Research Consultant – WASH, NDCs and Climate Adaptation

Research Consultant – WASH, NDCs and Climate Adaptation

Water Aid’s vision is a world where everyone has access to safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). As part of our work to achieve this, we influence global commitments and policies on water supply and sanitation and wider issues of climate change and water security.

Water Aid has been advocating and working with partner governments to incorporate climate resilient WASH into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). As a crucial part of climate adaptation and resilience, as well as holding significant mitigation potential, it is important that WASH is mainstreamed into all climate action. Many countries have successfully integrated WASH into their climate plans, with more still in progress.

To examine the integration of WASH in NAPs and NDCs in low- and middle-income countries and analyse to what extent and in what ways climate resilient WASH is incorporated into climate plans. More specifically:

• Provide quantitative data on how many of the NAPs and NDCs contain planned actions on climate resilient WASH, including disparities across water, sanitation and hygiene
• Provide qualitative insights on the degree of inclusion of climate resilient WASH in the relevant NAPs and NDCs in line with Water Aid’s 5 criteria for integrating WASH into national climate plans and building block conceptualisation of the WASH system.

How many low- and middle-income countries have integrated climate-resilient WASH into their most recent NAPs and NDCs, and in what form?

To what extent is climate-resilient WASH incorporated into these countries NAPs and NDCs?

The consultant will obtain and review all of the most recently published NDCs and NAPs of low- and middle-income Parties to the Paris Agreement, 154 countries in total, as well as any subsidiary plans and strategies (such as investment, financing, implementation and monitoring and evaluation plans).

The consultant will consider all elements of water, sanitation (including wastewater) and hygiene as included in the plans, providing differential information on how each of these is represented. The consultant, in consultation with the client, will define the inclusion and exclusion criteria and key wording for different activities listed in the plans. The consultant will follow Water Aid’s five criteria for including WASH in NAPs and NDCs and Water Aid’s building block conceptualisation of the WASH system in their analysis of strengths and weaknesses in the inclusion of climate-resilient WASH in NAPs and NDCs.

They will also draw on existing analysis from sector partners, which will be made available to them.

Raw data on the inclusion of water within the latest round of NDCs will be shared by Water Aid with the consultant. They will be expected to supplement this with data from NAPs and any further data needed on NDCs, which will be obtained through the relevant governments’ websites.

Where a document is not available in English, the consultant will be required to translate the relevant documents and factor any associated cost in their proposal.

The consultant will propose the detailed methodology, conduct the research and provide the findings to Water Aid. This will include defining the indicators for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of WASH inclusion against Water Aid’s five criteria for including WASH in NAPs and NDCs.

The key task and activities will include:

• Inception stage: conducting kick call, and inception alignment on proposed methodology and other project details
• Develop and sign-off on the assessment criteria and approach with Head of Climate Policy
• Check in regularly with Water Aid staff to refine findings and structure of report
• Draft high-quality report
• Present results at a validation workshop

This work will be used to provide evidence for Water Aid’s advocacy on NDCs and NAPs. The findings will be incorporated into multiple advocacy products, including briefings, letters and reports, to evidence the existing…