Development of a National Plan for Integrated Fire Management in Colombia

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) invites qualified interested firms to submit Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the upcoming solicitation for provision of technical assistance for the development of a National Plan for Integrated Fire Management in Colombia. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) requires the services of an institution to deliver the technical assistance as approved by National Designated Entity from Colombia. The overall objective of this technical assistance is to formulate a National Plan for Integrated Fire Management in Colombia, with short, medium and long term projections that articulates the instruments associated with environmental management, fire management and forest fire disaster risk management of the entities of the National Environmental System, SINA, the National Climate Change System -SISCLIMA and the National Disaster Risk Management System (SNGRD) of Colombia. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world and is home to a wide variety of ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, paramos, and mangroves, among others. These diverse ecosystems are home to numerous endemic species and provide essential ecosystem services. Despite its high humidity and rainfall in many regions, Colombia is prone to forest fires, especially during low rainfall seasons and the El Niño phenomenon. Human activities such as agriculture, land clearing, illegal logging and cattle ranching, among others, contribute to the risk of forest fires, which pose significant socioeconomic challenges for local and regional administrations and communities, indigenous groups and rural populations in Colombia. Forest fires threaten human settlements, agricultural lands, biodiversity, areas of environmental importance, ecosystem services, infrastructure and livelihoods, causing loss of life, property damage, displacement and economic disruption. In Colombia, from 2011 to 2020, 879,207.08 ha of vegetation cover were affected by forest fires (SNIF, 2021); Likewise, 95% of these events are of anthropogenic origin (MAVDT, 2000) such as: intentional, negligence or carelessness and accidental (MAVDT, 2002); likewise, the country does not have an updated planning instrument for forest fire disaster risk management, since the document "National Plan for Prevention, Control and Restoration of Affected Areas" was formulated in 2002, therefore, it is not in accordance with the dynamics of development and current regulations. Within the framework of the updating of the national plan for the prevention, control of forest fires and restoration of affected areas, and in accordance with the various international treaties, such as the Amazonian Network for Integrated Fire Management -RAMIF within the framework of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the International Tropical Timber Agreement, it is considered essential to request technical assistance from the CTCN to develop a National Plan for Integrated Fire Management. Some of the expected outputs are: a. Development of implementation planning and communication documents b. Establishment of a Technical Assitance (TA) coordination mechanism and formation of a stakeholder technical working group. c. Definition of the structure of the National Plan for Integrated Fire Management d. Participatory workshops to validate the National Plan for Integrated Fire Management e. Development of the final version of the National Plan for Integrated Fire Management The complete details of the requirement will be provided in the tender documents that will be issued to bidders after this request for EOI is closed.