Consultant: national flood preparedness and response plan

Background

Guyana, located on the north coast of South America, is subject to Atlantic swells and high intensity seasonal rainfall. The coastal zone lies near or below sea level, supports 90% of the population and is the administrative, agricultural, commercial and industrial center of the country. The agriculture sector contributes 32% to the GDP. As a result of the dynamic interplay between high tides, high rainfall levels, and a network of drainage and irrigation canals, conservancy dams and sluices designed to support agriculture, the coastal zone is at high risk to flooding. Flood and drought risk are also relatively high in several regions of the interior; fire hazard is moderate to high.

Between 1988 and 2006, flood events affected 965,000 persons and resulted in more than US$ 663 million in economic damage. Further, in January 2005, severe floods in the coastal zone affected 25% of the population, resulting in total losses equivalent to 60% of GDP for that year.

The rate of sea level rise in the Caribbean is predicted to be five times greater than the world's average. This means that without anticipatory adaptation, sea level rise and climate change due to global warming are likely to significantly increase disaster risk in Guyana to levels that threaten the physical and economic viability of the coastal zone.

To date, the Government of Guyana (GOG), with the support of the international donor community, has implemented several policy instruments and activities toward improving coastal zone management and disaster risk management in the context of climate change adaptation. In 2002 a national climate change adaptation policy and implementation plan was approved. Following the 2005 floods, GOG with UNDP support hosted a national disaster risk management planning workshop, which highlighted the need for a comprehensive plan of action for disaster response and risk reduction. A proposal for reform of the Civil Defence Commission (the national disaster management agency) is under consideration.

In 2007 the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) of the World Bank, under the Special Climate Change Fund, provided a grant to GOG in the amount of $US3.8 million, to finance a Conservancy Adaptation Project, which is under implementation. The European Union is also providing support for coastal zone management and sea defence; the GEF for early warning systems; and OXFAM for shelters.

In spite of these initiatives, several constraints limit Guyana’s ability to systematically reduce disaster risk in the face of a changing climate. These include the need to:
-more accurately assess the impacts of sea level rise and climate change;
-strengthen disaster risk management institutions, including reorienting toward emphasis on ex ante risk reduction;
-incorporate sea level rise and climate change in the design of sea defence and flood protection works; and
-manage flood risk within the context of a comprehensive development framework which integrates climate change adaptation planning, disaster risk management, coastal zone management, and environmental and watershed management.

UNDP has been supporting the Government of Guyana and the Civil Defence Commission during and in the aftermath of 2005 floods. GoG and UNDP have agreed on a 9-month project Initiation Plan in December 2008 which paves the way for a larger cooperation between the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Development Programme that aims at assisting the Office of the President in the design and implementation of a comprehensive disaster risk management programme including the strengthening of response capacities in line with the Hyogo Action Framework.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Review the existing draft national disaster preparedness and response plan of 1985 and other existing disaster plans in Guyana from the perspective of the existing natural hazards in Guyana with focus on flooding and distribution of preparedness and response roles of the key stakeholders. The review should be based on the internationally accepted practices, trends and current thinking in the field of disaster management as well as on consideration of the other existing national disaster plans in the region and internationally.
2. Identify and document existing resources for disaster management that can be utilized during a flood response.
3. Review the communication systems utilized by the various stakeholders from a perspective of integration of such systems into the national early warning/emergency communication system.
4. Based on the review results, develop a draft national flood preparedness and response plan in consultation and coordination with the key DRR actors. The plan should incorporate the national early warning system as a key element in flood management in Guyana. Develop a set of recommendations on further review, refinement and implementation of the drafted document.


The consultant’s mandate will result in the following deliverables:
-A draft national flood preparedness and response plan.
-A training workshop with a table top exercise for the key DRR actors in Guyana to introduce and test the developed national flood preparedness and response plan.
-Mission report with recommendations on further update, refinement and implementation of the national flood preparedness and response plan.

Competencies

-Proven experience of similar consultancy/assignments performed.
-Experience in major emergency response operations (preferably floods response).
-Experience of work in Caribbean/Latin American Region in the area of disaster management is an advantage.
-Knowledge of UNDAC system and UN Inter-Agency Contingency Planning arrangements is an advantage.
-Excellent spoken and written English.
-Strong communication skills both oral and written.
-Excellent skills in standard software (MS Word processing, spreadsheets).
-Ability to produce a consolidated report.

Required skills and experience

-A Bachelor’s degree in disaster risk management, natural resources management, environmental sciences or a related discipline.
-At least five years experience in disaster management and contingency planning.