1. Forestry and Rangeland Assessment
- Review existing baseline data, vulnerability assessments, community profiles, maps, and site information related to forestry and rangeland management.
- Conduct field verification and technical assessment of proposed forestry and rangeland intervention sites.
- Identify and prioritize degraded forest and rangeland areas suitable for restoration and rehabilitation.
- Assess vegetation cover, species composition, soil conditions, degradation levels, erosion risks, and restoration potential.
- Identify suitable indigenous and climate-resilient tree, shrub, and rangeland species according to local ecological conditions.
- Assess accessibility, community readiness, land-use conditions, protection requirements, and potential environmental risks of proposed sites.
- Document natural resource use patterns and major drivers of forest and rangeland degradation.
- Coordinate with the GIS and Environmental Specialist for GPS-based site documentation, mapping, and spatial analysis where required.
2. Climate-Smart Forestry and NRM Planning
- Develop site-specific and community-based forest and rangeland management plans.
- Support preparation of restoration plans covering plantation, ANR, enrichment planting, reseeding, and other appropriate restoration approaches.
- Integrate climate risks such as drought, floods, soil erosion, land degradation, and water scarcity into forestry and NRM planning.
- Develop appropriate land-use and restoration zoning, including conservation areas, restoration zones, and controlled-use areas.
- Develop sustainable grazing management arrangements, including rotational grazing and controlled access mechanisms.
- Incorporate soil and water conservation measures such as contour bunds, trenches, micro-catchments, and water-harvesting measures.
- Define community responsibilities for protection, management, maintenance, and monitoring of restored sites.
- Ensure that technical plans are aligned with community priorities and approved UNDP requirements.
3. Forest Restoration and Plantation
- Lead the technical implementation of climate-smart forest restoration activities.
- Support the selection and procurement of suitable certified, native, and climate-resilient tree species.
- Provide technical guidance on nursery establishment, seedling production, site preparation, pit digging, planting, and post-planting care.
- Supervise plantation activities and ensure appropriate spacing, planting depth, soil preparation, and moisture conservation practices.
- Promote mixed-species plantation approaches where technically appropriate to improve biodiversity and resilience.
- Implement and promote Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and enrichment planting techniques.
- Establish or support community-based nurseries for production of suitable seedlings.
- Recommend appropriate protection measures, including fencing, community guards, and community-based protection systems.
- Introduce water conservation and moisture-retention techniques to improve tree establishment and survival.
- Ensure plantation activities are implemented during appropriate seasonal windows.
4. Rangeland Rehabilitation and Management
- Conduct technical assessments of degraded rangelands and identify suitable rehabilitation measures.
- Develop and implement rangeland rehabilitation plans based on local ecological and community conditions.
- Support reseeding of degraded rangelands using suitable and climate-resilient species.
- Establish and monitor exclosure areas to facilitate natural regeneration and vegetation recovery.
- Support the introduction of controlled and rotational grazing systems.
- Develop practical grazing management arrangements in consultation with communities and rangeland management groups.
- Promote community-based protection and sustainable management of rangeland resources.
- Integrate rangeland rehabilitation with fodder production and livestock livelihood interventions where appropriate.
- Apply vegetative and physical soil stabilization measures to reduce erosion and improve land productivity.
- Monitor vegetation recovery, grazing patterns, and restoration performance over time.
5. Forestry Management Committees and Community Capacity Building
- Strengthen the capacity of Forestry Management Committees (FMCs) and relevant rangeland management groups.
- Conduct practical training sessions for FMCs, community members, farmers, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Provide training on climate-smart forestry, plantation techniques, nursery management, ANR, rangeland rehabilitation, and sustainable grazing.
- Train communities on soil and water conservation and ecosystem protection practices.
- Support community institutions in developing simple management, protection, and maintenance plans.
- Provide on-site coaching and technical follow-up to ensure practical application of improved NRM practices.
- Promote community ownership and participation in planning, implementation, monitoring, and protection of natural resources.
- Support conflict-sensitive management of natural resources and facilitate community dialogue where required.
6. Technical Supervision and Quality Assurance
- Provide technical supervision of all forestry and rangeland activities implemented under the project.
- Ensure restoration activities comply with approved technical specifications, work plans, environmental requirements, and seasonal considerations.
- Inspect plantation sites, nurseries, ANR areas, exclosures, reseeded rangelands, and soil and water conservation structures.
- Identify technical problems and recommend corrective measures in a timely manner.
- Monitor the quality of seedlings, plantation work, reseeding, fencing, site preparation, and restoration activities.
- Ensure that community-based restoration activities are implemented according to approved management plans.
- Coordinate with field technicians and trainers to maintain consistent technical standards across intervention sites.
7. Monitoring, Survival Tracking and Follow-Up
- Establish and maintain systems for monitoring forest and rangeland restoration activities.
- Monitor tree plantation survival rates at regular intervals.
- Track vegetation recovery and rangeland rehabilitation progress.
- Conduct follow-up visits to identify mortality, grazing pressure, erosion, damage, or other risks affecting restoration sites.
- Recommend replacement planting or additional restoration measures where required.
- Monitor compliance with grazing management and community protection arrangements.
- Maintain site-level technical records, monitoring checklists, GPS information, photographs, and measurement data.
- Support joint monitoring visits with UNDP, project management, and other stakeholders.
8. Environmental Sustainability and Safeguards
- Ensure forestry and NRM interventions are implemented in accordance with UNDP Social and Environmental Standards and applicable safeguard requirements.
- Identify and report potential environmental and social risks associated with restoration activities.
- Ensure that interventions do not contribute to environmental degradation or negatively affect vulnerable communities.
- Promote the use of appropriate native and climate-resilient species and environmentally sustainable restoration practices.
- Apply Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) measures during field activities, including plantation, fencing, excavation, and soil and water conservation works.
- Support implementation of conflict-sensitive and Do No Harm principles in natural resource management activities.
9. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion
- Promote meaningful participation of women, youth, vulnerable households, persons with disabilities, returnees, and other marginalized groups in NRM activities where feasible.
- Ensure community consultations and training activities are conducted using culturally appropriate and inclusive approaches.
- Support women's participation in FMCs, community consultations, training, and natural resource decision-making processes.
- Identify and address barriers that may prevent vulnerable groups from benefiting from forestry and NRM interventions.
- Ensure equitable access to project benefits and livelihood opportunities associated with restoration activities.
10. Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement
- Coordinate closely with the Project Manager and other technical specialists.
- Work closely with FMCs, CLCs, community representatives, rangeland management groups, local authorities, and relevant technical departments.
- Participate in technical coordination meetings, community consultations, site assessments, and joint monitoring missions.
- Coordinate with the GIS and Environmental Specialist for mapping, environmental screening, and site documentation.
- Coordinate with Community Forestry Trainers/Forestry Field Technicians to ensure consistent delivery of technical messages and field practices.
- Maintain effective communication with communities and relevant stakeholders regarding restoration activities, responsibilities, and sustainability arrangements.
11. Documentation and Reporting
- Prepare forestry and NRM assessment reports and technical field reports.
- Prepare site-specific restoration and management plans.
- Maintain plantation, nursery, ANR, rangeland, exclosure, and soil and water conservation records.
- Prepare training reports, attendance sheets, and community capacity-building documentation.
- Maintain GPS-tagged photographs and other evidence of implementation.
- Prepare tree survival and restoration monitoring reports.
- Document challenges, lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations for improvement.
- Contribute technical information to monthly, milestone, and final project reports.
- Support preparation of case studies and success stories related to forest and rangeland restoration.
Expected Deliverables
- Forestry and rangeland assessment reports.
- Prioritized restoration site lists and technical site assessment records.
- Site-specific forest and rangeland management plans.
- Forest restoration and plantation implementation plans.
- ANR and enrichment planting plans.
- Rangeland rehabilitation, reseeding, and exclosure plans.
- Grazing management and community protection arrangements.
- FMC and community training materials and reports.
- Nursery establishment/support records.
- Plantation and restoration monitoring reports.
- Tree survival and vegetation recovery monitoring records.
- GPS-tagged site documentation and photographic evidence.
- Soil and water conservation activity records.
- Technical field supervision and follow-up reports.
- Monthly and milestone technical inputs to project reports.
- Lessons learned, good practices, and technical recommendations.
