TA-10243 REG: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive, Integrated Solutions (formerly Mainstreaming Circular Economy Approaches for Sustainable Development) - Enabling Support, Project Design Enhancement and Knowledge Brokering for Nature-based Solutions Mainstreaming (57024-001)

Date Published: 20-May-2025

Deadline of Submitting EOI: 03-Jun-2025 11:59 PM Manila local time

SELECTION PROFILE

Consultant Type: Firm

Selection Method: Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS)

Selection Title: Enhancing Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive, Integrated Solutions (formerly Mainstreaming Circular Economy Approaches for Sustainable Development)

Package Name: Enabling Support, Project Design Enhancement and Knowledge Brokering for Nature-based Solutions Mainstreaming

Engagement Period: 30MONTH

Consulting Services Budget: USD 300,000

Source: International

Technical Proposal: Simplified Technical Proposal (STP)

Approval Number: 10243

Approval Date: 14-Dec-2023

Estimated Commencement Date: 01-Jul-2025

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country of assignment: Regional

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Primary Expertise: environment, biodiversity, natural resources management, nature-based solutions, nature finance, nature positive investment

TOR Keywords: environment, natural resources management, biodiversity, air quality

Objective and Purpose of the Assignment

The technical assistance (TA) will support developing member countries (DMCs) to adopt environmentally sustainable growth trajectories through the provision of targeted technical support, policy advice, knowledge sharing and capacity building. The TA will deliver regional diagnostic and analysis studies on key environmental issues and systems, support identification and development of integrated and nature-based solutions including innovative financing mechanisms, establish and operationalize the Nature-Solution Finance Hub (NSFH) and hold associated knowledge generation and sharing activities.

The TA will take a biome, multi-sectoral and issue approach to the proposed regional research and solution offerings. This will include (i) seascapes for marine and coastal protection and resilience to climate change covering all Asian Development Bank (ADB) regional departments, (iii) work with sector groups and (iii) waste management and plastic pollution with regional focus for Southeast Asia Department and South Asia Department. The knowledge generation and sharing activities, along with nature-based and financing solutions developed under the TA will be available to all regional departments.The TA will be carried out through a range of consulting service packages. The TA will recruit two firms and individual international and national consultants. ADB will select a firm using the quality- and cost-based selection method, with a quality-cost ration of 90:10 through submission of a simplified technical proposal or simplified consultants’ qualification selection. Output-based contracts and fixed or lumpsum provision for out-of-pocket expenses will be pursued whenever possible to improve efficiency in contract administration and simplify the disbursement process. Multiple international and national individual experts will be engaged through individual selection using time-based, framework agreement contracts or resource person contracts. ADB will engage consultants following the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated project administration instructions and/or staff instructions.Purpose and objective. The Asia and the Pacific countries face many development challenges caused by both climatic and non-climatic changes such as industrialization and urbanization. These challenges include environmental degradation (e.g., water pollution), weather-related disasters (e. g., flood, landslide) and habitat loss. To overcome such problems that are often interlinked, new approaches are necessary, which are cost-effective and able to address multiple problems simultaneously with co-benefits, including the provision of amenity, biodiversity, recreational opportunity and employment. Nature-based solutions (NbS) are promising and viable solutions. NbS are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature. NbS address societal challenges through the protection, sustainable management and restoration of both natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting both biodiversity and human well- being. NbS are underpinned by benefits that flow from healthy ecosystems. They target major challenges like climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, biodiversity loss and human health, and are critical to sustainable economic development. The support will build upon the results of the training workshop entitled “Nature and Climate Nexus: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban and Rural Landscapes” which assisted in developing projects with NbS components, targeting specific DMCs, including those having participated in the said workshop as well as others with a focus on ADB’s groups A and B countries . A One ADB approach will be implemented through consultation and cooperation with other departments, divisions, sector and thematic groups that are working on water security, climate change mitigation and adaption, disaster risk management, and urban and rural development. The support will also leverage partnerships with international development agencies and ADB’s non-regional members to achieve the overall goal of mainstreaming and upscaling NbS in Asia and the Pacific. Additionally, the support will closely coordinate activities and align outputs with the Mainstreaming Nature-Positive Investments for Green, Resilient and Inclusive Recovery TA.