Consultant (m/f/d) - Cost-Benefit Analysis for Mangrove-Based Adaptation Projects

FORLIANCE GmbH; Weißenburg in Bayern; On-site; EUR 78,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contract: Individual consultancy

Duration: Up to 12 months

Location: Archipelago of San Andrés,

Travel costs covered

Job summary

FORLIANCE GmbH seeks an experienced consultant to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis for mangrove conservation and restoration investments in Colombia. The assignment involves baseline reviews, scenario development, cost estimation and hydrodynamic modelling to value ecosystem services and project feasibility.

You will work with CORALINA and local stakeholders, applying EbA approaches and advanced valuation methods, with GIS support and strong writing skills required.

Qualifications

• University degree in environmental engineering, industrial engineering, forestry, biology, economics or related field.
• Master’s degree in environmental economics, natural-resource economics, climate change management, environmental sciences or related discipline. PhD an advantage.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in environmental, climate change or sustainable-development projects.
• At least 3 years of proven experience applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to environmental or climate-investment projects.
• Demonstrated experience in Ecosystem-based Adaptation, Nature-based Solutions and coastal or mangrove ecosystems.
• Experience facilitating participatory workshops with government institutions and local communities.
• Experience in Latin America and/or the Caribbean; island contexts an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge of economic valuation methods, including avoided-damage and replacement-cost approaches.
• Strong skills in R, Stata and advanced Excel.
• Advanced proficiency in ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.
• Full professional proficiency in Spanish and intermediate English.

Responsibilities

• Conduct baseline assessment and desk review of climate, ecological and socio-economic data.
• Facilitate identification of up to three priority intervention areas with stakeholders.
• Develop baseline and intervention scenarios for mangrove conservation and restoration.
• Estimate investment and operational costs (CAPEX and OPEX) over time horizons.
• Conduct hydrodynamic modelling to assess coastal-protection benefits of mangroves.
• Value ecosystem services including avoided damages and blue-carbon potential.
• Calculate NPV, IRR and BCR for CBA.
• Carry out sensitivity analyses and prepare final technical report, decision matrix, geodatabase and maps.

Skills

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Participatory workshops

Economic valuation methods

R

Stata

Excel (Advanced)

ArcGIS Pro

QGIS

Hydrodynamic modelling (general)

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering/related field

Master’s degree in environmental economics/natural-resource economics/climate change management/related discipline

PhD (advantage)

Tools

ADCIRC+SWAN

XBeach

Delft3D

Job description

Your responsibilities

FORLIANCE GmbH is seeking an experienced individual consultant to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) for potential mangrove conservation and restoration investments in the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Colombia.

The consultancy forms part of the IKI-funded project“From Roots to Tides: Resilient Ecosystems”, implemented by a consortium led by Fondo Patrimonio Natural, together with INVEMAR, IIAP and FORLIANCE. The project supports climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable community-based economic opportunities in Colombia’s Caribbean and Pacific regions.

Assignment

The consultant will develop a robust CBA for up to three priority mangrove intervention areas, assessing the socio-economic and environmental value of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) measures.

Key responsibilities include:

• Conducting a baseline assessment and targeted desk review of climate, ecological and socio-economic data.
• Facilitating the identification and selection of up to three priority intervention areas with relevant stakeholders.
• Developing baseline (“no action”) and intervention scenarios for mangrove conservation and ecological restoration.
• Estimating investment and operational costs (CAPEX and OPEX) over relevant time horizons.
• Conducting hydrodynamic modelling to assess the coastal-protection benefits of mangroves under different storm scenarios.
• Valuing ecosystem services, including avoided damages and blue-carbon potential.
• Calculating key CBA indicators, including Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR).
• Carrying out sensitivity analyses and preparing a final technical report, decision matrix, geodatabase and maps.

The assignment will be implemented in close coordination with FORLIANCE, CORALINA and relevant local stakeholders. FORLIANCE will support coordination with partners and may provide technical support on GIS and biophysical modelling where required.

Your profile

• University degree in environmental engineering, industrial engineering, forestry, biology, economics or a related field.
• Master’s degree in environmental economics, natural-resource economics, climate change management, environmental sciences or a related discipline. A PhD is an advantage.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in environmental, climate change or sustainable-development projects.
• At least 3 years of proven experience applying Cost-Benefit Analysis to environmental or climate-investment projects.
• Demonstrated experience in Ecosystem-based Adaptation, Nature-based Solutions and, ideally, coastal or mangrove ecosystems.
• Experience facilitating participatory workshops with government institutions and local communities.
• Experience in Latin America and/or the Caribbean; experience in island contexts is an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge of economic valuation methods, including avoided-damage and replacement-cost approaches.
• Strong skills in R, Stata and advanced Excel.
• Proven experience with hydrodynamic modelling tools such as ADCIRC+SWAN, XBeach, Delft3D or similar.
• Advanced proficiency in ArcGIS Pro or QGIS.
• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.
• Full professional proficiency in Spanish and intermediate English.

What we offer

• Contract type: Individual consultancy; subcontracting is not permitted.
• Duration: Up to 12 months from contract signature.
• Location: The assignment focuses on the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, Colombia.
• Travel, accommodation, local mobilisation and fieldwork costs required for the assignment will be covered by the project.

OUR MISSION:

We let values GROW:

• we grow well financed, managed and monitored forests and ecosystems
• we grow long-term alliances with project stakeholders and clients
• we grow financial mechanisms and payment for ecosystem services to scale and improve projects
• we grow transparency and traceability through robust carbon standards, digital solutions, and earth observation technologie
• we grow the competency of our team by trainings, education and onboarding world leading experts.

We create positive impact on our CLIMATE:

• we partner with implementation organizations, international investors and development banks to develop the most robust climate projects
• we help industry clients to account and manage their greenhouse emissions
• we monitor, report and verify impact and results of performance indicators
• we create climate solutions that are based on scientific research
• we initiate transformation to fight climate change and to achieve carbon targets.

We take ACTION:

• we mobilise finance for ecosystem services and develop new integrated value chains together with local stakeholders
• we use nature to build robust and proven carbon sinks by applying internationally recognized carbon standards and methodologies
• we turn carbon reduction plans into concrete action, and projects
• we think new ways and combine proven nature-based solutions with innovative financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technology
• we unlock new climate action project types and promote developing of new methodologies for carbon sinks.