Request for Proposals: Environment and Conflict in Burma / Myanmar

Apr 17, 2020 | US Institute of Peace
View Original

The effects of climate change are appearing faster than anticipated around the world. The costs could have drastic and potentially catastrophic impacts on citizens, communities, and business. The effects of climate change will not occur in isolation. The cascading effects of climate change will reinforce each other, with a huge overall impact.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate security vulnerability as “the degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes.” It is determined by several components: physical hazards, population density, household and community resilience, governance. In Burma, the climate projections are that there could be a 0.5-5.5 degrees Celsius increase in temperature by 2100. This will cause a reduced duration and increased variability of the southwest monsoon, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, and a 0.2- 0.6m rise in sea level. The impacts of these changes threaten Burma’s agriculture, water resources, human health, fisheries and ecosystems. For instance, Burma could face crop loss or failure, loss of pasture lands and water, or resources for livestock. The impact of climate change could lead to a degradation of water quality, reduced access to water supplies, or water shortages. This in turn could pose an increased risk of vector and waterborne diseases, increased food security and loss of life. A loss of habitat and biodiversity, ecosystem services, and coastal defenses, like mangroves, put Burma’s fisheries at risk of collapse or severe degradation.

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Country Index summarizes a country's vulnerability to climate change and other global challenges in combination with its readiness to improve resilience. Within this widely used Index, Burma ranks 37th most vulnerable country in the world and the 21st least ready country. It is the most vulnerable country to climate change in Asia, with a great need for investment and innovation to improve readiness and a great urgency for action.

This severe vulnerability to climate changes has the potential to affect conflict dynamics in the country in positive and negative ways. How the government, civil society, ethnic armed groups and the Tatmadaw respond to the impacts of climate change present an opportunity to further entrench and exacerbate existing conflict drivers. Climate disasters, similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, impact everyone. The response to emerging climate-driven conflicts also presents an opportunity for groups in conflict to work together on this share concern, opening the opportunity for peacebuilding. USIP, therefore, seeks proposals for research initiatives that explore how climate change, the environment and natural resources impact conflict dynamics in Burma and what peacebuilding tools can be deployed to prevent, mitigate and resolve these conflicts.

About USIP

USIP is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. For more information, please visit http://www.usip.org.

USIP has been working in Burma since 2012 and established an office in Yangon in 2016. The program supports research on the peace process, provides support to the police to become more responsive and accountable to the communities they serve, promotes intercommunal harmony through a nation-wide peace education project, and examines the conflict implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It is currently exploring a new line of programming relevant  to the relationship between the environment, violent conflict, and peacebuilding in Burma. As part of this effort, the Burma Program at the U.S. Institute of Peace welcomes proposals from interested researchers, practitioners or nonprofit organizations for projects in this area. Projects should be original and are expected to be completed between June 2020 – May 2021. Please note that due to uncertainty regarding travel and operations as a result of COVID-19 in Burma and around the world, it is possible that these dates may need to shift. Offerors should include a brief note about how their proposal might be impacted by COVID-19. Throughout the project, implementors will keep USIP updated on activities and deliverables in order to ensure that they are either meeting deadlines or adapted to circumstances.

Scope of Work

Background

With the launch of its new Environment and Conflict program, USIP will support one to two projects with the potential to improve policy and practice that address how changes in the natural environment influence the risks of violent conflict. In addition, USIP seeks to better understand how the experience of violent conflict weakens a society’s capability to cope with consequences of a changing environment (e.g., increasing resource scarcity or consequences from climate change). This area of work is new for USIP and the Burma program. Creative proposals for research or programming that improves the understanding of these linkages while also shedding light on entry points for more effective peacebuilding strategies are especially welcome. The Burma program will prioritize projects that can result in one or more USIP Special Reports1 that might seek to provide insights on the following and how they relate to conflict dynamics:

• Analysis of accumulative environmental impacts (strategic assessments)
• Strengthening public awareness of environmental impacts / impact assessments
• Innovative approaches to monitoring and deterring emissions / impacts

Note that projects which produce other forms of innovations, and especially technological innovations relevant to the above, are also very welcome.

In Burma, there are already many existing efforts relevant to conservation and protection of the natural environment, and it is important to recognize and build from these efforts.

Environmental peacebuilding efforts in Burma could serve as a model for interventions elsewhere. Possible areas of focus for proposals could include:

• Environmental degradation of the Irrawaddy River and the effects on conflict dynamics
• The effect of the traditional energy on conflict
• The effect of mining and/or other extractive industries on conflict

1 USIP Special Reports are short, timely, policy-relevant reports of Institute work. They average in length from 2,500-10,000 words and are available online as an Adobe PDF file.

• The effect of drought, flooding or new weather/climate patterns on conflict dynamics
• Environment and the peace process / civilian – military relations
• Rising sea levels and its impacts on coastal populations and conflict in coastal areas
• Environmental best practices as a way of building peace
• City planning, environment and conflict: (case studies or modeling of project such as the Yangon New City, studying the Resilient Cities efforts in Yangon and Mandalay)
• Maintaining a strong and resilient agriculture sector in the face of shifting weather patterns to prevent shortages and economic loss
• Burma as a model for green modernization – just as Burma went straight to the digital age, can Burma bypass less environmentally sustainable development and be a model for the world on how to build a green economy?
• Implementing or expanding the use of Peace Renewable Energy Credits in Burma.

Scope 

USIP will offer 1-2 contracts to Myanmar-based non-profit organizations with the necessary logistical, research, financial management, and field experience to complete their proposed projects. Selected project implementer organization(s) will work closely with USIP and within  the budget restraints of this initiative. Project implementers may choose to work out of the USIP office in Yangon during the proposed project period to help strengthen cooperation with USIP around project implementation and the development of this new thematic focus.

Submission Requirements

To be considered under this RFP, please submit the following:

1. Technical/NarrativeProposal (no more than 4 pages)

The narrative proposal should include the following sections:

1. Problem Statement: Defines specifically the problem that the project seeks to address /
2. Proposed Approach and Methodology: How the project addresses the identified Describe the proposed approach and implementation methodology, including the types of field research, programming, data collection, data analysis, desk research, laboratory work or other methodology needed. Discuss also how this methodology will contribute to progress towards addressing the problem. As noted above, the final research methodology will be developed in consultation with USIP.
3. Past Experience: Describe at least two previous projects of similar scope and complexity undertaken by the Provide a point of contact with telephone number and email address for each of the described projects (i.e., a donor or collaborator) .
4. Key Personnel, Staffing, and Specific Expertise: Describe the key personnel, their role, their level of knowledge, and how their experience is related and Describe the overall staffing plan for the project.
5. Curriculum Vitae: For each of the key personnel, please provide a CV of no more than three pages. CVs will not count as part of the insert number pages of the technical proposal.
6. Cost Proposal: The cost proposal shall include a detailed budget and a budget narrative. Budget must be in US dollars and in a spreadsheet format (e.g., Excel). Note that the total budget should not be in excess of $70,000 US dollars. USIP will prioritize projects that demonstrate good value.
7. Financial Management Assessment Form: Complete the Financial Management Assessment Form or provide a copy of the offeror’s financial audit from the prior fiscal year.

Refer Questions to: Kay Spencer (kspencer@usip.org) (Response to any inquiries will be made via email; we will not respond to any inquiries received after Monday, April 24, 2020 at 9am.)

Submit Proposals to: myanmar-burma@usip.org (In order for a proposal to receive consideration, all of the items listed in the Proposal Submission Requirements section below must be received before the RFP Due Date.)