Guinea: Basic Analysis Study of the Migration, Environment, and Climate Change

Jun 1, 2020 | International Organization for Migration
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The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. According to the international migration report of the International Organization for Migration (IOM, 2020), environmental aspects play a big role in the livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations and on mobility in West Africa. These countries are gradually suffering from extreme droughts and sometimes floods, which create shortages of water supply and food. In addition, climate change makes precipitation events all the more unstable and unpredictable. In parallel, the region has experienced strong population growth which has led to an intensification of the exploitation of land and natural resources, with deforestation, livestock and agriculture activities. [1]

The Republic of Guinea is no exception. Despite its wealth of natural resources, the country is suffering from the consequences of climate change and environmental degradation mainly linked to inappropriate agricultural practices, mining and the over-exploitation of forest and water resources. For example, more than 50% of the Guinean population works in the agricultural sector (in the rural areas the rate is estimated at 75%) and a large number of them have only limited incomes and face production difficulties. Women play an essential role for food and nutritional security since they represent 53.3% of the agricultural workforce, in addition to domestic and family work.

Often considered among the countries most affected by outward and transit migration in the region, [3] Guinea is mainly characterized by labor migration, but also dependent on environmental factors. Seasonal migrants working in the agricultural sector are immediately impacted by crop uncertainties caused by environmental degradation linked to climate change. It is important to emphasize that there are other activities dependent on natural resources, such as forestry, animal husbandry and pastoralism which are also impacted by the above factors.

Overall, poor management of these natural resources reinforces the multiple risks of climate change to which communities are exposed, such as food insecurity, conflicts over natural resources and specific vulnerabilities imposed on women, which contributes to the forced internal and external mobility of the country. [4] Therefore, it is necessary to have a holistic vision in order to integrate environmental protection, gender sensitive, in migration policies.

In Guinea, the authorities through the National Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PANA) of July 2007 set themselves the goal of setting out the urgent and immediate measures to be taken to adapt to the harmful effects of climate change , through existing endogenous knowledge. The lack of knowledge on environmental factors and their impacts on migration trends in Guinea, which also influences the development of the country, shows a need to strengthen understanding and coordination between migration and environmental policies. This is why IOM, the United Nations agency responsible for migration, took the initiative to carry out a pilot capacity-building project for the Guinean government on the link between migration, the environment and climate change, with a view to mitigating the root causes of forced displacement and fostering the resilience of communities to climate change.

This project, financed by IDF, the IOM Development Fund falls within the framework of the initiatives carried out by the IOM in the area of ​​Migration, Environment and Climate Change (MECC) . It will be implemented in rural areas which are highly dependent on natural resources (agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and pastoralism) and which at the same time experience significant migratory dynamics (departure and transit). It will provide a better understanding of the links between human mobility and the environment in Guinea.

The overall objective is to strengthen the knowledge and capacities of government and non-government actors to better manage issues relating to the MECC nexus and the livelihoods of the most vulnerable communities in Guinea. This will allow the government to take specific action to provide adequate solutions to these communities and build their sustainable resilience.

To achieve these objectives, the following results are expected:

Result 1: Improvement of knowledge and capacities of national and local authorities in matters of migration, environment and climate change: **

• A baseline study will be developed to analyze the link between migration, the environment and climate change in the most affected communities in Guinea, and a set of recommendations will be proposed;
• Capacity-building workshops will be organized for decision-makers and local authorities, in order to ensure coherence between national and regional strategies.

Result 2: The communities most vulnerable to climate change adopt innovative attitudes of resilience and adaptation through ecological community projects in favor of women and young people.

Objective of the consultation and service offer:

IOM is seeking to recruit a qualified consultant to conduct a study that will examine migration in the face of the effects of climate change and environmental degradation in Guinea, with a particular focus on the vulnerability of communities and rural homes. From existing knowledge on migratory dynamics in Guinea, he / she will analyze the environmental context and the impact of the latter on internal and international migration trends, taking into account the gender dimension (taking into account women and young people). The consultant will write an evaluation report based on a documentary review and a field study, highlighting the challenges to be raised, namely the identification of environmental risks and their possible impacts on migration, as well as environmental policies having an impact on migration. The full report on the MECC nexus in Guinea will be presented at the end of the consultation.

The conclusions and proposals for action will be presented to key players in order to contribute to the dialogue on public policies in Guinea to contribute to the resilience of the most vulnerable communities, including their climate resilience. This will enable the Guinean government to adopt specific and adequate measures to provide solutions to communities vulnerable to climate change and to improve their long-term resilience. Also, an analysis of good practices in Guinea and in the West and Central Africa region in terms of income-generating activities contributing to the climatic and environmental resilience of the territories will be made.

Methodology:

At the end of this research project, the recruited consultant will carry out the following activities:

A documentary review:

• Analysis of the MECC profile of Guinea, the structure of which will be inspired by the MECLEP country profiles (data for policy use) previously produced by the IOM- A systematic link will be made on the livelihoods contributing to the climate resilience of the territories;
• Collection and analysis of existing data and research on migration, the environment and climate change in Guinea, drawing on previous research carried out by IOM on MECC;
• Provide data on key migration trends related to climate change and environmental degradation;
• Provide a general overview of the vulnerabilities associated with climate change and environmental degradation, as well as the populations exposed to these risks, through existing research, interviews with key informants (supplemented by field research).
• Develop an analytical mapping of public policies and legal documents on migration, the environment and climate change, as well as development plans and disaster risk resilience;
• Provide recommendations for better consideration of the MECC nexus in migration and environmental policies;
• Analyze public policies and national strategic documents governing joint contributions in order to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement concerning migration and climate change; **
• Analyze good practices in Guinea in terms of income-generating activities contributing to the climatic and environmental resilience of the territories, as well as the potential in terms of creating green jobs in these territories

A field study in the areas most vulnerable to the MECC:

In addition to the results of the documentary review, a field study should be carried out.

This field study will complement the results of the cartographic analysis through surveys, open interviews and focus groups with communities in the areas identified jointly with IOM Guinea and the government party. One part can be done remotely and the other will require a trip to the field.

Given the situation of covid-19, the possibilities of implementing a field study are limited because of the security measures put in place by the Guinean government. For this, part of the research will be carried out remotely through exchanges by email and by videoconference with the national players and the focal points designated by the technical services concerned (the list will be made available to the consultant. The rest of this study will necessarily be carried out in the field;

Field research will be carried out in collaboration with the Higher Agronomic and Veterinary Institute of Faranah (ISAV) which will cover the 4 natural regions of Guinea (2 localities at risk per region including Conakry), by organizing meetings, surveys , semi-structured interviews and focus groups with communities in the areas identified jointly with IOM Guinea and the government party.

Present approaches to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations to the MECC:

• Engage and raise awareness among all state and non-state stakeholders on the link between environmental migration and climate change;
• Organize workshops to present and validate the report with all the players concerned;
• Share the lessons of the final report in order to strengthen governance capacities on the MECC theme.

Deliverables:

The deliverables submitted to the IOM must be robust and of high quality, neat and laid out. IOM rules should be followed for bibliography and any citations.

Duration of the consultation:

The consultation will last for 3 months, in the period from 1st July 2020 to 30 September 2020.

Qualifications (profile of experienced consultant):

The required qualifications are:

Training and knowledge

• Bac + 4 university degree in social, environmental, ecological, water and sanitation, biology, biodiversity management, international law or similar.
• Minimum six years of verifiable experience and skills in planning, institutional support and policy development (Migration, Environment and Climate Change is an asset);
• Have proven experience in developing regional or national policies and in conducting studies;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS region and the Sahel area as well as the institutional framework;
• Deep knowledge of the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation;
• Proven experience in research on migration, particularly in the context of climate change and environmental degradation

Common languages

• Excellent command of French and English (written and spoken).

Skills

• Analysis, synthesis and communication skills, in particular with actors from various backgrounds;
• Good understanding of the MECC (Migration, Environment and Climate Change) theme in Africa and the Republic of Guinea;
• Excellent working knowledge of IT tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.);
• Control of the social, cultural or political environment of West Africa;
• Good interpersonal and institutional skills;
• Good skills in the transfer of know-how and coaching to administrative executives, at the technical and political level.

Behaviour

•  
• Have a spirit of initiative, research and analysis;
• Be open and have an active listening capacity;
• Willingness to work in a multicultural environment.

[1] IOM, World Migration Report, 2020

[2] United Nations System in Guinea, United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2018 - 2020), 2017

[3] UNDESA, 2019, International Migrant Stock

[4] United Nations System in Guinea, United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2018 - 2020), 2017

How to apply

Interested persons are invited to submit their application by email to HRrecruitmentunit@iom.int with the job title ( MECC International Consultant) as subject, specifying the job reference: Ref: Conakry / 014/2020.

Applications must include:

• A detailed CV in French, including the contacts of at least 02 professional references;
• A letter of motivation as well as any other documents that can serve as support for the application (publication, personal work, report, bibliographic reference, etc.), a financial and technical offer detailed in a single file;

The deadline for receipt of applications is June 12, 2020.

Only the preselected candidates will be contacted.