View Notice

Pre Bid Meeting Minutes; RFP for Support implementation of CHT Watershed Co-Management Activity (CHTWCA) of CHTDF-UNDP; RFP references - http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=19546,19547 and 19548
Procurement Process :RFP - Request for proposal
Office :CHTDF, UNDP, Rangamati - BANGLADESH
Deadline :08-Jan-15
Posted on :04-Dec-14
Development Area :OTHER  OTHER
Reference Number :19742
Documents :
Pre-Bid Meeting Minutes; References -http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=19546,19547 and 19548
Overview : Overview : CHT and CHTDF The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a unique place in Bangladesh with its diverse cultural presence, topography, bio-diversity and socio-political settings. The area has remained virtually isolated from rest of the country, and the inhabitants hardly had access to the benefits of regular development till the signing of the CHT Peace Accord of 1997 which paved the way for regular development initiatives. Since the signing of CHT Peace Accord, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been providing support to minimize the development gaps in CHT, and presently the UNDP, through Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF), is implementing the joint project “Promotion of Development and Confidence Building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)” in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and different development partners. Watershed Management in CHT Traditionally CHT communities are managing forest commons, often known as Village Common Forest (VCF) or Mouza Forests. CHT Regulation 1900 allows traditional institutions (Circle Chiefs, Mouza Headman and Karbaries) to maintain at least one ‘mouza reserve/forest’ (or VCF) in each Mouza to be managed with participation of the local communities. These community managed forest commons supports community livelihoods by supplying house construction materials, medicinal plants, fire wood, bamboo, timber, and fruits, as well as they provide habitats for endangered plants and wildlife. More importantly, these forests play the critical role in ensuring water flows in the small streams to supply water for drinking, household uses and irrigation in most parts of CHT. Many of these forest commons have been degrading, as their numbers and forest coverage are shrinking day-by-day. Deforestation and forest degradation coupled with unsustainable land uses in the watersheds has already resulted in excessive soil erosion and scarcity of water affecting livelihoods adversely. CHTDF in Micro Watershed and Community Forest Management In light of the current situation, CHTDF has initiated support for natural resource and watershed management and piloted several community based management models for forest commons and small streams, incorporating among others community-level environmental awareness and livelihood improvement of natural resource dependent communities. CHTDF will scale this up under its new CHT Watershed Co-Management Activity (CHTWCA) supported by USAID focusing on creating and sustaining a participatory forest and watershed management model around the VCFs and small streams in CHT to sustain communities’ livelihoods as well as to conserve the local biodiversity and ecosystem. Currently, CHTDF has planned to expand the community based watershed management incorporating forests, streams and sustainable farming in number of micro-watersheds within 3 hill districts and CHTDF has planned to engage local partner NGO for supporting in implementing different activities in the selected site(s) set out in this TOR.