Call for consultant -Strengthening Community Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area

Assignment title: Consultant
Sector: Natural Science
Duty Station: Kathmandu
Period of consultancy 15 April – 15 September 2025

27 March 2025

Background

The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) is a vital biodiversity hotspot, home to endangered species such as the snow leopard and red panda. It also plays a crucial role in the cultural and economic well-being of Indigenous communities residing in and around the area. However, KCA faces significant challenges, including the escalating impacts of climate change and wildlife poaching, which threaten fragile ecosystems and traditional livelihoods. Inadequate funding further limits the capacity for effective conservation and community-based initiatives, while the limited use of scientific and technological tools hamper efforts to monitor ecological changes and implement effective measures. Addressing these challenges requires integrating modern research and monitoring tools while engaging Indigenous communities and their traditional knowledge at the forefront of conservation efforts. 

In light of this, UNESCO submitted a proposal for a catalytical project to the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) and secured funding to enhance biodiversity documentation and conservation in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area by introducing advanced scientific tools and integrating indigenous knowledge into conservation efforts. The project supports the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) by strengthening cooperation and empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. By addressing critical gaps in monitoring and documentation, the project supports the potential nomination of KCA for IUCN green listing and for UNESCO biosphere reserve thereby contributing to national effort towards Target 3 of Kunming Montreal (KM)-GBF. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE WORK

The Consultant will support activities under Outcome 1 of the project, responsible for implementing activities to enhance IPLCs’ knowledge and skills in biodiversity conservation through training sessions and the use of scientific tools such as camera trapping and GPS. 

SCOPE OF THE WORK

Under the overall authority of the Head of the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu and the direct supervision of the Project Officer of the Natural Sciences Unit, within the framework of the extra-budgetary project, the consultant shall undertake the following tasks for the KBF project. Working collaboratively with consultants, the consultant will be responsible for:

Consultation and Identification of Pilot Areas:

• Support in consultation workshops with Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs) to identify pilot survey areas, including schools and women groups, for project implementation.
• Facilitate discussions to integrate indigenous and local knowledge in conservation practices.

Capacity Building and Training:

• Provide technical training sessions on using camera trapping and GPS to record biodiversity. 
• Train community members, including women and girls, on monitoring and data collection techniques.

Engagement of School Students:

• Facilitate student participation in conservation activities through camera trapping initiatives.
• Develop guidelines and mechanisms to recognize and incentivize students’ efforts in biodiversity conservation.

Identification of Biodiversity Hotspots:

• Conduct surveys to identify key biodiversity hotspots with community participation, considering UNESCO’s Biosphere reserve
• Integrate indigenous and local knowledge with scientific tools to enhance biodiversity monitoring and conservation efforts.

DELIVERABLES

• Detailed report on consultation and capacity-building workshops, including identified pilot areas.
• Training materials for the use of camera trapping and GPS targeted towards local communities and students 
• Student engagement plan and guidelines for conservation recognition.
• Report on biodiversity hotspot mapping, incorporating indigenous, scientific and secondary data.

SUPERVISION AND COORDINATION 

The Consultant’s work will be supervised by the Head of Unit and Project Officer, Natural Science of UNESCO Kathmandu.

Qualifications

Education 

• Master’s degree in environmental science, Conservation Biology, forestry, zoology, Natural Resource Management, or related field.

Professional experience

A minimum of 5 years of experience in natural science sector roles, with preferable experience in biodiversity conservation, research, documentation, coordination and report writing.

Skills and competencies

• Proven experience in working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
• Proficiency in using scientific tools such as GPS and camera traps for biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Familiarity with GIS tools and research tools.
• Experience coordinating with a wide range of stakeholders, including Government officials and local communities.

Desirable Qualification

• Experience working in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
• Good knowledge of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves programme

To apply

The candidate needs to submit

•  Updated CV
•  A Technical Proposal comprising: (1) Statement indicating how the candidate’s qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment and (2) Approach (methodology and detailed workplan) the candidate would adopt to carry out the assignment (maximum 4 pages).
•    A Financial Proposal indicating the amount to be charge for the assignment, which should be quoted in NPR per day. Please include travel costs to project area- Taplejung, rate per day.
Note: Travel costs required in the course of the consultancy will be based on the actual basis.

All the documents must be submitted to kathmandu@unesco.org by 3 April 2025. 

https://en.unesco.org/fieldoffice/kathmandu