Terms of Reference for National Consultant - UNDP
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Terms of Reference for National Consultant
Preparation of Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) for Human Settlements
1. Introduction
The Paris Agreement requires all parties to submit an updated NDC periodically with increasing
ambition and in 2020 parties are to submit their updated and enhanced NDCs for the period 2025-
2030. Based on the decisions for transparency and clarity, it is expected that the NDCs would be
submitted before the session of COP 26 in 2021.
The Kingdom of Bhutan submitted it's Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) that was
rated as sufficient towards the Paris Agreement goals in 2015. Bhutan reiterated the pledge to remain
carbon neutral that was first made in 2009 at the Copenhagen Climate Summit. Bhutan is now in the
process of preparing its second NDC and several rounds of consultations at various levels has been
conducted, including a stock take and gap assessment. In the past few years a few sectoral Low
Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) including one for the Human Settlements (2017) and other
elaboration of climate change actions in the form of programs and projects were also prepared.
Through the recent review and consultation process and based on developments since 2017, the key
stakeholder in the human settlements sector has expressed a desire to update the existing LEDs for
Human Settlements 2017. The 2017 LEDS covered actions in buildings in the warm areas of Bhutan,
transport for passenger and freight, and waste management. A rapid review has revealed that a more
holistic strategy for low emission development for human settlements is required as areas such as
green open spaces, land use planning, use of ICT and sustainable infrastructure also need to be
included. See Annex I review of LEDS for Human Settlements 2017 for further information on gaps in
LEDS for HS 2017 and potential areas for updates.
The human settlement sector acts as an area where multiple climate actions can be addressed in a
synergistic manner. Urban areas have high density of populations and new investments in
infrastructure and economic activities are centered in urban and built up areas. These new
investments will be long lasting and need careful integration of climate change considerations. Such
infrastructure (including green infrastructure) can provide opportunities to mitigation and adaptation
measures. With about 40% of the population of Bhutan living in urban areas and with one of the
highest rates of urbanization in Asia, urban areas and human settlements should be leveraged for
preparing a holistic and integrated LEDs. In addition, with the current COVID-19 pandemic and plans
around the world for recovery and re-building economies, there are opportunities to build forward
better, green recovery for integrating requirements for social distancing for public safety and also
climate benefits in new public infrastructure investments.
Cross-cutting issues need to be integrated into the LEDS such as integration of gender issues as
identified in the report on Gender and Climate Change in Bhutan (2020) where specific
recommendations in agriculture, energy (including transport) and waste sectors were identified.
Towards this objective of preparing a revised LEDS for Human Settlements in Bhutan, an international
consultancy and a national expert will be recruited.
2. Main Task of Consultant
The objective of this consultancy is to review and revise the Low Emission Development Strategy for
Human Settlements for Bhutan 2017. (See Annex I review of LEDS for Human Settlements 2017).
1The main task for the national consultant is to assist the lead international consultant(s) in preparing
the LEDS for the Human Settlements by:
a) collecting and reviewing necessary national information and data for the mitigation
assessment led by the international consultant(s)
b) facilitating consultations and workshops with key national stakeholders in the country and
acting as the intermediary between the international consultant(s) and national
stakeholders
c) reviewing the information and reports prepared by the international consultant(s) and
provide inputs and recommendations in order to provide proper local and national context
and relevance,
d) support the international consultant in organizing the training on GHG inventory &
mitigation assessment as part of the consultation and sectoral data review process
e) maintaining and preparing records of all consultations.
3. Timeline and duration.
The engagement will be for 30 days staggered from mid-October to 31 December 2020 as per
the anticipated timeline and workplan below:
# days Oct Nov Dec
Activity Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk Wk
(estimate)
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 Desk review (relevant national 5 day V/D
priorities, plans, programs and
reports)
2 Inception meeting w/ national 2 day V/D
stakeholders and submission of
inception report
3 Consultations with sector task force 10 days V V V
and stakeholders & data analysis. (assisting)
(online workshops & meetings
- one initial meeting with full team,
- meetings with subgroups as necessary
- one final meeting with full team)
4 Training on GHG inventory & 4 days V/D
mitigation assessment as part of the (assisting)
consultation and sectoral data review
process. (online workshop)
5 Additional data collection & review & 5 days
drafting
6 Presentation of draft and review by 2 day, V/D
task force (presentation day and follow up)
7 Revision of final draft 1 day
8 Final draft presentation 1 day V/D
V = video conference D = deliverables M = mission (if possible for #3, #4, #6 & #8)
24. Deliverables
a) Inception report detailing methodology and workplan including task assignments to
individual experts. (jointly with international consultant(s)
b) Training Report for GHG inventory and mitigation assessment for human settlement sector.
c) Reports on consultation meetings.
d) Final review and validation of LEDS drafted by the international consultant(s). See Annex II
for elements to be included in the document.
5. Institutional Arrangements
a) An international consultancy (remote based) and a national consultant (Thimphu based) will
be recruited by United Nations Development Program-Bhutan (UNDP) for this task
b) Both the international and national consultants will report directly to UNDP and Ministry of
Works and Human Settlements (MOWHS). UNDP and MOWHS shall liaise with the National
Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS) for guidance and further endorsement of any
document.
a) The international consultant(s) will lead the development of the LEDS including the training,
technical assessments and consultations as per the respective TOR for the international
consultant.
b) The national consultant will function as per the respective TOR to liaise and coordinate
closely with the international consultant(s) to assist and facilitate consultations with key
national stakeholders in the country, and collection of necessary information and
documents. The national consultant will also review the information and reports prepared
by the international consultant(s) to provide proper local and national context and
relevance.
6. Station
The national consultant will be stationed in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Given the current restrictions on travel presented by the CoVID-19 Pandemic, it is anticipated that
most of the work of the international consultants will be conducted remotely (home based). This
working arrangement will include regular video conferencing with lead focal persons from UNDP,
NEC and MOWHS, the Sectoral Task Force members and other stakeholder representatives. UNDP-
Bhutan will arrange and provide online meeting facility through Zoom teleconferencing.
If the situation evolves and so permits, at least one visit to Bhutan by the international consultant(s),
may be necessary to validate national and local circumstances and relevance of information and
recommendations.
37. Payment Modality
Payment Milestones & Deliverables
1st payment – 20% Contract signing and inception report submission
2nd payment – 30% GHG inventory and mitigation assessment training workshop
completed. Submission of report on training and consultation
workshops including recommendations for improvements in data
collection.
3rd payment – 30 % Submission of 2nd draft LEDS report
4th payment – 20% Submission of final draft LEDS and upon acceptance by
UNDP&MOWHS
8. Qualifications
▪ Hold an advanced degree in field of urban planning, environmental/civil engineering,
sustainable building design, architecture or related field.
▪ Minimum 10 years of working experience in Bhutan in urban planning or urban
development.
▪ Experience in GHG inventory and mitigation assessment is a plus.
▪ Strong communication, written and presentation skills.
9. Criteria for the Selection of the Best Offer
The selection of the best offer will be based on Combined Scoring method – where
the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a maximum of 70% and
combined with the price offer which will be weighted a maximum of 30%
4Annex I:
Review of Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) for Human Settlement 2017 and
recommendations for update
This note is a rapid review of the Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) for Human Settlement
(HS) 2017 conducted by an in-house team from MOWHS with inputs from reviewers engaged in the
NDC2 process. The note includes a list of potential areas and activities for consideration for the
revision and update of the LEDS. The various activities and areas will need to be reviewed and
screened as part of the methodology for mitigation assessment.
I. Review of LEDS for Human Settlement 2017
The LEDS for HS 2017 focuses on building, transport and waste sectors and it charts out the ways to
reduce emission without compromising the pursuit of national development needs. A brief outline of
specific areas covered and recommended actions of the LEDS for HS 2017 are reproduced hereunder.
1. Buildings
The focus is on commercial, residential and institutional buildings with specific focus on cooking,
heating, lighting, etc. The recommended mitigation actions were:
a. Green buildings and sustainable construction standards
• Insulation
• Double/triple glazed windows
• Passive solar design
• Lighting (switch to LED)
• RE such as solar rooftop PV, heat pumps, Solar Water Heating (SWH)
• Use of natural construction materials (harvested wood products)
b. Fuel Switch from thermal energy to electricity
• Replacing biomass (wood) and LPG with electricity (for cooking and heating)
• Dependent on choice of Grid Emission Factor
• District Heating System based on waste heat recovery
• Energy Demand Side Management
• Biogas plants in rural areas- could be used for electricity production, cooking/ heating
purposes, or LPG replacement
c. Recommendations (briefly) on addressing financing barriers, technological and capacity
barriers, and coordination mechanisms.
2. Transport
Focus is on freight and passenger transport. The recommended mitigation actions were:
• Public transport
• Electric vehicles
• Non-motorized transport
• Biofuel
• Cable cars
53. Wastes
Focus is on solid and liquid wastes. The recommended mitigation actions were:
• Expanded application of 3R concepts, and methane capture
• Aerobic treatment of wastewater sludge
II. Gaps in the LEDS for Human Settlement 2017
A rapid review an in-house discussion has identified the following areas that were not included in the
LEDS HS 2017.
a. Sequestration potential from potential areas such as open space; LEDS HS 2017 has identified
transport, waste and building sectors that continue to be top GHG emitting sectors from
human settlements in the country, and the mitigation actions have been accordingly targeted
to reduce emission from these sectors. However, supplementing with emission reduction
capacity through sequestration potential of other potential areas such as open spaces require
consideration.
b. Synergies with other sectors and programs; Some of the mitigation actions proposed in the
LEDS 2017 are already captured in the LEDS of relevant sectors. Hence, better integration
with other sectors are required. This has also led to inconsistencies in the data used in
different reports.
c. Does not mention or take into account the embodied energy of construction and building
related works and materials.
d. It does not highlight other key aspects which would be pivotal for the success and
sustainability of the efforts and interventions recommended. E.g. workmanship, capacity
building, awareness and data especially for buildings.
e. Although it mentions, passive solar designs and other aspects of buildings such as insulation,
it however does not mention approaches such as improving airtightness (which could be one
of most cost-effective interventions if executed well, especially since Bhutanese buildings
have very poor airtightness).
f. Since Bhutan typically requires energy during winter months due to high heating demand, a
project proposal on an area with heating demand may be more valuable than a project in a
hot place.
g. In the project proposal for Phuentsholing, instead of mandatory standards, it may be more
realistic to establish and validate benchmarks which can be used to rate buildings and provide
incentives, accordingly, thus following a voluntary approach while making the environment
conducive for adoption of building energy efficiency and sustainability.
h. Not much focus has been given on wastewater in the report. NAMA waste covers only
municipal solid waste.
6III. Suggested scope of work for update of LEDS for Human Settlement 2017
The Ministry of Works & Human Settlement would like to suggest the following areas be studied and
considered as a basis for identifying mitigation actions for the update of the LEDS for Human
Settlement:
a. General recommendations:
• The revised LEDS may also have to take into account related developments after 2017 and
how best to build on the developments in identifying additional mitigation actions. Various
tools and approaches could be considered for planning for climate change such as carbon
footprint analysis, land use approaches.
• As settlements are a nexus for numerous sectors and issues, a holistic approach for mitigation
opportunities could be explored. Bhutan has one of the highest urbanization rates and the
density of population and settlements should be leveraged to provide efficient services and
structures.
• Awareness, capacity building and validation should be developed with demonstration projects
for practical training and hands on learning.
• For the activities identified, actions plan with timelines would be necessary for follow up and
implementation. Support measures should consider new financing approaches.
Some of the areas to be considered for identified for mitigation opportunities include the priority
areas for sustainable urban development in Bhutan as described below:
b. Land Use:
• Walkable and Compact neighborhood with basic amenities within the 15 minutes. Designated
neighborhood nodes in different parts of the settlements to provide basic services.
• Integration of transport and mobility with human settlement planning.
• Transit-Oriented Development.
• Integrated development of urban and peri-urban areas. Eg. Paro valley development plan,
Bumthang valley development plan.
c. Integrated Green and Open spaces:
• Parks and gardens
• Buffer zones around heritage sites and monuments
• Conservation areas (slopes more than 30 degree are earmarked as conservation areas
where developments are not permitted)
• Urban forest (government land under forest cover in planning area is designed as forest
precinct whereby development is permitted)
• River and stream buffer zones/riparian zone (based on the environmental laws, buffer zones
are maintained for rivers and streams whereby developments are not permitted)
• Agriculture land (chhuzhing falling under the planning boundary are designated as no
development zone as per land act. eg. agriculture precinct in Paro valley development plan
where developments are not permitted)
d. Integrated and Efficient Transportation and mobility system:
• Effective public transportation system integrated with non-motorized transport
• Integrated network of pedestrian friendly footpaths including foot over bridges and
underpasses
• Pedestrianization of streets eg. pedestrianization of Norzin Lam in Thimphu
• Network of cycling tracks
7• Adventure and hiking trails
• Sustainable materials and technologies
• Native plants and trees for parks and gardens
• Vernacular architecture
• Local construction materials and techniques in roads, building and urban infrastructure
• Permeable pavements
e. Information Communication and Technology
• Revenue management system
• Land management including online payment of land tax
• Services delivery such as water supply connection, building approvals
• Data management and sharing
• Management of urban infrastructures such as smart parking, water supply system
• Ride share systems/programs to reduce number of car trips and ownership
f. Sustainable Service Infrastructures
• Energy efficient Street lighting
• Wastewater treatment plant (quantification of emission from sewage in the country, both in
rural and urban areas and identify mitigation strategies)
• Efficient solid waste management including waste collection trucks
• Road constructions
g. Buildings (existing and future constructions):
• In addition to fiscal incentives, fast-tracking of approval processes could be one cost-free
incentive.
• The building interventions focus mostly on reducing energy in terms of heating/cooling and
cooking. However, a holistic approach to building efficiency and sustainability such as taking
into account the embodied energy of the building materials, and efficiency in terms of usage
of water, and all resources may have to be assessed and taken into consideration.
• Definition of approach and tool/ recommendation for low-carbon buildings (embodied
energy).
• Development of code / code of practice/ standards
• The proposed project could try to incorporate all the interventions mentioned targeting a
multi-pronged approach (e.g. policy, capacity, technology, awareness, financing barriers, etc)
in order to increase probability of success and sustainability.
• Recommendations on design (passive design including solar gain/shading, natural ventilation,
etc), Building Envelope, openings and air-tightness (windows & doors, construction
technique), ventilation (other than natural), and renewable energy (for heating and lighting)
IV. Anticipated challenges for update of LEDS
• Lack of adequate and relevant data for calculation of emission thereof for mitigation
potentials.
• Complexity in the calculation of the mitigation potentials due to complexity of the proposals.
• Lack of information on the cost of developments for prioritization of mitigation actions.
---
8Annex II:
Indicative Outline for LEDS for Human Settlements
The Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) for Human Settlements should include at a
minimum the following elements:
o An Introduction including overview of relevant policies and programs and institutions and
rationale for LEDS.
o Mitigation scenarios (BAU and different emission scenarios) for the sector. The methodologies
used to project emissions as well as mitigation assessment must be described. The time frame
should cover priority actions in short, medium and long term from 2020-2050.
o The assessment should consider and prioritize mitigation actions in the areas listed below:
• Land use planning
• Integrated green and open spaces.
• Integrated system for efficient transport and mobility
• Information Communication and technology
• Sustainable service infrastructure
• Buildings (existing and future buildings)
Further details and possible actions under each of these areas are identified in Annex I (see
section III on “scope”) of this TOR as an initial starting point and will be subject to screening and
prioritization.
o Prioritized mitigation actions based on mitigation potentials, and cost benefit analyses. The
approach and criteria leading to the selection of actions should be described.
o An implementation plan and strategy including, suitable measures for financing (including
international), policy measures (including regulatory and fiscal measures), further research and
capacity building requirements and institutional arrangements.
o The LEDS for human settlements provides an opportunity to leverage growing settlement areas
and increasing density of settlements. This should be leveraged to prepare a holistic and
integrated approach to LEDS for human settlements. In this regard, the LEDS should also identify
and include any potential synergies with:
▪ Crosscutting issues and potential for synergies with other sectors and key stakeholder
agencies.
▪ Opportunities for integration with any post CoVID-19 recovery programs, public health
systems and greening.
▪ Opportunities for integration the 21st Century Roadmap (being prepared as part of a separate
process).
▪ Synergies with climate resilience and ongoing co-benefits with adaptation programs such as
the National Adaptation Plan.
▪ Integration of findings and recommendations for integration of gender issues as identified in
the report on Gender and Climate Change in Bhutan (2020).
▪ Integration of accessibility for differently abled persons (See the Guideline for Differently
Abled Friendly Construction 2019, MOWHS)
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