Job Description

CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SIERRA LEONE

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Degraded Areas Mapping for Mangrove Restoration

Project Title: Increasing local community participation in mangrove restoration 

Introduction

The Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL) is a non-profit, non-governmental environmental organization. It is set up exclusively for charitable activities in the environmental field – including environmental conservation action, policy and advocacy, environmental education and research purposes, to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in Sierra Leone.

In 2023, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone in partnership with GOAL-SL and TENN-SL secured funding from the Jersy Overseas Aid to promote the conservation and management of the both the Scarcies and Yawri Bay MPAs. The project is implemented in 9 coastal communities including Tissanah, Fogbo and Banga Ground in the Yawri Bay MPA and Kychom, Kassiri, Magbonka, Mabonka, Moribaya and Kagbahan in the Scarcies River Estuary, Kambia District. 

As a consortium partner, CSSL is specifically focused on the mangrove restoration, awareness-raising and capacity building. 

Mangrove forests are made up of plants and various other life forms that have adapted to thrive in particular conditions such as intertidal and salty environments in tropical and sub-tropical coastal regions of the world. 

Despite their limited area and global distribution, mangrove forests are a source of various ecosystem services that contribute to the well-being of humanity and the environment. Mangrove ecosystems provide provisioning services such as timber, fuelwood, tannin, edible fruits, and fodder for animals. 

Despite their value and benefits, mangroves are disappearing at alarming rates due to anthropogenic activities. Sierra Leone is losing about 1% of mangroves vegetation annually (Mondal et al., 2018). This trend results from a combination of pressures driving the loss of mangrove forests—60% of which are tied to direct or indirect anthropogenic factors (Spalding and Leal, 2021). Human activities are exacerbating the vulnerability of mangroves to the effects of climate change. In Sierra Leone, for instance, mangrove forests are threatened by the excessive harvesting of wood for energy and construction, urbanization due to population growth (the case of Sherbro River Estuary), mining (salt, sand, mineral mining- bauxite, rutile), pollution, climate change and the looming emergence of the oil and gas industry (Feka et al., 2021). As mangroves degrade, their corresponding ability to continue providing ecosystem services fails. The immediate consequence of this failure is the resulting negative socio-economic impacts on the environment and society—for instance, the release of emissions into the atmosphere and the loss of fish-breeding sites. Consequently, many coastal communities in Sierra Leone are losing their lives and primary livelihoods due to increased vulnerability to floods as a result of the disappearance of mangroves which usually serve as defense in times of coastal flooding. They are also now exposed to the high intensity of sunlight and heat waves as the land lay bare of trees to regulate sun rays. 

Therefore, to reduce the rapid loss of Sierra Leone mangrove ecosystems, especially in the Yawri Bay and Scarcies River Estuary, there is an urgent need to restore the mangroves in coastal communities around the Yawri Bay and Scarcies River Estuary. This consultancy is intended to map out degraded mangrove sites in the project landscapes.  

Project Objective: To restore degraded mangrove ecosystems in Yawri Bay and Scarcies River Estuary for conservation, livelihoods, and climate change mitigation.

Specific Objective: To identify and map degraded areas suitable for mangrove restoration.

Scope of Work:

The consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:

1. Literature Review: Conduct a review of existing literature on mangrove ecosystems in Yawri Bay MPA and the Scarcies River Estuary, including reports, studies, and datasets related to mangrove distribution, degradation, and restoration.

2. 
   Remote Sensing and GIS Analysis: Use remote sensing and GIS techniques to identify and map degraded areas within the mangrove ecosystem in the project communities. This will involve: 

1. Analyzing satellite imagery (e.g., Landsat) and other relevant data sources to identify areas of mangrove degradation.
2. Creating a baseline map of existing mangrove cover and degraded areas.
3. Identifying potential restoration sites based on factors such as land tenure system, land use/land cover, and communities’ willingness to participate in restoration. 

3. 
   Field Surveys: Conduct field surveys to validate the findings from the remote sensing and GIS analysis. This will involve: 
4. Community consultation and site visits: Engage project communities to solicit indigenous knowledge on mangrove degradation, restoration, and management strategies.   This will involve visiting potential restoration sites to assess their condition and suitability for mangrove restoration. 
5. 
   Mapping and Reporting: Create detailed maps of degraded areas and potential restoration sites. The maps should be presented in a format suitable for use in restoration planning and implementation.
6. 
   Technical Report: Prepare a technical report that includes:
   i) An overview of the methodology used for degraded areas mapping.
   ii) A description of the data sources and analysis techniques employed.
   iii) Presentation of findings, including maps and tables.
   iv) Recommendations for mangrove restoration in Western Rural Area (Yawri Bay MPA) and Kambia (Scarcies River Estuary).  
7. Deliverables:
   
   1. Degraded Areas Map: A detailed map of degraded areas in each community is produced. This will include the total areas (ha) of degraded sites, presented in a suitable format (e.g., shapefile, GeoTIFF).
8. 
   Interim report: Submit an interim report one week after data collection to inform and guide the project team to better plan for the restoration exercise. 
9. Technical Report: A comprehensive report that documents the methodology, findings, and recommendations for mangrove restoration.
10. 
    Data: All data collected during the assignment, including field survey data, remote sensing data, and GIS analysis outputs.
11. 
    Submit detailed implementation plan outlining timing for activity implementation and resources needed for implementation.   
12. Timeline:
    
    The consultant is expected to complete the assignment within one month commencing 25th July to the 25th August 2025.
    
    9. Requirements and Qualifications:
    
    The consultant should have:
    
    1. Relevant experience: In remote sensing, GIS, and/or mangrove ecology and restoration.
    2. Technical expertise: In using remote sensing and GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS, ENVI).
    3. Field experience: In conducting field surveys in mangrove ecosystems.
    4. Good communication skills: In report writing and presentation.
    
    
    10. Submission Requirement

Interested applicants or consulting teams should submit their proposals, including:
1. A technical proposal outlining their approach, methodology and timeline

2. Final proposal outlining their costs and payment scheduled;
3. A CV or company profile highlighting their expertise and experience to:   

 The Human Resource and Admin Officer at CSSL margaret.ngaujah@cs-sl.org specifically mentioning the subject Degraded Areas Mapping for Mangrove Restoration. In your proposal submission, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria outlined above. Submission of Proposal Duration: 7th July 2025 – 21st July 2025 

11. 
    Evaluation Criteria:
    
    Proposals will be evaluated based on:
    
    1. Technical merit: Relevance of experience, technical expertise, and approach.
    2. Financial proposal: Reasonableness of costs and value for money.
    3. Capacity and experience: Ability to complete the assignment within the required timeframe.