Expertise: Climate Adaptation and Resilience
Expertise Group: Biological Sciences & Ecology
Consultant Source: International
TOR Keywords:
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
Swachh Bharat (‘Clean India’) Mission-U 2.0 (SBM 2.0) Urban is a Government of India led initiative in
partnership with states, union territories and urban local bodies (ULBs) to make all cities ‘garbage
free’ with the goal to improve the quality of life of the urban population. The mission focuses on
establishing sustainable municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in around 4,000 urban local bodies
through creating an enabling environment, investing in quality infrastructure and MSWM systems,
strengthening national and local institutions, and promoting behavioral change in the minimization and
disposal of waste. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) through
states and union territories.
To support SBM 2.0, ADB will engage researchers to conduct a study to examine the health and economic
impacts of enhanced solid waste management (SWM) services and infrastructure on citizens and sector
workers, with additional focuses on resilience to climate change, women and girls, and social equity.
This work is being funded by the Urban Resilience Trust Fund (URTF), an initiative of the UK’s Foreign
and Commonwealth Development Office.
Scope of Work
Gather, interrogate and analyze data on solid waste management practices, human health, and economic
performance in a statistically representative number of urban local bodies in India. Data is to be
anonymized to protect privacy. The data gathering should also establish when solid waste management
practices were implemented, and roles and responsibilities both in the formal and informal sectors.
Quantify the health and economic impacts of improved solid waste management on sector workers and city
residents, disaggregating these impacts by gender, age bracket, income, and caste, where possible.
Similarly, quantify the health and economic impacts of uncollected waste, disaggregating by gender, age
bracket, income, and caste, where possible. A means for quantitatively estimating such impacts for
application to other cities should be developed.
Identify the role of the informal waste management across the waste value chain, and include the
informal solid waste management sector in its analysis.
Quantify the economic value of unpaid solid waste management labor by women at home from waste
generation to disposal.
Examine gender roles and disparities in SWM, including unpaid labor related to waste generation,
segregation, collection and disposal.
Describe, concisely, the ways in which solid waste management and sanitation infrastructure and services
could be impacted by the effects of climate change, and how those impacts would affect human health and
the economy.
Recommend practical means by which solid waste management and sanitation infrastructure and services
could be made more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Propose metrics for future monitoring of SWM-related health and economic outcomes, and include protocols
for baselining and outcome assessment based on relevant/reliable/measurable indicators.
Include effects such as lost income and healthcare costs.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
• Assess climate vulnerabilities of existing SWM and sanitation infrastructure and services in relevant
ULBs.
• Analyze health and economic impacts of climate-related disruptions.
• Develop resilience strategies aligned with URTF’s framework:
-Climate-proofing infrastructure
-Nature-based solutions
-Community resilience
-Economic/financial resilience
• Contribute to the development of resilience indicators and monitoring protocols.
• Collaborate with the study team to integrate individual inputs and analyses into a comprehensive and
cohesive report.
• Provide inputs to the inception report, draft report, progress report, and final report.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
• Advanced degree in Climate Science, Environmental Health, Urban Planning, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in climate adaptation and resilience planning.
• Proven experience in applying climate resilience frameworks to urban infrastructure.
• Familiarity with nature-based solutions and community-based adaptation strategies.
• Strong analytical and report-writing capabilities.
Minimum General Experience: 15 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 10 Years
