Lake
Baikal and its transboundary basin including Lake Hovsgol represent an
unparalleled global benefit in terms of international waters and biodiversity
values. While past and current efforts to protect and sustainably utilize the
environment and its natural resources are impressive, they are insufficient to
the task of addressing the threats to the health of the Baikal Basin’s
interconnected aquatic ecosystems. These threats include: climate change,
pollution and sedimentation, nutrient loading, and habitat destruction. To
address these threats successfully conservation work must move beyond the
protected area limits and into the 87% of the Basin that is not protected where
natural resource exploitation continues without regard to ecosystem health and
biodiversity conservation objectives. Significant barriers hamper both
countries’ ability to move ahead both within their national jurisdictions and
jointly on a robust transboundary level. These barriers include: policy and regulatory
gaps, institutional weaknesses, poor utilization of BAT/BEP relevant to key
issues facing the Basin, and low levels of awareness of transboundary BB
issues.
Overall,
the basic legal and policy frameworks for the conservation and sustainable management
of the Baikal Basin are in place. From a transboundary perspective, lacking are
specific laws or policies enabling the transboundary monitoring of aquatic
ecosystem health both in Russia and Mongolia. The regulatory basis for
ecosystem conservation and water-pollution prevention in Baikal has not yet
been completed. For example, the regulatory and policy mechanisms needed to
implement SAP, as well as sub-basin watershed management plans are as yet
uncertain. Several scientific components for SAP development and implementation
remain yet to be completed, particularly with regard to the extent of
groundwater / surface water interconnectivity in the region, especially along
the Selenga River; and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the benthic
sediments and biota of the Basin’s rivers, deltas and lakes. Neither Russian,
nor Mongolian law adequately stipulates clear and practical environmental
quality standards for ground water and surface water. The two are inextricably
linked in most river systems. The picture of water quality threats from
industrial and mining sites remains incomplete; and measures on how best to
handle residual pollution problems from abandoned mining sites have not been
defined in policies on either side of the border. The EIA procedures do not
properly address biodiversity risks; and sectoral programs are operating
without standards for minimization or reduction of impacts to biodiversity.
Tourism laws and policies focus more upon the economic aspects of tourism
development and promotion and give short shrift to detailing guidelines and
training on mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem health management
objectives into tourism planning and management practices, including utilizing
new tools such as certification incentives for environmentally sustainable
behavior by tourism operators.
The
EIA process does not adequately address biodiversity conservation
considerations. Even though Russia has established national procedures for
assessing environmental impacts of economic projects, or any other activity
that may have direct or indirect impacts on the environment, and biodiversity
is an obligatory part of EIA content, there are still some barriers to fully
integrating biodiversity conservation considerations into all phases of mining
and tourism sector investment projects.
Under
the supervision of the Project Manager and Technical Director (PMTD), the Biodiversity Expert will assist in Output 1.6.: Biodiversity
conservation standards and biodiversity management objectives for tourism
(including sport fishing) and mining
integrated in SAP and local legislation, regional development plans; with
amendments to EIA policies to address biodiversity risks.
The
consultant will review international and regional examples of best practice in
mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into productive sector policies and
practice. Several model ecotourism businesses already operate within the Basin,
focusing on adventure travel, and low-impact, high-value fly fishing. Based
upon this review, stakeholders will elaborate best practice conservation
standards for tourism and mining.
While
both countries have a body of existing legislation on conservation and water
resources management, these environmental measures are often trumped by contradicting
policies and actions in other sectors, including agriculture, industrial
development, power generation, tourism and transportation. This consultancy
involves a study of overlapping authorities and recommendations on measures to
mainstream biodiversity conservation into other economic priorities.
Another
activity under this consultancy will be to mainstream biodiversity criteria and
objectives into the EIA process affecting the mining and tourism sector in
Russia’s Baikal Basin. Work will focus specifically upon making the elements
of the EIA process more biodiversity relevant and focused.
The consultant is expected to deliver the following results:
- Elaborate
best practice conservation standards for mining using international and
regional examples.
- Elaborate
best practice conservation standards for tourism using international and
regional examples.
- Provide
gap analysis concerning best practices and the existing policies and
standards in mining and tourism sector in Russia and Mongolia.
- Develop
recommendations for changes to local and national policies, legislation
and regional development plans to enhance biodiversity protection in
mining and tourism sector.
- Develop
recommendations for EIA process in mining and tourism sector to make it
more biodiversity relevant and focused.
- Propose
ecotourism and pollution avoidance aspects for tourism plans in the
region, especially those being developed in Irkutsk and Buryatia.
Monitoring and Progress Controls
- Review of
international and regional examples of best practice in mainstreaming
biodiversity conservation into mining sector policies and practice.
- Review of
international and regional examples of best practice in mainstreaming
biodiversity conservation in tourism sector policies and practice.
- Gap analysis of
best practices and the existing policies and standards in mining and
tourism sector in Russia and Mongolia.
- Recommendations
for changes to local and national policies, legislation and regional
development plans in mining and tourism sector.
- Recommendations
for changes EIA process.
- Recommendations for
tourism plans in the Baikal region.
All scientific publications made within the
framework of the consultancy must have reference on the project and have to be
provided to Project Manager.
Please note that the
shortlisted candidates will be requested to provide price offers. Price
offers will include only consultancy fees.
Payment
will be made in 3 installments based on the acceptance of the required
deliverables by the Project Manager as specified below:
- 30%
payment as a first installment upon the submission of a) Review of
international and regional examples of best practice in mainstreaming
biodiversity conservation into mining sector policies and practice b) Review
of international and regional examples of best practice in mainstreaming
biodiversity conservation in tourism sector policies and practice– no
later than by 15 December 2012;
- 30%
remaining payment upon submission of a) Gap analysis of best practices and
the existing policies and standards in mining and tourism sector in Russia
and Mongolia; and b) Recommendations for changes to local and national
policies, legislation and regional development plans in mining and tourism
sector – no later than by 31 January 2013.
- 40%
remaining payment upon submission of a) Recommendations for changes EIA
process; and b) Recommendations for tourism plans in the Baikal region –
no later than by 15 March 2012.
In
the case that the conditions of the TOR are not met, the contract may be
terminated and the consultancy fee reduced.
The
consultant shall work under the direct guidance of the Project Manager and
Technical Director, and report to the both.
The
expert will be supported by the Project management unit (PMU), as required.