Conseil en SIG environnemental – Fonds d’innovation GSMA pour la résilience et l’adaptation au climat au Liberia.

Conseil en SIG environnemental – Fonds d’innovation GSMA pour la résilience et l’adaptation au climat au Liberia.

GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation[2] was launched at COP26 in November 2021, and is supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The fund was set up to pilot and scale mobile and digital innovations that could enable some of the world’s most vulnerable communities to build their resilience to climate change.

The fund seeks to support start-ups, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to leverage mobile and digital technology to build the climate resilience of vulnerable low-income communities and marginalised groups in Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Grantees are receiving an equity-free grant of between £100,000 and £250,00 to pilot and scale their innovation over an 18-month period, with additional soft benefits such as GSMA facilitated industry partnerships, provision of mobile and digital, monitoring and evaluation, and market expertise through GSMA staff, and a platform to raise the profile of their start-up or SME to potential investors.

Under this fund, up to 12 start-ups and SMEs across Africa and Asia have been awarded grants to pilot and scale innovative digital solutions for climate action, specifically to: a) build the climate resilience of vulnerable communities through interventions that build their capacities to adapt, anticipate and absorb climate risk; b) mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and c) sustainably manage natural resources and the environment in areas with climate vulnerable communities. More information on the grantees for this fund and a summary of their projects can be found on the GSMA website.

Two of the start-ups awarded grants under this Innovation Fund, J-Palm (in Liberia) and Dayaxa (in Somaliland) are the focus of this consultancy. They aim to transform the sustainability of wild palm oil or frankincense through access to ecological information for local harvesters, as well as use of mobile technology for improved traceability of sustainable wild harvested palm oil or frankincense. The purpose of this consultancy is to support the start-ups in monitoring and evidencing their environmental and ecological impact through use of geospatial analysis, and to build their capacity in applying geospatial analytics to their work.

• I. Environmental Monitoring Using Geospatial Analysis

The consultancy firm/specialist consultant is expected to review project documentation and liaise with the start-ups and GSMA to understand the scope of the environmental impact of the projects, and to then use geographic data science techniques such as GIS, aerial surveying and remote sensing to track, monitor and evidence the environmental impact of the funded interventions. The supplier should conduct this analysis over at least two different time points, one of which should be the end of the project, to demonstrate the impact of the project and change in environmental conditions. It is expected that this work can be conducted remotely or by a local consultant.

At a minimum, the assessments should seek to evidence:

• Any changes in land-use and land cover as a result of the intervention
• Any changes in biodiversity and ecosystem health as a result of the intervention
• Any changes in conservation and protected areas as a result of the intervention

Suggestions for additional assessment areas or alternative approaches are welcomed by interested consultancy firms/specialist consultants. J-Palm and Dayaxa have a strong focus on improving sustainable land use and forestry practice, managing natural resources, and safeguarding ecosystems and the environment. The organisations are collecting some geographic data as part of their mobile and digital solutions, which the supplier should review and integrate into the geospatial analysis. Any additional data collection done by the supplier and the completed analysis will help the start-ups to understand and evidence their environmental impact, and to develop monitoring and contingency plans, to sustainably develop their digital solutions.

• II. Visual Geospatial Analytical Report

The supplier should produce a visual analytical report such as a storymap for each of the two projects that summarises the environment data collected and analysed, the change in environmental conditions as a result of the projects, and the environmental impact of the projects. This report must adhere to the GSMA brand guidelines.

The project activities are limited in scope and scale; thus the geographical data collection and analysis should be streamlined to focus only on key environmental issues relating to the project intervention.

All data source and mapping files should be submitted alongside the reports, and on an ongoing basis.

• III. GIS advisory and capacity building

The supplier is expected to advise and guide the grantees on use of geographical data science techniques for monitoring environmental and ecological impact. Where there is a gap in knowledge, understanding and capacity in the start-ups, the supplier is expected to provide technical support and assistance in the form of bilateral online meetings or a virtual/in-person workshop. The supplier will need to develop the content of the capacity building sessions based on ongoing engagement and understanding of gaps in GIS technical expertise within the start-up organisations.

As part of the advisory and capacity building service, the supplier is expected to advise on an effective approach for sharing back geographic information with impacted communities, so that the data collection and analysis is a useful tool for communities as well as other stakeholders.

Working with GSMA and the Grantees

The GSMA Climate Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager will provide overall direction to the consultancy firm/specialist consultants, as well as facilitate communication with fund grantees who are implementing the projects.

Key Deliverables and Timeline

August 2023

• Rapid desk-based review of projects to determine approach;
• 2-4 page inception report/approach paper outlining plan of action and methodology.

August 2023 to March 2024

• review of grantee geographic data, additional data collection and data analysis
• a short analytical report output for each of the two projects that summarises the geographic environment data collected and analysed, the change in environmental conditions as a result of the projects, and the environmental impact of the projects. This could be in the form of a story map for each of the two projects that showcases their environmental and socio-economic impact (in respect of GSMA brand guidelines)
• capacity strengthening of the start-ups in relation to use of geographical data science for monitoring environmental and ecological impact, through bilateral calls and/or a workshop.