understanding that protecting habitat in isolation is seldom a long term solution in terms of biodiversity protection. Mainstreaming conservation concerns into overall development planning to expand conservation boundaries and constituencies has been considered as a key to long term conservation as well as sustainable development. Matching conservation priorities more closely with human needs and aspirations is increasingly being seen as an important element in conservation strategies. It is obvious that public support for the creation, maintenance and management of protected areas is generally more effective if there is a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between protected areas and the local communities. Hence there is a need to complement the protected area approach to biodiversity conservation with sustainable utilisation, people involvement and protecting biodiversity outside of protected areas.

Development across the Zagros Conservation Zone is at present undertaken in an uncoordinated manner, both across provinces and across sectors creating impacts on environmental resources and biodiversity. Protected areas have been turning into green biological islands. Generally, the management of protected areas is species focused rather than system or network based. Although, the Department of Environment is committed to a holistic approach to biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization, due to its limited capacity, it is unable to influence society and the economic sectors, such as forestry, rangelands, agriculture, water and tourism to mainstream biodiversity concerns in these sectors.
 
The Zagros Project aims to help strengthen the capacity of the DoE at the national and provincial levels to manage the protected areas more effectively and to facilitate the mainstreaming of biodiversity concerns into various development sectors. This consultancy has been designed to impart knowledge, skills and tools so that DoE and other stakeholders will be able to adopt integrated, holistic and incentive based approaches to biodiversity conservation to achieve sustainable conservation and livelihood objectives. This work derives lessons from international best practices in landscape based biodiversity conservation and help DoE to develop series of innovative strategies and actions to strengthen the collaboration between development and biodiversity management sectors to achieve environmental and economic objectives in the Zagros Mountains region.

Organizational Context:

The consultant will work under the overall guidance and supervision of National Project Manager. S/he will work in close cooperation and coordination with the project International Advisor, National Biodiversity Planning and Conservation Co-ordinator and a team of national and provincial experts of the DoE. The incumbent will also seek advice from relevant Technical Advisor Team (TAT) members, International Advisor, and other thematic coordinators. The consultant will also liaise with the UNDP, relevant government agencies and other key stakeholders to generate necessary information and ideas. S/he will receive support of the Project Secretariat in Tehran, and be integrated with a team of other core national and international consultants. The consultant will report to NPM as well as keep NPD and UNDP informed.

Functions / Key Results Expected:

• Review the existing central and provincial level policies and provisions related to biodiversity conservation;
• Review ongoing conservation activities of the DoE, FRWO and the project;
• Review current management plans of the Protected Areas in the Central Zagros Zone;
• Review the Protected Areas with the perspective of establishment of an effective network;
• Provide technical advice to facilitate the execution of biodiversity conservation and sustainable land/resource management components and activities of the project;
• Help National Biodiversity Planning and Conservation Co-ordinator to assess training needs of key DoE and FRWO staff at both national and local level to promote landscape based conservation in the Zagros Mountains region;
• Help national experts to undertake a rapid survey to develop an inventory of existing biodiversity elements (species, ecosystems, habitats' patterns and processes);
• Propose definite percentages of the habitats or species as the goals of national conservation plans according to IUCN standards;  
• Develop and conduct training programs suitable to DoE staff to impart knowledge and skills on landscape based biodiversity conservation;
• Provide support and guidance to DoE staff and national consultants in identifying appropriate buffer zones and conservation corridors;
• Provide technical advice to develop awareness, education and advocacy materials in promoting conservation and sustainable use;
• Assist M&E Officer in developing biological indicators to measure programme’s effectiveness, efficiency, impact on biodiversity conservation;
• Guide and facilitate to develop an appropriate biodiversity survey methodology and survey activities;
• Guide and facilitate national consultant and DoE staff to prepare business oriented management plans for selected protected areas in the pilot province. Ensure each of them will include a clear demonstration of how local communities participate in and can benefit from the protected areas;
• Provide technical support and lead the process to conduct feasibility study and to develop proposal for the establishment of MAB reserve(s) and or World Heritage Site(s) (WHS) in the Central Zagros region;
• Contribute in the development of New Vision document for the Central Zagros Mountains region;
• Support national thematic coordinators to develop strategies and MoUs with partners in mainstreaming biodiversity to the various development sectors;
• Provide agro biodiversity conservation methodology and guidelines;
• Provide technical advice on participatory sustainable development and natural resource management plan in all pilot villages;
• Provide technical advice in payment of ecosystem system services and sustainable conservation financing studies and policy formulations;
• Contribute in the development of the design and charter of the Mountain Biodiversity Resource Centre (MBRC) and its actual establishment and functional/administrative arrangements and mid-term and long-term objectives;
• Contribute to advocacy and influencing decision-makers within and outside of DoE to promote landscape based biodiversity conservation in Iran;
• Bring in international best practices and experience to enrich understanding and knowledge of national professionals in landscape based conservation and planning.

Deliverables:

• Biodiversity survey and protected area networks gap analysis report;
• Training manual for landscape based biodiversity conservation planning and management, Human resource to design, develop and promote integrated and holistic management plans for protected areas; 
• Management plans for selected protected areas
• Identification of potential buffer zone areas, corridors and steeping stone sites;
• MBA and/or WHS proposals;
• Agro biodiversity survey and conservation guidelines ;
• A good approach to biodiversity and conservation planning replicable to other part of the country.

• Advanced university degree in biodiversity conservation planning/natural resource management, landscape/land use planning/management etc
• Minimum 10 years work experience in an international context in the field of biodiversity conservation planning and management, protected area management, eco regional planning;

• Prior working experience on Integrated Conservation and Development Projects or similar participatory/community based conservation programmes would be a big asset.
• Adequate working experience in multicultural environments and sensitive to local culture and traditions;  
• Proven communication skills and ability to work in a team, under pressure and ability to meet deadlines;
• Prior experience with UN/UNDP/GEF projects would be beneficial;
• Understanding of development paradigms and socio-cultural situation of Iran;    
• Good level of computer skills.
• Full fluency in English and strong analytical and report writing skills are required.
• Knowledge in Farsi would be an advantage.