Assessment Design Document – Expression of Interest (EoI) for Site Specific Planning (SSP) and GIS Mapping and Monitoring of Reserve Forest and Sanctuary

Name of the Project            : Host and Rohingya Enhancement of Lives Project (HELP)

Forestry Component           : Establishing Green Belt at Bhasan Char and Reforestation of Rohingya Affected Area in Cox’s Bazar.

Name of the Package          : Consultancy firm (SSP and GIS Mapping and Monitoring)

Package No.                          : HELP/S-06

Organization                         :Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD)

Duration of the Contract    06 (Six) months

Duty Station          HQ (BFD-PIU) Dhaka, and Project Area

Submitted by: Moulovibari Research and Partnership Hub (MoRPH)

Contents

1.0 Executive Summary. 3

2.0 Introduction: 3

3.0 Understanding the assignment: 3

4.0 Objectives: 4

5.0 Scope of the Services. 4

6.0 Methodology: 5

6.1 Desk review : 5

6.2 Survey tools preparation and data collection: 5

6.3 Survey team preparation for data collection : 6

6.4 Develop a mechanism/Application (customize online/offline apps)   for SSP data collection. 8

6.5 Data collection: Conduct Field Survey : 8

6.5.1 On-site index mapping of the detail component of site-specific planning (SSP) 8

6.5.2 KII/FGD with local user groups ( forest resources)  : 9

6.5.3 Putting digital surveillance in the main encroachment pockets: 9

6.6          Develop a geospatial online dashboard: 9

6.7          Review and propose to improve smart patrolling : 10

6.8 Data integration and comparison. 11

6.9 Online dashboard for Site Management: 11

6.10  Analysis of hydrometeorological factors for forest delegation and regeneration: 12

6.11  Prepare a hydrometeorological multi-hazard map: 12

6.12  Feeding local level Impending multi-hazard exposure, risk, and vulnerability by the Uapzila, Union & Ward Disaster Management Committee to the geospatial platform: 12

7.0 Timeline with key Milestones: 13

8.0 Name, designation, and a brief about the key team member of the Consultants: 14

1.0 Executive Summary

………………………………….  is registered under Bangladesh’s Register of Joint Stock Companies and Firms (RJSC). ………………, in association with CMD, works for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, conducting thematic assessment, action research, rural development, and innovation. We conduct research and development in numerous sectors, including sustainable environmental management, disaster management, climate change and adaptation, the development field, ICT, Monitoring & Evaluation, etc. MoRPH utilizes ICT-based tools, i.e, UAV(Drone), Remote Sensing (RS) technology & Geographic Information Systems (GIS),  GPS survey, socioeconomic survey apps/ tools, for conducting landscape and environmental assessment. We do innovative work in various sectors, including Drone Image Analysis, Internet of Things (IoT), Impact-based Early Warning, Location-based Service, etc.

…………….strives for client satisfaction by providing state-of-the-art technologies in the fields of Consultancy, Research and development, Remote Sensing (RS) and geographic Information Systems (GIS), location-based Services, RSGIS Training, Surveying (GPS, Drone), Monitoring and Evaluation, Software Development, Disaster Management, and Climate Change and adaptation.

Our vision is to help our nation build a technology-oriented solutions and services culture in different sectors. We will eradicate digital barriers at the grassroots level, providing easy and usable solutions in various aspects. To bring everyone to their doorsteps, innovative and cheaper technology and methods for shaping a more livable nation.

2.0 Introduction:

The Cox’s Bazar  District, south-eastern region Teknaf forest range and Wildlife Sanctuaries i.e.,  Himchhari National Park, Inani National Park, Fasiyakhali Wildlife Sanctuary, and Medhacocchopia National Park those are on the verge of extinction which being contributes by the multiple risk factors e.g., landscape vulnerability to climate induced cyclonic disaster, sea storm surges, salinity intrusion, heavily populated Rohingya refugees and host community continue to exerts pressure on extracting and overexploiting natural resources, landslide and environmental degradation, etc., all those factors contributed for forest and natural resources degradation of Teknaf and adjacent Cox’s Bazar Areas.

Other residual factors are the socioeconomic conditions of the local community, heavily populated settlements, poverty-laden livelihood options needed to ensure household energy and food security, which depend on the extraction and exploitation of resources from reserve forests and sanctuaries, and endangered wildlife. These natural treasures are eventually on the verge of extinction. Until today, the reported cases of garter loss and biodiversity, as of 8,000 acres of forest land, have been degraded, which is putting immense pressure on the area’s wildlife. Critically endangered Asian elephants, with only 38 remaining in the fragmented habitat, face a fight for survival.

3.0 Understanding the assignment:

Considering the multi-factored risk drivers to protect reserve forest and sanctuaries ( for migratory shorebirds, gross stock taking for birds and other wildlife species ) on the verge of extinction, the BFD is soliciting technical solution for comprehensive assessment of forest resources, level of deforestation, identifying the root causes of forest degradation, determine what would be a nature-based solution for conservation of forest ecology, what would be robust ICT driven round-the-clock patrolling and oversights mechanism putting in place, so that a dashboard control system can detect illegal intruders’/exploiters entry and exits, detect theft of resources and other degradation incidences and be able to provide early warning of any impending incidence.

The initial survey/assessment needs to essentially identify the overall risk drivers/factors (climate change-induced factors, nature-induced and human-induced factors, dispersed Rohingya refugees and host community settlements, environmental and ecological degradation factors, landscape fragility, bay proximity cyclone and storm surge and tidal surge factors, coastal salinity intrusion factors) that are residual factors in biodiversity and ecology losses. The assessment will use remote sensing and GIS, GPS, and UAV-based aerial and surface observation mechanisms to instrumentalize site-specific planning (SSP). 

4.0 Objectives:

The main objective of the services is to provide an online web-based site-specific planning (SSP) solution for each plantation intervention site, which is considered a significant activity. Proper identification of the interventions, considering the prevailing natural and socio-economic conditions and site potentials and plants, can ensure success and monitoring. At the same time, the web-based SSP platform at the Bangladesh Forest Information System (BFIS) needs to be integrated.

5.0 Scope of the Services

In consultation with BFD central office and Cox’s Bazar office, the overall mission design is to be finalized for conducting the assessment with consideration of the following points;

1. The main scope of work of this assignment will be as follows. Still, it is not limited to: Under the direct supervision of the Project Director, the MoRPH will provide technical services and facilitate selected Forest Divisions in developing Site-Specific Plans. The assignment will last 6 months and cover specific services and deliverables.
2. Using GIS technology, delineate the SSP at selected Forest Beats on-site, including data collection using Android-based ODK, GPS survey, drone survey for delineating plantation sites, Index mapping of the Beat, and regeneration survey. Organize focus groups for community consultation and identify deforested and degraded pockets for scheduling all silvicultural operations in the nursery and plantation sites.
3. Organizing recurrent discussions with BFD to vitalize the SSP application format. The core consultancy team to be teamed with a Forest Specialist, a Geospatial application developer, a web-based database management specialist, a GIS mapping specialist, and an IT expert.
4. Deploy full-time GIS/GPS and field Surveyors on specific sites for 5 months. The MoRPH will ensure two comprehensive orientations of BFD Officials on SSP processes and their activities.
5. Agreed upon by the BFD to the deploy of a customized and interoperable geospatial platform (ESRI ArcGIS or Open Street Geospatial) to be able to interact /synchronize with field level surveillance apps, online patrolling system and integrated with the SSP platform at the BFIS as a module within the BFD domain (http://bfis.bforest.gov.bd/bfis/), which is hosted by the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC).  A detailed discussion on the platform and approval of BFD’s format is required.
6. Develop a mapping interface to export data to GIS as efficiently as possible, using the same map client interface currently in use for the BFIS geoportal. The interface should display a fixed list of layers (from the above) with fixed map symbolization (as may be agreed with BFD) and a suitable selection of freely available base maps.
7. Develop an interface delineating forest division, range, or beat, and oversee the impact level online. There should be provisions for the phasing of ‘report endorsement’ by the respective Range Officer and Divisional Forest Officer (DFOs), as well as Admin should be provisioned, before making SSP data available to other users. In this connection, the Beat Officer, the finite data user, should be able to revise as per recommendations from the respective endorsing entities (e.g., Range Officer and DFO).
8. After this review, the DFO needs to electronically approve a mechanism/Application to be developed for SSP data collection at the Forest Beat level through a simple Report Format. With the DFO’s endorsement, the data will be available to all concerned through the Dashboard and other reports.
9. Develop an inception Report with a work plan, an interim progress report, and a completion report at the end of the assignment. Three workshops, with proceedings, for presenting
10. the method and work plan,
11. mid-line progress of SSO data collection, as well as online interface/application development of data management and
12.  a final workshop for results at BFD, Dhaka.

h) Support the respective forest officers in developing a geolocation-based plantation journal.

i) Develop technical guidance documents for SSP on-field teams and mid & end-line reporting.

j) The survey will be conducted in all potential plantations in Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division.

6.0 Methodology:

6.1 Desk review :

1. Reviews of all relevant studies of DFO, INGOs (USAID), UN-FAOs, WFP, UNDP, UNEP
2. Review the BFIS database system, the Bangladesh forest ecosystem services valuation database, the Bangladesh forest inventory, plant species, and the identification of the data gap.
3. Review project documents: the Sustainable Forests & Livelihoods (SUFAL) Project, Zoning for tree and forest assessment in Bangladesh (USAID), Bangladesh Forest Information System (BFIS), the Reforestation Information Management System (RIMS) database of the Nishorgo project, the UN-REDD Programme, documents on Encroachment inside Reserve Forests, etc.
4. Review information portal bd-forest web portals, www.forestsouth.coxsbazar.gov.bd, Review documents on FAO-Cox’s Bazar sub office produced on landslide management and slope stabilization.  
5. Review Bangladesh’s FAO-developed new landslide warning system based on Forests and Landslides. Reviews  soil and landscape based on the type of trees and forests being recommended for the prevention of landslides and the rehabilitation of landslide-affected areas in Asia
6. Review government policy, programme documents on forest conservation, Management Plan for Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, laws, co-management issues, agroforestry development, regeneration, etc.

• Review forest-related MIS systems: RIMS, BFIS, landslide warning system. Prepare a GIS map on the existing generation layer, the Land cover map, the land use map, the multi-hazard prone map, and the landslide hotspot map.

6.2 Survey tools preparation and data collection:

1.  Prepare GIS field map: Survey tools preparation for conducting  Survey: Prepare GIS base map of all Union of Teknaf Upazila ( GIS shapefile already in hand) with all mouza layers,  other available layers ( LGED map), showing forest cover areas ( overlaying BFIS forest shape file), Forest Department “Field Maps”, Forest Zonation map of DF, Zonation Map of USAID Climate Resilient Ecosystem and Livelihood (CREL) Project, Landslide map of FAO-Cox Bazar Sub-Office for preparing comprehensive survey tools.
2. Prepare a remote sensing map with an interpretation of the trend of land cover and land use changes over the years.
3. Prepare Union and Mouza GIS map with available GIS layers(to be collected from LGED, DLRS, SoB), delineating the boundary of core zone, bugger zone, impact zone, range area and number, beat area and number, block area and number, and Protected Area (PA) for determining the survey strategy, team planning, mobilization, and capturing geospatial forest site-specific features from field survey.  
4. Prepare Field Survey tools: Organize technical surveyors with an Android-based GPS logger, GPS Essential apps (capturing georeferenced pictures/videos), Kobo toolbox apps, Drone surveys for stock-taking of trees (count, size, and species types), and producing high-resolution maps. Conduct tree inspections and surveys, photogrammetry & modeling, and pictures and videos for SSP.
5. Prepare survey templates for collecting attribute information (hardcopy) of the socioeconomic and other risk drivers( multi-hazards/disaster) and deploy surveyors with survey apps for tracking geospatial layers( point, polygon, polyline features)  to be interpreted with GIS layers ( hard copy field map, forest department clock/beat map) and latest  Kobo-toolbox, GPS logger apps for capturing additional features, attribute datasets.
6. Prepare an FGD/KII template for discussions with diverse local DFO actors, forest-dependent stakeholders, service providers, CSOs, and regional institutions to collect risk, vulnerability, community-level information, stakeholders’ level information, and actors’ level information from the frontline.

6.3 Survey team preparation for data collection :

6.4 Develop a mechanism/Application (customize online/offline apps)   for SSP data collection

Explore suitable instruments (Drone/UVA, mobile apps) to be surveying Forest Beat level which needs to be electronically approval by the DFO, after this review and finalize the suitable tools and methodology and to be endorsed by the DFO, complementing the demand driven data format to be visible with the online/offline dashboard and other formats.

6.5 Data collection: Conduct Field Survey :

1. Aerial Survey:  Using UAV (Drone), capture high-resolution images/videos for stock taking of trees ( count, size, and species types), and prepare high-resolution maps. Tree inspections and surveys, photogrammetry and modeling, picture and video capture)
2. Identify the on-site causal effects of deforestation, regeneration, afforestation, and social forestation, by organizing a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the following target group

6.5.1 On-site index mapping of the detail component of site-specific planning (SSP)

6.5.2 KII/FGD with local user groups ( forest resources)  :

6.5.3 Putting digital surveillance in the main encroachment pockets:

For incident tracking, install surveillance BFD local units instrumented with a special-purpose Drone to survey stock taking of trees (count, size, and species types), and high-resolution maps. Tree inspections and surveys, photogrammetry and modeling, picture and video capture)

• Identify elephant corridors, exit/entry routes of wildlife, elephant, deer, monkey, and other wildlife
• Identify exit/entry routes of livestock animals for illegal grazing /fodder collection.

6.6         Develop a geospatial online dashboard: 

An online geospatial portal (open-source or ESRI ArcGIS portal, map tiles, map layer) with a database can display the map and event online. The interface will be created with field-level apps for directly updating and selecting events in the online map.  Evey stakeholder will be connected via apps, instant messaging services, GPS apps adding georeferenced information to server about incidence (illegal encroachment of forest resources, land grabbing, hill cutting, tree cutting, landslide, treefall, hunting wildlife, animal poaching (elephant), illicit logging timber, damaging of trees/seedling, sapling/. The online real-time tracking system will be facilitated on the following surveillance.

• Identify Direct Threats: Encroachment, illicit felling, Wildlife hunting, Forest fire, etc.
• Tracking Brick field, illegal/informal settlement of land inside forest, Illegal housing inside forest, Sawmill, Furniture shop, livestock grazing inside forest
• Tracking annual regeneration rate
• Tracking the annual forest degradation rate
• Tracking annual planting rate
• Tracking degraded areas
• Tracking illegal resource extraction by the extractors and encroachers’ livelihood group encroachment
• Mobile apps for community patrols at strategic locations.
• Tracking an instant snapshot from the photo of the most degraded edge point 
• Community petrol for forest protection (with apps)

6.7         Review and propose to improve smart patrolling :

6.8 Data integration and comparison

All GPS placemarks and Kobo-Toolbox collected data were verified with Google Maps to check data quality, design survey areas, and identify non-survey areas for next-level surveying. All the data collected were integrated and compared. Both alignment and data content were checked. All the GIS data were displayed; otherwise, the accuracy was compared with the reference layer. Accuracy was also compared among the sources.

6.9 Online dashboard for Site Management:

a) Develop geospatial platform (Open source/ ESRI ArcGIS / Map tiles/ Map Layer, etc) :

To facilitate ICT-driven, evidence-based geospatial services-enabled facilities, MoRPH intends to install and operationalize a Geospatial platform (ArcGIS Platform), interfacing with ArcGIS/QGIS software, and uploading delineating and tracking impacts over the following zones.

6.10  Analysis of hydrometeorological factors for forest delegation and regeneration:

 Monitoring local extreme weather events ( heavy rainfall, heatwave, dry spells, coastal surges, salinity intrusion, etc.), quantifying climate-induced loss and damage( L&Ds), and proposing adaptive measures. Access the FAO developed Slope map, Land Degradation map, landslide early warning system, and capacity building for SSP -FD  for adaptive planning/actions.

6.11  Prepare a hydrometeorological multi-hazard map: 

Develop a multi-hazard exposure, risks, and vulnerability risk atlas and analyze the impacts on the forest elements.

6.12  Feeding local level Impending multi-hazard exposure, risk, and vulnerability by the Uapzila, Union & Ward Disaster Management Committee to the geospatial platform:

A mobile phone (Android)- based WhatsApp group and GPS apps will be installed, oriented to the Beat offices, Range offices, NSP offices, Police stations, Village Conservation Forum (VCF) , People’s Forum (PF), Co-Management Committee (CMC), Elected representative from villages and local communities within the Protected Area landscape,  Local Disaster Management committee ( UDMC, Ward DMC), Women &  youth-led group with apps based monitoring and tracking incidences to provide the forest site-specific petrol and incidence report to the central server etc. to provide the forest site specific petrol, incidence report to central sever for visualization.   

7.0 Timeline with key Milestones:

8.0 Name, designation, and a brief about the key team member of the Consultants: