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The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change and disaster risks, including sea level rise, rising temperatures and prolonged drought periods among others and must act effectively to minimise the impacts to its people. With its high population density (especially in Majuro and Ebeye atoll), accelerated development, increasing environmental degradation and limited freshwater resources, RMI is especially at risk from the added effects of climate change on the environment and health.
RMI recently in 2018 developed its mid-century climate change strategy called Tile Til Eo (TTE) 2050 CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY “Lighting the Way”. The 2050 Climate Strategy outlines a long-term pathway for RMI to achieve its objectives for net zero emissions and 100% renewable energy, as well as to facilitate adaptation and climate resilience in a way that ensures the future protection and prosperity of the country and its people.
Included in the goals of the 2050 CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY is the need to develop short term strategies incorporating adaptation and climate resilience milestones with considerations to climate sensitive health risks to be achieved every five years up to 2050. It also suggests, where appropriate, updates to relevant national policies and legislations. One such short term strategy is the forthcoming National Adaptation Plan (NAP) scheduled to be developed by 2019 which will include health considerations. The NAP will support the realisation of the 2050 CLIMATE STRATEGY goals and identify immediate short term priority actions that will build climate change and disaster risk resilience in the RMI.
Whilst the RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has a National Climate Change and Health Action Plan (NCCHAP) 2012 and have been actively engaged in addressing environmental health for many years, it does not have a fully established Environmental Health Unit or a clear climate change and health policy to guide the implementation of the NCCHAP 2012. Thus there is a need to develop a National Climate Change and Health policy supported by a revised Action Plan.
Under the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus: Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+ SUPA) project, the Government of RMI has selected health as the focus sector under Output 3. The GCCA+ SUPA project is funded by the European Union with Euros 14.89 million, and implemented over the period 2019-2022, by the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the government and people of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu. SPC is the lead organisation for the GCCA+ SUPA project. The overall objective of the SPC GCCA+ SUPA project is to enhance climate change adaptation and resilience within the ten Pacific Island countries.
The Government of RMI wishes to have in place a concise, overarching Climate Change and Health Policy that will contribute to climate change resilience. The Policy is to be supported by a 5-year Action Plan with clear objectives, targets and indicators that will improve the coordination and effectiveness of the Environmental Health Unit, located under the Office of Health Planning, Policy Preparedness & Epidemiology in the MOHHS.
SPC is seeking a consultant(s) to (i) Conduct a review of all relevant documents and of the implementation of NCCHAP 2012; (ii) Participate in a Climate Change and Health Symposium in January 2020; (iii) Consult with stakeholders and prepare a draft policy supported by an Action Plan with a clear monitoring and evaluation framework; (iv) Review the draft and prepare final versions of the policy and the action plan.
The delivery of this consultancy will require in-depth knowledge and experience working in climate change and health in Pacific Islands. The consultant(s) will need to closely collaborate with MOHHS, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Culture, Office of Environmental Policy, Planning and Coordination, other ministries, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in RMI, and the GCCA+ SUPA team based in Suva, Fiji. The consultant(s) will be required to travel to Majuro, RMI, for minimum two visits, one of which is to include the Climate Change and Health Symposium scheduled for 30-31 January 2020. Delivery of the GCCA+ SUPA project requires understanding and application of a gender-sensitive and rights-based approach (more information on a rights-based approach is available at http://rrrt.spc.int/).