The government has advertised for consultancy services for a finalised opt-in mechanism for indigenous communities wishing to benefit from the Guyana-Norway forest protection scheme.
An advertisement which appeared in Thursday’s Guyana Chronicle and Kaieteur News also said that the Demerara River community of Muritaro will be used for the pilot study.
The move to finalise the opt-in mechanism comes as the five-year agreement between Georgetown and Oslo is due to expire though there is likely to be a new agreement. The opt-in mechanism had seen prolonged delays over the need for consultation within indigenous communities. Finalising an opt-in mechanism is one of the requirements for the payment of the final tranche under the Guyana-Norway agreement.
In June last year, Stabroek News had reported that an opt-in mechanism strategy had to be developed and a community selected to test it. This was to be in place since last year.
The last Joint Concept Note (JCN) between the two countries had noted that the Constitution of Guyana guarantees the rights of indigenous peoples and other Guyanese to participation, engagement and decision making in all matters affecting their well-being. “These rights will be respected and protected throughout Gu-yana’s REDD (Reduced Emissions from deforestation and forest degradation)-plus and LCDS efforts. Guyana’s policy is to enable indigenous communities to choose whether and how to opt in to the REDD+/LCDS process. This will take place only when communities wish to do so with their titled lands, in accordance with Guyana’s policy of respecting the free, prior and informed consent of these communities,” the JCN said.
The advertisement on Thursday said that the winning consultant will have to produce a new opt-in mechanism, inclusive of the methodological framework, technical notes, institutional arrangements and administrative and operational procedures. It added that this is essentially a full toolkit of tested information and procedures which the government and communities require to enable payments for avoided emissions from deforestation. It stated that the village of Muritaro was identified by the National Toshaos Council for the pilot study.
Interested consultants among other things must describe specific experiences relating to REDD+, National Monitoring, Reporting and Verification and Community Monitoring Reporting and Verification. Consultants must also describe experiences in designing and implementing systems covering payments for ecosystem.
The advertisement said that the Office of Climate Change will shortlist six firms which will then be invited tentatively during this month to present technical and financial proposals. It is unclear how this will happen during January as the deadline for submission of the Expressions of Interest (EoI) in consultancy services is January 26, 2016.
The advertisement said that consultants will be selected in accordance with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) procedures for consultants. The IDB is the partner entity for this project.
Submissions of EoI have to be made to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, Main and Urquhart streets.
Up to the end of March last year, US$39.4 million earned from Guyana’s efforts in limiting deforestation under its partnership with Norway, remained in the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund.
Guyana has so far earned US$190 million under the agreement. Of this, US$69.8 million has been transferred to the GRIF while US$80 million has been transferred to the IDB for the delayed Amaila Falls Hydropower Power Project. Norway also announced in May that it will contribute US$40 million to Guyana for maintaining low deforestation rates and continued improvement in forest governance under the agreement.
Under the agreement, which was signed in 2009, Guyana could have earned up to US$250 million in performance-based payments for the period up until 2015, based on an independent verification of Guyana’s deforestation and forest degradation rates and progress on REDD+ enabling activities.
