Strengthening Climate-Resilient Water-Energy-Food Nexus Decision-Making in Cambodia through an Integrated Decision Support System starting with Transboundery Se San River Basin.

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), on behalf of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), invites qualified and interested firms to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in an upcoming solicitation for the provision of technical assistance for Strengthening Climate-Resilient Water-Energy-Food Nexus Decision-Making in Cambodia through an Integrated Decision Support System starting with Transboundery Se San River Basin. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on behalf of CTCN, seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to provide the technical assistance requested and endorsed by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of Cambodia. The objective of this assignment is to upgrade and operationalise Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC’s) climate-resilient Decision Support System (DSS) for integrated Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus planning in the Se San River Basin, strengthen national and sub-national capacity to use and maintain the upgraded system, and develop an implementation roadmap, sustainability financing strategy, and scale-up concept note for replication across the 3S Basin and nationally. Cambodia is among the most climate-vulnerable countries in Southeast Asia, experiencing increasing frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, and extreme rainfall. River basin systems are central to national development, underpinning agriculture, hydropower, fisheries, ecosystems, and rural livelihoods. Climate change is altering rainfall patterns, seasonal flows, and extremes, increasing uncertainty for water allocation and disaster risk management. The Se San River Basin, part of the transboundary 3S system (Se San, Srepok, Sekong), is a critical hotspot where climate impacts interact with upstream hydropower development in Lao PDR and Viet Nam. These interacting pressures have contributed to altered flow regimes, increasing downstream vulnerability to floods/droughts, and impacts on fisheries and ecosystem services that support food security and livelihoods in northeastern Cambodia. Institutionally, Cambodia has advanced national strategies and governance frameworks, including the Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, the Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan (CCCSP 2024–2033), the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and CNMC’s Strategic Plan (2024–2028). CNMC is a member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council and Joint Committee and works closely with the MRC on basin-wide and transboundary initiatives, including the Basin Development Strategy, Flood and Drought Management Centre engagement, and procedures for data and information exchange and sharing (PDIES) and related technical procedures. Strengthening CNMC’s DSS and associated institutional capacity in the Se San Basin offers a manageable and strategic pilot to deliver climate-resilient basin planning tools that are interoperable with regional Mekong frameworks and scalable to other Cambodian basins. Expected Outputs include: 1. Project Management (Mandatory Output). 2. Inception, Stakeholder alignment and technical baseline established. 3. Climate-Resilient DSS upgraded and operational for the Se San Basin. 4. Capacity Building and structured training delivered. 5. Implementation roadmap, sustainability financing strategy and scale-up concept note prepared. Detailed requirements will be provided in the solicitation documents to be issued following the closure of this REOI. Note: At this stage it is sufficient to click on the 'Express Interest' button in UNGM and no documentation is required. Specific Requirements/Information The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is the Operational arm of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The mission of the CTCN is to promote accelerated development and transfer of climate technologies at the request of developing countries for energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. CTCN provides technical assistance to the countries using its own funds ( which it receives through voluntary contributions of donor) or through the other funding sources specifically the Green Climate Funds (GCF) through the Readiness Programme. The requests for Technical Assistance (TA) are submitted to the CTCN by the National Designated Entity (NDE) of the respective country. CTCN has developed a response plan and expects to implement the technical assistance. In case you are not a CTCN network member yet, you may apply for this REOI and subsequent solicitation (Request for Proposal), subject to the condition that you submit your completed application for CTCN membership before the proposal submission closing date, which will be communicated in the subsequent Request for Proposal in due course of time. Furthermore, the contract award – should your proposal be selected – is conditional to your application for CTCN network membership being approved by CTCN management. The requirement to join the CTCN network is only relevant to the main bidder and not subcontractors. Please find more information to join CTCN Network at- https://www.ctc-n.org/network The purpose of this REOI is to identify suitable firms who may be invited for the Request for Proposal after the REOI is closed. In addition to CTCN registration, all applicants should also be registered (free of charge) at United Nations Global Marketplace (www.ungm.org). IMPORTANT: Please note that this REOI is not an invitation for submission of tenders. Its purpose is to identify companies that would be interested and eligible to participate in the solicitation when issued. UNON will examine the outcome of this request for EOI and will consider those companies that have expressed their interest . UNON reserves the right to change or cancel the requirement at any time during the EOI and/or solicitation process. Thus, submitting a reply to this Request for EOI does not automatically guarantee your company will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued.