The World Bank has launched Global challenge programs (GCPs) to address critical issues that affect developing countries and to deliver replicable and scalable approaches to critical Global challenges. The ‘’Global Challenge Program - Forest for Development, Climate and Biodiversity’’ (GCP-F) is focusing on forest role to address the growing and interconnected crises of poverty, climate change, and biodiversity loss and to enhance forest landscapes’ contribution to People and Planet on: (i) Climate change (Carbon sequestration, carbon storage, substitution of carbon-intensive products, (ii) biodiversity (water, land erosion, pollination, soil fertility, flood control), and (iii) economic impact (Growth, employment, improved livelihoods).

Upper Guinean forests a focus of the GCP-F in West Africa provide critical ecosystem services to support economies, communities, and stabilize climate. Stretching from Guinea through eastern Sierra Leone, and extending eastward through Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and western Togo. Upper Guinean forests have long been recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot due to their rich biodiversity and exceptional concentrations of endemic species. Beyond their biodiversity significance, these forests make important contributions to national economies. Poor forest-dwelling communities are disproportionately dependent on forests for their livelihoods. Furthermore, on a global scale, these forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change by regulating local and regional climates.

Deforestation and degradation of the Upper Guinean Forests pose serious threats to the sustainable provision of their ecosystem services. About 70 percent of the original area of these forests across the six countries has been lost. The remaining fragments are concentrated in Liberia (49% of the remaining forests), Côte d’Ivoire (21%), Ghana (18%), Guinea (6%), Sierra Leone (4%), and Togo (2%). Forest loss and degradation continues at worrisome levels in all countries in the region. Côte d’Ivoire’s national forest cover has declined from 24 percent (7.8 million ha) in 1986 to 9 percent (2.9 million ha) in 2021. Guinea lost 38,000 hectares (0.59%) of forests per year during 2010-2020 (FAO 2020). In Togo, despite having low forest cover of around 7 percent, the country has one of the highest proportions of forest loss relative to forest area in the world. The annual deforestation rate between 2000 and 2015 in Togo was 6 percent. Upper Guinean Forest loss is typically driven by smallholder agricultural expansion, commercial farming, climate change, illegal logging, urbanization, insufficient expansion and protection of protected area systems, and legal and illegal mining.

Upper Guinean Forest countries have committed to reduce deforestation and forest degradation including through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the World Bank is supporting different initiatives related to forest and climate in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Togo.

The World Bank, through various trust funds including PROGREEN the global partnership for sustainable and resilient landscapes and SCALE – Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions, intends to strengthen its support to countries hosting Upper Guinean Forests to support them in REDD+ processes and the mobilization of carbon markets related financing.

In this context, the World bank intends to mobilize expertise to help national WB task teams to support countries in the development of roadmaps, programs ideas and program documentation for reducing emissions due to deforestation and forest degradation

SELECTION OF CONSULTING FIRMS BY THE WORLD BANK GROUP

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

Electronic Submissions through WBGeProcure RFx Now

ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

Assignment Title: Upper Guinean Forests - REDD+ roadmaps and ER program development in selected West African countries

Assignment Countries:

• Cote d'Ivoire
• Guinea
• Liberia
• Togo

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

The World Bank has launched Global challenge programs (GCPs) to address critical issues that affect developing countries and to deliver replicable and scalable approaches to critical Global challenges. The ‘’Global Challenge Program - Forest for Development, Climate and Biodiversity’’ (GCP-F) is focusing on forest role to address the growing and interconnected crises of poverty, climate change, and biodiversity loss and to enhance forest landscapes’ contribution to People and Planet on: (i) Climate change (Carbon sequestration, carbon storage, substitution of carbon-intensive products, (ii) biodiversity (water, land erosion, pollination, soil fertility, flood control), and (iii) economic impact (Growth, employment, improved livelihoods).

Upper Guinean forests a focus of the GCP-F in West Africaprovide critical ecosystem services to support economies, communities, and stabilize climate.Stretching from Guinea through eastern Sierra Leone, and extending eastward through Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and western Togo. Upper Guinean forests have long been recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot due to their rich biodiversity and exceptional concentrations of endemic species. Beyond their biodiversity significance, these forests make important contributions to national economies. Poor forest-dwelling communities are disproportionately dependent on forests for their livelihoods. Furthermore, on a global scale, these forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change by regulating local and regional climates.

Deforestation and degradation of the Upper Guinean Forests pose serious threats to the sustainable provision of their ecosystem services. About 70 percent of the original area of these forests across the six countries has been lost. The remaining fragments are concentrated in Liberia (49% of the remaining forests), Côte d’Ivoire (21%), Ghana (18%), Guinea (6%), Sierra Leone (4%), and Togo (2%). Forest loss and degradation continues at worrisome levels in all countries in the region. Côte d’Ivoire’s national forest cover has declined from 24 percent (7.8 million ha) in 1986 to 9 percent (2.9 million ha) in 2021. Guinea lost 38,000 hectares (0.59%) of forests per year during 2010-2020 (FAO 2020). In Togo, despite having low forest cover of around 7 percent, the country has one of the highest proportions of forest loss relative to forest area in the world. The annual deforestation rate between 2000 and 2015 in Togo was 6 percent. Upper Guinean Forest loss is typically driven by smallholder agricultural expansion, commercial farming, climate change, illegal logging, urbanization, insufficient expansion and protection of protected area systems, and legal and illegal mining.

Upper Guinean Forest countries have committed to reduce deforestation and forest degradation including through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the World Bank is supporting different initiatives related to forest and climate in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Togo.

   The World Bank, through various trust funds including PROGREEN the global partnership for sustainable and resilient landscapes and SCALE – Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions, intends to strengthen its support to countries hosting Upper Guinean Forests to support them in REDD+ processes and the mobilization of carbon markets related financing.

In this context, the World bank intends to mobilize expertise to help national WB task teams to support countries in the development of roadmaps, programs ideas and program documentation for reducing emissions due to deforestation and forest degradation

FUNDING SOURCE

The World Bank Group intends to finance the assignment / services described below under the following:

• BB: Bank Budget
• TF0C6158: PROGRN
• TF0C6385: SCALE
• TF0C6316: SCALE

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The World Bank Group invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. for firms; CV and cover letter for individuals). Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB. Firms may associate to enhance their qualifications unless otherwise stated in the solicitation documents. Where a group of firms associate to submit an EOI, they must indicate which is the lead firm. If shortlisted, the firm identified in the EOI as the lead firm will be invited to the request for proposal (RFP) phase.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through WBGeProcure RFx Now

NOTES

Following this invitation for EOI, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.

Only those firms which have been shortlisted will be invited to participate in the RFP phase. No notification or debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted.

If you encounter technical difficulties while uploading documents, please send an e-mail to the Help Desk at corporateprocurement@worldbank.org prior to the submission deadline.