RECRUITMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING FIRM FOR CONDUCTING ASSESSMENT FOR CREATING READINESS TO RESPOND TO THE LOSS AND DAMAGE IN RWANDAContract Type: International Consulting FirmLocation: RwandaLanguages Required: EnglishDuration of Assignment: 90 working days spread over a period of 6 monthsExpected Starting Date: September 2025 1. BACKGROUNDRwanda is increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards such as floods, Lightning, Strong winds, droughts, and landslides, which have grown more frequent and severe due to long-term climatic shifts, including rising temperatures and irregular precipitation patterns. Significant examples include the destructive floods in 2020 and 2023, which caused substantial displacement, loss of lives, and damage to critical infrastructure, and prolonged drought periods in the Eastern Province that have affected agricultural production and water availability.   These climate-related events result in significant economic losses impacting agriculture, infrastructure, public health, and energy supply alongside non-economic consequences such as displacement, degradation of biodiversity, cultural loss, and psychosocial stress. Communities across Rwanda, particularly those in vulnerable areas such as mountainous regions and flood-prone areas, are experiencing the impacts of these shocks more acutely, exacerbating poverty and undermining development gains.   As part of its ongoing efforts to build climate resilience, Rwanda seeks to better understand and address the full spectrum of loss and damage (L&D) associated with climate change. This includes both economic and non-economic losses that are not avoided through adaptation or mitigation. As Rwanda strengthens its climate resilience, there is a need for an integrated approach to assess and quantify loss and damage (L&D), thereby guiding more effective investment in adaptation, early warning systems, and disaster preparedness and response.   The proposed study aligns with Rwanda’s national climate strategies including Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as well as global frameworks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), particularly the Fund to respond to loss and damage, Warsaw International Mechanism and the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage.   This study will generate robust evidence and strategic guidance to inform national planning, policy design, and targeted interventions. It aims to support government institutions, development partners, and local actors in strengthening L&D response mechanisms, securing climate finance, and enhancing resilience at both the community and systemic levels.   2.     OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT  The objective of this consultancy is to assess loss and damage (L&D) caused by climate change in Rwanda, and to create readiness to access funding to enable the country to respond to the economic and non-economic losses and damages.  3.      SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT This assignment focuses on evaluating the scale and nature of loss and damage resulting from climate change in Rwanda, examining sectoral impacts, spatial distribution, and implications for at-risk communities and national resilience planning. The consultants are required to conduct a national assessment of the loss and damage (L&D) caused by climate change in Rwanda in the past 10 years, focusing on the impacts of extreme weather events such as floods, landslides, thunderstorms, droughts and strong winds well as long-term changes like rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. The consultants will quantify and document the economic and non- economic losses and damages resulting from these events, providing a clear understanding of both immediate and long-term impacts. This will include identifying vulnerable communities, ecosystems, and sectors, and proposing actionable recommendations for addressing current and prevent future losses will inform the development of targeted strategies and policy actions to respond on loss and damages. Additionally, it will strengthen Rwanda’s readiness to access and utilize international climate finance for L&D by developing proposals aligning with the requirements of Fund to respond to the loss and damage and Santiago Network on Loss and damage. 4.     KEY TASKS 4.1. A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON LOSS AND DAMAGE (L&D) IN RWANDA The international consulting firm (joint venture with national experts) will be responsible for undertaking the following core tasks: ·       Conceptual framework development o   Define the scope of Loss and Damage (L&D) in the context of Rwanda, in alignment with its definition from UNFCCC, Warsaw International Mechanism and Santiago Network and Rwandas climate frameworks. o   Assess the coherence between L&D and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in the national policy and planning context. ·       Assessment of climate risks and historical events o   Analyse past temperature, rainfall trends, seasonal variability, and the frequency and intensity of extreme events to inform historical baselines. o   Identify major climate hazards such as floods, landslides, droughts, thunderstorms, and strong winds. o   Map vulnerable areas using cutting-edge tools and advanced technologies and downscaled climate models to guide risk-informed planning. ·       Loss and damage profiling o   Quantify economic losses and damages across key sectors: agriculture, infrastructure, water resources, energy, and public facilities. o   Evaluate non-economic losses and damages including displacement, biodiversity loss, cultural heritage degradation, and psychosocial effects. o   Assess livelihood impacts, particularly in rural and vulnerable communities, supporting inclusive and community-driven strategies. ·       Data collection and attribution o   collect and analyse historical L&D data/information (quantitative and qualitative data/information) related to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts from national sources (e.g., disaster databases, government reports), post disaster need assessments (PDNAs)and remote sensing. o   Develop case studies from past climate disasters to contextualise L&D dynamics. o   Apply economic modelling, GIS tools, and scenario-based analysis to estimate direct and indirect losses and support financial recommendations. ·       Policy and Institutional Analysis o   Review national policies, strategies (e.g NDC, GGCRS, DRRM plan, NST2, National Climate and Nature Finance Strategy (2024-2030) and/or other plans/frameworks), and propose appropriate institutional frameworks for national implementation and reporting systems relevant to L&D. o   Compile relevant national and regional legal, institutional and technical arrangements, including those related to loss and damage o   Map ongoing national and regional initiatives to identify synergies, overlaps, and gaps in risk governance. to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. ·       Financial and economic assessment o   Analyse direct and indirect economic losses due to climate impacts. o   Assess the best option for the access modalities established by the FRLD in regard to Rwanda context o   Assess the requirements of different options for direct access via direct budget support from the Fund to Respond to the Loss and Damage (FRLD) with response to rapid disbursement budget support and policy related budget support o   Compare adaptation costs with residual L&D costs to strengthen investment planning. o   Identify financial needs and potential funding sources (e.g., national budgets, climate finance, insurance mechanisms). ·       Gap and challenge identification o   Identify limitations related to data, institutional capacity, and resource mobilisation that hinder effective implementation. o   Analyse technical, financial, and systemic barriers to a