Consultant - Guidance Note on Integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) into Investment Appraisal

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is leading a growing portfolio of projects in the MENA region, including the piloting of Resilient Nature-Based Water Solutions (RNBWS). Two of these projects are Al Murunah and Al Murunah+.

Al Murunah began in 2022 and will run through March 2027. In Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine, IWMI, in collaboration with implementing partners in each country, has co-developed pilot projects with agricultural communities. These pilot projects address challenges related to water resource management, agricultural production, and livelihoods.

Al Murunah+ places an increased focus on livelihoods and gender social norms interventions within Al Murunah. These additional components include:

• Household-level access to finance, asset transfers, or comparable mechanisms to support the uptake of climate change adaptation technologies and practices; and
• The delivery of a household-level and community leadership-oriented curriculum for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention.

IWMI is now exploring avenues to scale these approaches, including through development bank financing pipelines. Furthermore, development banks, bilateral donors, and government officials have identified project design and appraisal processes as barriers to scaling nature-based solutions (see, for example, the Jordan and Egypt policy dialogues under Al Murunah).

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The objective of this assignment is to develop Guidance Note 2: Integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) into Investment Appraisal: Entry Points for Financial Institutions.

This guidance note will support financial institutions, including development finance institutions, multilateral development banks, and commercial banks, to integrate NbS into their investment and project appraisal processes. It will provide practical entry points, appraisal tools, and financing models that make NbS bankable and replicable across different institutional mandates and financing models.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Consultant will develop a guidance product of a maximum of 15 pages, excluding a one-page executive summary and references section, addressing the following:

• Screening approaches for identifying where NbS can add value within investment pipelines and project preparation.
• How NbS can be incorporated into conventional infrastructure appraisal and climate-risk assessment frameworks without requiring standalone project structures.
• Mechanisms for allocating dedicated NbS components within larger infrastructure investments (e.g., as line items within municipal infrastructure loans).
• Methods for assessing the economic, operational, and resilience benefits of NbS, including water-risk reduction, climate-risk reduction, asset longevity, and operational cost savings.
• Key appraisal considerations, including the valuation of co-benefits, maintenance requirements, and performance monitoring.
• Institutional and financing barriers to NbS integration and practical approaches to addressing them.

The Consultant will develop the guidance document through the following activities:

Primary Drafting:

• Drawing on their expertise, experience, and knowledge.
• Conducting a desk review, including relevant IWMI project materials.
• Engaging with relevant professionals identified by the Consultant through the inception plan. At least three key informant interviews are expected to support the initial drafting.
• Developing a case study as described below:

Case study

The Consultant will draw on a municipal infrastructure financing model as a practical case study, illustrating how a modest NbS component (e.g., 5–10% of the total loan value) can be embedded within larger infrastructure loans.

The Consultant is expected to demonstrate how this approach could be adapted by development banks, commercial banks, and other financial institutions across different sectors and geographies.

After revision with IWMI and External Professionals:

• Collaborating with the IWMI technical team and communications focal point for refinement and review.
• Engaging with two to three external professionals to review the draft, as identified by IWMI.

DELIVERABLES:

1. Inception note outlining approach, outline of guidance, and consultation plan - 5 days after contract start
2. First draft exclusive of case study - 15 days after contract start
3. Complete first draft - 20 days after contract start
4. Final guidance document, incorporating feedback from IWMI and external stakeholders - 5 days after receiving feedback from IWMI & external stakeholders.

MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Degree or master’s degree in environmental engineering, Water Resources, Natural Resource Economics, Urban Planning, Climate Finance, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated experience working specifically on nature-based solutions (NbS), green or grey-green infrastructure, or ecosystem-based approaches to water and climate risk.
• Demonstrated experience integrating NbS into infrastructure investment, appraisal, or climate-risk frameworks used by IFIs, development banks, or municipal financing institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in infrastructure investment appraisal, project preparation, climate-risk assessment, or financing frameworks used by IFIs, development banks, commercial banks, or municipal financing institutions.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Good understanding of NbS bankability, economic and financial appraisal, blended finance, and approaches for integrating NbS components into larger infrastructure investments.
• Track record of producing guidance notes, technical reports, or knowledge products for institutional or donor audiences.

Benefits

This is an internationally recruited consultancy position, therefore individuals with relevant qualifications and experience are encouraged to apply. The contract duration is three and a half (3.5) months.