RFI-442-21-002_Natural Resources Management.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

RFI Number: RFI-442-21-002 Issuance Date: December 11, 2020 Responses Due Date: January 13, 2021 at 4:00 pm, Phnom Penh time

Natural Resources Management Activity

This request for information aims to elicit stakeholders’ input on certain thematic areas to inform the new Natural Resources Management activity design under the Food Security and Environment Office of USAID/Cambodia to achieve its development outcome: inclusive and sustainable economic growth broadened.

DISCLAIMER

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and is part of USAID’s market research. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP)/Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue an RFP/NOFO. Responses to this RFI shall not be portrayed as offers and will not be accepted by the Government to form a binding agreement. Issuance of this notice does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the U.S. Government, nor does it commit the U.S.

Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of comments. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary and USAID will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. If an RFP or NOFO is issued, it will be announced on the beta.sam.gov or Grants.gov website separately at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that RFP or NOFO separately from any response to this announcement.

Businesses should identify any proprietary information in their responses. Proprietary materials will neither be distributed, nor discussed with, any other organization. Information submitted in response to this notice will be used at the discretion of the Government. Further, the information submitted will remain confidential insofar as permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts.

FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997)

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal

USAID/Cambodia Request for Information No. RFI-442-21-002

Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of: exchanging information to improve industry understanding of the Government requirements.

INSTRUCTIONS

Responses (comments, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due to USAID at the identified e-mail address(es) below by January 13, 2021 at 4:00 pm, Phnom Penh time.

Interested parties shall provide one (1) electronic copy of their response in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. Please e‐mail responses to Ms. Samsak Sao at ssao@usaid.gov with a copy to phnompenhoaa@usaid.gov with the subject title “Response to the Natural Resource Management Activity RFI” mailto:ssao@usaid.gov mailto:phnompenhoaa@usaid.gov

DRAFT ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

I. Background

Country Context

Cambodia’s rich biodiversity results from having some of Southeast Asia’s largest tracts of forest and the largest inland body of freshwater in the region, formed by the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap River. The Mekong and Tonle Sap River systems are the second most biodiverse inland water systems in the world. Those rich natural resources are threatened by development activities, and natural and climatic disasters. Between 2001 and 2014, Cambodia lost 5,560 square miles of forests. Rapid human expansion into biologically sensitive areas is also putting pressure on the remaining natural habitats supporting these and other rare species that are of local, national, and international importance1. Many challenges persist, including illegal logging, corresponding to a high demand for Cambodia’s high-value timber such as rosewood (Dalbergia bariensis and Dalbergia cochinchinensis); the illegal operation of many economic land concessions (ELCs) inside the protected areas; small-scale land conversion for small-scale agriculture including the conversion of flooded forests in the wider Tonle Sap floodplain; timber poaching, especially the harvest and export of Siamese rosewood, which is in high demand in Vietnam and China; and the undervaluation of forest ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitats and air purification. Further, the majority of illegal logging is done by the military and powerful sub-contractors2. Illegal commercial timber interests take advantage of weak law enforcement to benefit from illegal cutting.

USAID/Cambodia’s tropical forest and biodiversity analysis conducted in July 2019 found that a host of direct and indirect threats have led to habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, and depletion of fish and wildlife species in Cambodia. These threats affect forests, freshwaters, and marine and coastal areas and are often exacerbated by the impacts of climate change (Royal Government of Cambodia 2016). Two categories of priority threats are timber and wildlife poaching and hydropower; one is a primary threat in the terrestrial category, and one is a primary threat in the aquatic category. The analysis also raised some major drivers for biodiversity loss include governmental weakness, including corruption, and inadequate capacity and budget. Other drivers are development pressures such as land speculation and unregulated foreign investment, population growth, internal and external markets for timber and wildlife, and infrastructure development (hydropower, mining, and road construction) that result in direct habitat losses and indirect effects.

1 https://www.usgs.gov/news/cambodia-experiences-rapid-rate-forest-loss#:~:text=Among%20countries%20with%20accelerated%20rates,who%20used%20Landsat%20data%20to 2 Hansen, Kasper K., and Neth Top. Natural Forest Benefits and Economic Analysis of Natural Forest Conversion in Cambodia.

Working paper no. 33. Phnom Penh: Cambodia Development Resource Institute, 2006. Print.

https://www.usgs.gov/news/cambodia-experiences-rapid-rate-forest-loss#:%7E:text=Among%20countries%20with%20accelerated%20rates,who%20used%20Landsat%20data%20to https://www.usgs.gov/news/cambodia-experiences-rapid-rate-forest-loss#:%7E:text=Among%20countries%20with%20accelerated%20rates,who%20used%20Landsat%20data%20to

According to the World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (WRI CAIT), Cambodia’s 2013 greenhouse gas (GHG) profile was dominated by emissions from the land use change and forestry (LUCF) sector, which accounted for 47.6% of the country’s total emissions3.

Within LUCF, changes in forest land contributed 93% of emissions4. Agriculture was the second highest emitter (36.4%) with rice cultivation and enteric fermentation from livestock contributing 74% of agriculture emissions5. Energy, industrial processes (IP), and waste contributed 14.1%, 1.2%, and 0.7% of total emissions respectively6. Change in GHG Emissions in Cambodia (1990- 2013) According to WRI CAIT, Cambodia’s GHG emissions increased by 10.85 MtCO2e from 1990 to 20137. The average annual change in total emissions during this period was 1.1%, with sector specific average annual changes as follows: LUCF (-0.2%), agriculture (1.7%), IP (29.3%), and waste (2.3%)8. 8 The average annual change for energy from 1995 to 2013 was 5.3%. Cambodia’s Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC, which includes a 2000 GHG inventory, does not show LUCF to have been the leading source of emissions.

Instead, it shows the LUCF sector to have been a net sink in 2000, absorbing more emissions than it released9.

From USAID climate risk profile for Cambodia: Much of Cambodia’s wealth is present in its diverse ecosystems, which provide critical services essential to livelihoods, health, and economic development. However, these ecosystems are threatened by the adverse effects of climate change combined with numerous non-climate stressors. Cambodia has extensive forest resources, with one of the largest areas of contiguous and intact forests in Southeast Asia, and the largest percentage of primary forest remaining among Lower Mekong countries. Cambodia’s forests include moist lowland evergreen, semi-evergreen, deciduous, and mangroves, and are vital for biodiversity and ecosystem services such as maintenance of freshwater supply as well as soil quality and cover. Since 2000, approximately 2 million ha (equivalent to roughly 23 percent of Cambodia’s forests) have been lost due to the expansion of industrial agriculture, mining activities, and other non-climate drivers, such as illegal logging, firewood, and charcoal production. Over 84 percent of Cambodian households meet their energy needs through firewood

3 World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (WRI CAIT 2.0, 2017). WRI has followed the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories - Understanding the Common Reporting Framework. Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) are from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Second Assessment Report (SAR). WRI CAIT draws on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for LUCF and agriculture emissions, the International Energy Agency, primarily, for energy emissions, and the US Environmental Protection Agency for IP and waste sectors emissions.

4 FAO Statistics Division (FAOSTAT). Cambodia, Emissions – Land use total, viewed on April 26, 2017.

5 WRI CAIT 2.0, 2017 and FAOSTAT, Cambodia, Emissions – Agriculture total, viewed on April 26, 2017.

6 WRI CAIT 2.0, 2017. WRI CAIT notes that its LUCF data is useful as reference only and may not coincide with LUCF emissions reported by countries to the UNFCCC (WRI. CAIT Country Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Sources & Methods, 2015).

7 WRI CAIT 2.0, 2017. National total GHG emissions are the sum of WRI CAIT data for LUCF, agriculture, energy, IP, and waste. WRI CAIT does not present energy data for 1990-1994. Therefore, total GHG emissions for 1990-1994 do not include energy

8 WRI CAIT 2.0, 2017.

9 Kingdom of Cambodia, Ministry of Environment. Cambodia’s Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC, 2015.

Cambodia’s SNC uses GWPs from the IPCC SAR, and follows the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines. The SNC shows GHG emissions sourced from nearby forests. Increased temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns have the potential to influence and degrade the composition of the forest and reduce overall forest productivity. In upland forest systems, shifts in precipitation patterns and increased temperatures will accelerate degradation from agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and charcoal production.

Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall or increased intensity of tropical storms, combined with upland deforestation could result in increases in downslope sedimentation of surface water bodies or increased risk of landslides for downslope populations.

RGC’s Commitment to Environment and Climate Change

Cambodia enacted sweeping legal reforms in 2016 to create new protected areas, cancel and downsize economic land concessions (ELC), and begin tackling corruption at the borders and among Government of Cambodia officials complicit in the illegal timber trade. The legal reform in 2016 also delegated management roles on protected areas to the Ministry of Environment and on production forest to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. From that reform, the Ministry of Environment with support from USAID, worked with different development partners and stakeholders to improve Cambodian rules and regulations through the development of an environmental code and other environmental policies and action plans. In 2010, Cambodia prepared its 2010-2029 National Forest Programme with 14 strategic targets including the increase of forest cover to 60% of total land area; implementation of sustainable forest management with silviculture on 2.4 million ha of production forest; 3 million ha of protected forest; establishment of 500,000 ha of high value commercial plantation; and allocation of 2 million ha of forest land for community forestry. Cambodia’s forest cover continues to decline dramatically, and is currently estimated at 48 percent. Doubts arise on whether the National Determined Contributions (NDC) forest cover target will be achievable by 2030.

The protection of forest and wildlife is still a great challenge for Cambodia. The Kingdom currently has 1,260 rangers under the Ministry of Environment, all of whom are tasked with protecting 69 biodiversity corridors covering an area of about 7.3 million hectares. Moreover, the coordination and collaboration among different ministries is limited and remains a challenge for environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.

USAID/Cambodia’s Environment Projects

The U.S. Government continued conservation efforts in two of Cambodia’s most significant remaining areas of tropical forests and buffer zones: the Prey Lang Landscape (PLL) and the forests of the Eastern Plains Landscape (EPL). In the Eastern Plains, two activities focus on protecting the Phnom Prich, Srepok, and Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuaries. USAID/Cambodia began working in the environment sector in 2012 with a flagship Activity called Supporting Forests and Biodiversity (SFB). It was a six and a half year project focused on two major landscapes of Prey Lang and Eastern Plains. In addition to SFB, USAID/Cambodia also provided grants to UNDP to support and facilitate the development process of the Environmental Code and capacity development to the National Council for Sustainable Development. Another USAID Activity integrated natural resource management into a Feed the Future Activity, HARVEST. This activity focused on the Cardamom Mountains areas in the midwest of Cambodia. After the completion of SFB, USAID/Cambodia’s environmental program awarded another four activities including USAID Greening Prey Lang (GPL), USAID Keo Seima Conservation Project (KSCP), USAID Wildlife Sanctuary Support Program (WSSP), and USAID Cambodia Green Future Activity (GFA). Besides those projects, USAID/Cambodia’s Food Security and Environment office also contributed funding to regional environmental projects, such as SERVIR Mekong, Wonder of the Mekong (WOM), Green Invest Asia (GIA) as well as the Forest and Natural Resource Management program. For more information about those projects, please visit the links provided in the annex of this document. The current environmental projects under the bilateral agreement with the Royal Government of Cambodia applied two frameworks called Nature, Wealth, and Power; and Extended Landscape approaches.

Applied Approaches

Nature, Wealth, and Power: The Environment Projects under the Food Security and Environment office use a systems approach for all environment projects called Nature, Wealth, and Power.10 Ecosystems, natural resources management, and rural agricultural production are complex systems that interact with equally complex social, economic, and political systems. In all environment activities, USAID/Cambodia takes a holistic approach to biodiversity and forest conservation that addresses all aspects of these systems. The three key interrelated components are described as Nature, Wealth, and Power, incorporating ecological, economic, and socio-cultural political systems.

Extended landscape approach: USAID/Cambodia’s current approach to environment programming relies on an extended landscape approach. This approach focuses on a clearly bounded physical geography or ecosystem, including the people and institutions located in that area, plus the key drivers of change or stability that influence that area from elsewhere. Those drivers of change or stability can include, for example, pressure points along roads, settlements and market centers within a value chain, or policies or laws implemented at broader scales.

II. Results Achieved and Lessons Learned

The environment program of USAID works closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), international and local non-governmental organizations, local communities, expert line ministries and local authorities to manage and protect nearly 3 million hectares of biodiversity corridors, core and conservation areas. The below thematic areas summarize some of the results

10 Nature Wealth Power 2.0 via https://rmportal.net/library/content/nwp-2.0 https://rmportal.net/library/content/nwp-2.0 achieved and lessons learned as well as potential new sectors identified through stakeholder engagements.

Countering Wildlife Trafficking (CWT): Cambodia remains a source and transit destination for many nefarious activities related to wildlife trafficking. Cambodia in 2020 was named by the United States Government as a “Country of Concern for Wildlife Trafficking” as part of the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act. Although hunting endangered species in Cambodia is illegal, domestic and international bush meat and traditional medicine markets drive extensive poaching. Snares became one of the key drivers for wildlife loss. The current USAID portfolio of environment projects contribute to protect critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and near threatened species in Keo Seima, Prey Lang, Phnom Prich and Srepok wildlife sanctuaries11. However, lack of enforcement by RGC officials, corruption and lack of transparency are often cited as the reasons for the worsening CWT trends in Cambodia.

Provincial Spatial Planning: The Provincial Spatial Plan of Mondulkiri is a spatial development framework providing strategic directions for the spatial development of the province. It aims to determine the future spatial structure of the province, and assigns corresponding functions to different areas of the provincial territory. As of now, the USAID WSSP completed the step 2 called “situation analysis” or also called the “territorial diagnosis”. The project is in the process of developing future development scenarios and long term development goals (step 3). Step 4 will be a development of cross-sector spatial development strategies, and step 5 will be an elaboration of specific mechanisms to frame the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and update of the plan.

Livelihoods Development: Livelihood development was integrated as one of the key components to address dependency on timber and non forest timber products. With less diverse livelihood options and limited access to vocational skills, the majority of people living around the forested areas are depending on timber, non forest timber products and hunting. The environment program of USAID provides training to local communities on forest and environmental friendly rice cultivation (ibis rice), safe and wildlife friendly vegetable growing, sustainable honey, resin and other non forest products collection, animal husbandry and also some non forest products (bamboo, ratan, resin) processing techniques. From the implementation on the livelihood

11 In KSWS, there are more than 1,000 species including 356 bird species, 75 globally threatened species, 20 newly discovered species, 106 CITES-listed species, 46 endangered or rare species under Cambodia law, and 28 EDGE species. In PLWS#, there are 60 mammal species, 24 bat species, 266 species of birds, 67 species of herpetofauna (comprising 22 amphibians and 45 reptiles). In Phnom Prich and Srepok wildlife Sanctuary hosts an impressive array of wildlife species and rich habitat diversity, including 18 endangered and critically endangered species# (mammals, birds and reptiles) including Asian elephants, leopards, leopard cats, jungle cats, clouded leopard, marbled cats, banteng, gaur, sambar deer, eld’s deer, red muntjac, dhole, Asiatic jackal, yellow crested gibbon, black-shanked douc, German silvered langur, macaque, giant ibis, white shouldered ibis, vulture, siamese crocodile and bengal monitor lizard.

improvement component, the project helped to promote wild honey which was certified as organic. The main challenges facing this component is the lack of a market for the goods being produced by the local communities. The income that these small-scale livelihoods activities provide for the local community is not enough to sway community members from cutting down trees. Additional efforts are needed in order to expand market access for the community members, linking buyers of these products with them in order to bring them to market.

Private Sector Engagement: USAID has implemented programs in conservation that engaged the private sector in the sale of carbon credits that benefit local communities. Illegal logging, wildlife poaching and land grabbing are the key threats to the success of the conservation project.

The Reduced Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) in the KSWS project is the largest carbon emission reduction program in Cambodia’s land use sector and has played a critical role in demonstrating REDD+ successes conserving high biodiversity value landscapes. In the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary, more than 11 million tons of GHG emissions was avoided and $4 million was generated to support 20 Bunong indeginous communities who live around the wildlife sanctuary and protected area of 167,000 hectares of protected dense forest and a 297,000 hectare buffer zone. Income from the sale of carbon credits are re-funneled back to the local community for small scale infrastructure projects, community activities, health and education initiatives, etc.

Watershed Management: During the consultation process for developing the food security and environment development objective under the Cambodia Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), the majority of the participants raised the importance of water security as an important issue that the next program should focus on and proposed a watershed management approach.

III. Questions to Inform the Design for the New Activity

Please ensure comments are concise and specific to the information requested. Please ensure that submitted comments make specific reference to page and section numbers.

● Carbon credits have been identified as a major incentive towards conservation. USAID has been active in Keo Seima and Prey Lang on carbon credits. What other geographic areas or locations are opportunities for the sale of more carbon credits?

● Provincial spatial planning is something that has been introduced recently and it has shown promising results from a governance standpoint. The methodology has been able to convene inter-ministerial counterparts from multiple provincial departments together to discuss topics of critical importance. Do you think this initiative can be scaled? Is this an area that USAID should continue to focus on?

● Livelihoods development is a key activity that can promote incentives for conservation;

however, a market-based approach linking buyers and sellers is needed. How do you think a market-based approach would work with local communities? Would the private sector be interested in partnering? If so, who are key private sector actors who should be engaged?

● Watershed Management has been identified as a key area of concentration that promotes conservation and adaptation to climate change. The Mekong River and Tonle Sap provide nutrition to over 70% of Cambodians. Even with smaller water bodies, they are under threat due to a mix of climate change, shift in weather patterns, and continued infrastructure development. With the continued investments in hydropower, it threatens to choke the Mekong and put strains on other waterways around the country. Where are some key waterways in Cambodia that need critical focus and attention? What role do you see civil society playing in this sphere?

● Ecotourism was identified as a good approach for promoting income of local communities; however, many ecotourism operations lack efficient management and business plans, lack of promotional materials and links with tourism operators, and with the recent pandemic it has driven away international tourism. What opportunities exist to partner with the private sector on ecotourism initiatives and in which geographic areas?

● In order to achieve inclusive development, who are key vulnerable and marginalized groups that we should engage and what are your suggested approaches for engaging with them?

● Are there any additional key focus areas USAID should consider for this activity?

Annex 1: Additional information on the past USAID Cambodia’s environmental projects.

For more details about:

1. USAID Supporting Forest and Biodiversity, please refer to https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/documents/usaid-cambodia-supporting-forests-and-biodiversity-project-final-report

2. Feed the Future Cambodia HARVEST I, please refer to https://data.usaid.gov/Agriculture/Impact-Evaluation-of-Feed-the-Future-Cambodia- HARV/6srz-vxmk

3. USAID Greening Prey Lang, please refer to https://www.tetratech.com/en/projects/usaid-greening-prey-lang-cambodia

4. USAID Keo Seima Conservation Project, please refer to https://cambodia.wcs.org/

5. USAID Wildlife Sanctuary Support Program, please refer to https://www.wwf.org.kh/where_we_work_cambodia/eastern_plains_landscape/

6. USAID Cambodia Green Future Activity, please refer to http://www.ecodit.com/newsDetails/?contId=109163 or https://www.fhi360.org/projects/usaid-cambodia-green-future-activity

7. Green Invest Asia, please refer to https://greeninvestasia.com/

8. SERVIR Mekong, please refer to https://servir.adpc.net/

9. Wonder of the Mekong, please refer to https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/fact-sheets/wonders-mekong

10. Strategic Water Partnership, please refer to https://www.swpwater.org/about/#:~:text=The%20Sustainable%20Water%20Partnership %20(SWP,into%20Mission%20programming%20through%20relevant%2C https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/documents/usaid-cambodia-supporting-forests-and-biodiversity-project-final-report https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/documents/usaid-cambodia-supporting-forests-and-biodiversity-project-final-report https://data.usaid.gov/Agriculture/Impact-Evaluation-of-Feed-the-Future-Cambodia-HARV/6srz-vxmk https://data.usaid.gov/Agriculture/Impact-Evaluation-of-Feed-the-Future-Cambodia-HARV/6srz-vxmk https://www.tetratech.com/en/projects/usaid-greening-prey-lang-cambodia https://www.tetratech.com/en/projects/usaid-greening-prey-lang-cambodia https://cambodia.wcs.org/ https://www.wwf.org.kh/where_we_work_cambodia/eastern_plains_landscape/ http://www.ecodit.com/newsDetails/?contId=109163 https://www.fhi360.org/projects/usaid-cambodia-green-future-activity https://greeninvestasia.com/ https://servir.adpc.net/ https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/fact-sheets/wonders-mekong https://www.usaid.gov/cambodia/fact-sheets/wonders-mekong https://www.swpwater.org/about/#:%7E:text=The%20Sustainable%20Water%20Partnership%20 https://www.swpwater.org/about/#:%7E:text=The%20Sustainable%20Water%20Partnership%20