Consultancy for Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Infrastructure Design

NOTE: Any questions or requests for clarification regarding this Terms of Reference should be submitted to procurement-desk@pactbelize.org.

Terms of Reference for Consultancy for Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Infrastructure Design in Four (4) Communities Across Two (2) Districts – Belize

Project: Flood Disaster Mitigation and Management for Vulnerable Communities in the Orange Walk and Toledo District

Activity: 1.1.1 - Assessment of flooding patterns and devising proper drainage plans in local communities

Outcome: Reduce floodwater damage to properties

Duration: Four months commencing on the contract agreement date

1. Background

As a low-lying developing state, Belize is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as sea level rise, erosion, storm surges, and flooding. A 2014 assessment categorized Belize’s vulnerability index to climate change as extremely high: ranking 9th on the list of 38 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF, 2014). The assessment highlighted the country’s high risk to climate change based on its adaptive capacity linked to the vulnerability of the agriculture sector. Belize is seasonally affected by tropical storms and hurricanes, which on average, according to scientific reports, are becoming more intense each year because of human-induced global warming and higher sea surface temperatures. Belize is also highly exposed to other natural hazards such as flooding and drought, more pronounced in inland areas. These can lead to infrastructure and economic losses, especially in agricultural and human settlement during the hurricane season. There has also been evidence that the average annual temperature of Belize has been rising and is projected to rise further. Effectively addressing the threat of climate change requires a multidisciplinary approach involving policymakers, technical experts, the private and public sectors, and local communities. This collaborative effort is essential to seek solutions and implement changes that enable effective adaptation to climate change impacts. To reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to future climate risks and hazards Belize must devise mechanisms to adapt to the imminent changes affecting economic sectors, livelihoods, and natural ecosystems.

The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) has received grant funding from the Adaptation Fund (AF) for the project “Building Community Resilience via Transformative Adaptation,” under the Enhanced Direct Access (EDA) funding window. The goal of this project is to improve Belize’s long-term capacity to protect communities from climate threats posed by drought, unpredictable water availability, floods and improper wildfire management.

The Project is being executed by PACT and will function as an on-granting mechanism for climate finance in country, targeting five interlinked project components:

Component One: Safeguarding Forest and Water Resources through Strategic Protection and Restoration Solutions.

Component Two: Combating Wildfires through Adaptive Management.

Component Three: Creating Opportunities to Support Alternative Livelihoods.

Component Four: Building National Capacity to Access Adaptation Finance.

Component Five: Community Disaster Risk Management.

1. Scope of Work

The Consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

1.1 Inception Phase

• Convene an inception meeting with representatives from PACT, MRTCDLG, and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH) to confirm the scope of work, clarify expectations, finalize deliverables, discuss logistics, and agree on timelines.
• Review relevant literature, national policies, previous assessments, hydrological and meteorological datasets, spatial maps, planning documents, and regulatory frameworks.
• Prepare and submit an Inception Report outlining:

• • Background of the project
  • Understanding of objectives
  • Refined methodology
  • Detailed work plan and timeline
  • Deliverables schedule
  • Stakeholder engagement plan
  • Identified risks and proposed mitigation measures
  • Any adjustments agreed upon during the inception meeting

1.2 Data Collection and Field Assessments

• Conduct field visits in all four (4) communities.
• Collect primary data through:

• • Key informant interviews (village leaders, local authorities, technical officers and residents in flood-prone areas)
  • Community consultations
  • Physical site inspections and field observations

• Assess existing drainage systems, waterways, culverts, embankments, and related infrastructure.
• Document historical flood events, including extent, depth, frequency, and recurrence patterns (where data is available).
• Collect GPS coordinates and photographic documentation.
• Identify and document critical infrastructure exposed to flooding, including households, schools, roads, businesses, and utilities.

1.3 Technical Analysis

The Consultant shall:

• Characterize relevant climate variables and establish a climate baseline using historical rainfall, temperature, storm, and tropical cyclone data. 

• Apply hydrologic and hydraulic analysis tools to describe the behaviour of drainage systems and water flow in the project area. 

• Define hydrologic and hydraulic variables for flood-prone areas, including drainage infrastructure and roadways.  

• Incorporate mid-century climate change projections (circa 2055) to define design parameters for roads and hydraulic structures in flood-prone areas. 

• Consider extreme weather events, including maximum 24-hour rainfall, hurricanes, and tropical storms, for design purposes. Both historical data and future scenarios will be required. 

• Recommend appropriate recurrence intervals for meteorological events (e.g., 1-in-10, 20, 50, 100-year events) impacting the proposed design of the infrastructure.  

• Analyze hydrological, topographical, and environmental data including rainfall projections, to inform the scheduling of the proposed drainage infrastructure and to provide evidence-based justification for the recommended intervention. 

• Develop hydraulic and roadway/drainage design options in flood-prone areas based on the climate change scenarios identified above, including various storm event scenarios (1-in-10, 20, 50, 100-year events), considering historical precipitation data, climate model forecasts, catchment characteristics, topography, and soil conditions.

• Develop flood hazard maps categorizing risk levels for all relevant storm scenarios (1­in­10,20, 50, 100-year events) 

• Develop flood vulnerability maps for the project area and flood-prone roads/drainage, showing projected water levels under mid-century (2055) climate conditions for 1-in-10, 20, 50, 100-year flood events. Maps should indicate current development, critical infrastructure, and populations at risk, at a minimum scale of 1:5000 or a scale appropriate to the study catchment, as agreed with the Client. 

• Conduct exposure and vulnerability assessments of community assets and infrastructure. 

• Identify infrastructure and institutional preparedness gaps. 

• Develop preliminary engineering design recommendations for drainage and flood mitigation structures, including scaled layout drawings, typical cross-sections, sizing calculations, and technical specifications suitable for procurement planning and competitive contractor bidding 

• Identify key vulnerable hotspots and potential climate adaptation measures and prioritize these measures through an economic assessment of each technically feasible option, using cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis as appropriate. 

• Conduct an Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) to evaluate potential environmental and social impacts of proposed interventions. 

 2. Outputs and Deliverables 

Reporting

The Consultant shall prepare and submit:

1. Inception Report
2. Draft Flood Risk Assessment and Design Report
3. Final Flood Risk Assessment and Design Report
4. Environmental and Social Assessment Report

The Draft and Final Reports shall include:

• Executive Summary
• Introduction and Background
• Methodology
• Community Profiles detailing demographic characteristics (e.g., number of households, household size) and relevant environmental features.
• Flood Hazard Mapping
• Risk and Vulnerability Analysis
• Infrastructure Gap Analysis
• Engineering Design Recommendations
• Prioritized Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Interventions, based on flood hazard and vulnerability assessments, engineering design recommendations, and economic analysis of the technically feasible adaptation measures, accompanied by detailed guidelines for the upkeep and maintenance of the proposed interventions
• Conclusions
• Annexes (maps, datasets, photos, survey instruments, stakeholder lists, etc.)

Deliverables

The Consultant shall submit the following:

1. Inception Report (within fifteen (15) working days of inception meeting)
2. Draft Flood Risk Assessment and Design Report
3. Environmental and Social Assessment Report
4. Final Flood Risk Assessment and Design Report
5. All GIS files, spatial data, maps, design drawings (editable formats), and raw datasets supporting the assessment and design (to be provided in editable, GIS- compatible formats as standalone deliverables and included as annexes to the reports).

All reports shall be submitted in both Word and PDF formats. Spatial data shall be delivered in editable, GIS-compatible formats. The Consultant shall formally present the key findings, conclusion, and recommendations of the assessment to MRTCDLG and PACT.

 The timeline below is indicative. The consultant shall propose a detailed work plan and schedule in their technical proposal, provided that all deliverables are completed within four (4) months of contract signing.

• Inception Meeting – Within 1 week of contract signing
• Submission of Inception Report – Within 2–3 weeks of contract signing
• Submission of Draft Flood Risk Assessment & Design Report – Within 8 weeks of contract signing
• Review & Feedback from Client – Within 1–2 weeks after submission of draft report
• Submission of Environmental & Social Assessment (ESA) Report – Within 12 weeks of contract signing
• Presentation (Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations) to MRTCDLG and PACT – Within 14 weeks of contract signing
• Submission of Final Flood Risk Assessment & Design Report & GIS/Data Files – Within 16 weeks of contract signing

3. Payment Schedule

Payments shall be made based on agreed contractual milestones as follows:

• 15% upon signing of the Contract
• 20% upon submission of the Inception Report
• 20% upon submission of the Draft Flood Risk Assessment & Design Report
• 20% upon submission of the Environmental and Social Assessment Report
• 25% upon approval of the Final Flood Risk Assessment & Design Report

4. Reporting and Coordination

The Consultant shall report directly to the designated Flood Mitigation Project Officer at MRTCDLG.

All deliverables shall be reviewed and formally approved by the MRTCDLG prior to final acceptance.

The MRTCDLG will facilitate introductions to relevant government agencies, local authorities, and community leaders as necessary to support the execution of the assignment.

5. Qualifications and Experience 

The consultant must possess:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Hydrology, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Management, Geography, or a related field.
• At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience in flood risk assessment, hydrological analysis, or disaster risk reduction.
• Proven experience conducting community-level vulnerability assessments.
• Demonstrated expertise in GIS and spatial analysis tools.
• Strong analytical, technical writing, and reporting skills.
• Experience working in similar geographic and socio-economic contexts will be considered an asset.

6. Application

Interested Consultants shall submit a Technical and Financial Proposal along with supporting documentation demonstrating their qualifications and experience to undertake this assignment.