1. Background:

Climate change threatens the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. African countries contribute only about 3.8% of total greenhouse gas emissions, but are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change.

Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa – up to 90% of which is rain-fed – accounts for 70% of the region’s employment and 35% of its gross national product. With the agriculture sector playing a critical role in economic development in Africa, changing climatic conditions affects food production, health, water resources in many countries.  Current models of climate change suggest that crop yields could fall by up to 20%.  Water shortages are projected to worsen, with as much as 10% less rainfall predicted in interior regions.  Higher temperatures will increase water losses due to higher evaporation rates.  As much as up to 40% of all development assistance and public expenditures could be lost due to climate change.

In April 2008, African Ministers of Finance committed to “effectively integrate and implement climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into “national and regional development frameworks”. Most African governments are yet to develop adaptive policies to: i) protect climate-sensitive public goods, such as water supply and costal protection; ii) adjust fiscal and regulatory policy to create private sector incentives for adaptation; and iii) establish performance standards and codes so that private and public investments of long-lived capital and infrastructure remain robust under future climate.

2. Africa Adaptation Programme:

UNDP has launched a US$ 92.1 million Climate Change Adaptation Programme for the African continent, titled “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa” (hereafter called the Programme). Under this Programme supported by the Government of Japan, UNDP assists 21 countries across the African continent in incorporating climate change risks and opportunities into national development processes to secure development gains under a changing climate.

The Programme aims to achieve the following key outcomes:

·    Countries have introduced dynamic, long-term planning mechanism to cope with the inherent uncertainties of climate change

·    Countries have built leadership and developed institutional frameworks to manage climate change risks and opportunities in an integrated manner at the local and national levels

·    Countries are implementing climate-resilient policies and measures in priority sectors

·    Financing options to meet national adaptation costs have been expanded at the local, national, sub-regional and regional levels

·    Knowledge on adjusting national development processes to fully incorporate climate change risks and opportunities is being generated and shared across all levels

Lesotho is one of the 20 Sub Saharan African countries selected to participate in the above programme. The Lesotho project document, which seeks to achieve the following four related outputs, has now been approved:

1.   Leadership capacities and institutional frameworks to manage climate change risks and opportunities in an integrated manner, including a decentralised approach, at the local and national levels are strengthened.

2.   Climate-resilient policies and measures in energy and health   sectors implemented and community-based adaptation action promoted.

3.   Financing options to meet national adaptation costs,      including PPP and private participation, expanded at the local and national levels are developed

4.   Knowledge on adjusting national and sub-national development processes to fully incorporate climate change risks is increased and opportunities thus generated are shared across all levels.

3. Terms of the Consultant – (wind and solar)

Within the specific context of Lesotho the following are the Terms of Reference for the Consultant (wind and solar).

3.1 Objective:

Working closely with the LMS, UNDP, the project implementing institutions (DOE and EHD), and the Project Management Team, the main objective for the consultant is to assess the current status of the wind and solar monitoring system within the framework of the renewable energy. He/she should identify appropriate sites for locating additional monitoring stations in a way that would lead to a development of a national wind atlas in line with the specifications of the Wind Atlas for South Africa with the purpose for developing regional network. He/she must furthermore assess the status of solar thermal generation and appropriate sites for establishing  measuring stations for solar radiation.

3.2 Specific duties:

• Review of relevant literature in the area of solar and wind energy development in Lesotho with respect national energy budget;

• Assess the current wind power monitoring system in relation to RE;
• Provide specifications and the cost of the systems that are required to expand the current monitoring network and join it with the South African network;
• Provide specifications and the cost for state of the art solar radiation measurement stations;
• Identify a potential list of suppliers for all equipment (ideally within SADC where possible);
• Prioritize the equipment (in close collaboration with the Department of Energy); this is to be done if the potential costs are higher than that which is budgeted in the project document.
• Propose appropriate location for radiation measurement stations based on the physiography of Lesotho.
• Assess capacity in LMS and DOE for operating the monitoring systems and make recommendations.

3.3 Scope of Assignment:

The consultant will work under the joint supervision of LMS and UNDP who will be supported technically by the Advisory Committee. He/she will maintain close collaboration with both the Department of Energy (DoE) and LMS.

He/she will organise meetings with the DOE and field trips to the various measuring/monitoring stations. Most of the work will need to be conducted in Lesotho in order to facilitate close collaboration with the DOE and in order to have easy access to local technical experts working involved in such energy measuring/monitoring stations.

3.4 Deliverables:

1.  The main deliverable is a comprehensive report detailing the findings of the assessments including recommendations. There should be detailed specifications and estimated costs for the equipment to be purchased and appropriate justifications. The report could be headed as follows as may be appropriate: i) situation analysis; ii) specific capacity building and strengthening of existing stations and laboratories required; iii) specific technical equipment required; iv) list of suppliers for all equipment; v) potential list of costs for all equipment; and vi) a prioritised list of equipment.

2.  All documentation and reports must be given to the client in both electronic and hard copy.

3.  Presentation of all findings and recommendations of the consultancy to stakeholders prior to completion of the assignment.

4.  Final Report incorporating all comments and corrections from stakeholders provided.

3.5 Timeline

The assignment is expected to start around August 2010 for about 20 working days. The consultant is expected to spend [5] days collecting background information, and [15] days to carry out the assessments and to produce the expected deliverables.

3.6 Required skills and experience

 Education:

• Post graduate university degree in physics, environmental science, engineering, environmental economics, or acceptable qualification in relevant field, plus specialization in renewable energy, environment and climate change or related area is desirable.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in the area of renewable energy with specialization in adaptation of natural systems to climate change and climate change vulnerabilities;

• Demonstrated experience in climate change and renewable energy data collection, management, analysis and interpretation;

• Excellent understanding and familiarity with technical equipment required for solar and wind measuring/monitoring stations;

• Demonstrated understanding of international policies and programmes as they relate to climate change;

• Demonstrated understanding of donor-funded international climate change programmes and projects;

• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in order to communicate complex,    technical information to both technical and general audiences;

• Demonstrated experience in designing, coordinating and managing research projects/activities;

• Excellent communication, writing and reporting skills;

• Demonstrated effective interpersonal and negotiations skills and ability to coordinate complex, multi-stake-holder projects;

• Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of international, regional and national institutions;

• Good team player and has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships;

• Computer literacy;

• Excellent written and spoken fluency in English.