Terms of Reference (TOR) - Develop Climate Resilient Health Policy in Parsa Rural Municipality, Sarlahi District, Madhesh Province, Nepal

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Develop Climate Resilient Health Policy in Parsa Rural Municipality, Sarlahi District, Madhesh Province, Nepal

Improving Women’s Health through Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Building in Sarlahi District of Nepal

June 2026

1. PROJECT SUMMARY

2. INTRODUCTION

Rural Oriented Youth Movement Nepal (ROYM-Nepal) is a National NGO established in 2009, dedicated to enhance the sustainable livelihoods of women, disadvantaged and marginalized groups of society through skill transformation, youth engagement, and transformative initiatives aligned with SDGs. Organization vision is to create a socio-economically empowered society with equality, climate and social justice through collective action. ROYM-Nepal focuses on climate change, health, education, gender equality, WASH, and sustainable livelihood. Our approaches include community based participatory actions, women led interventions, and evidence-based planning and policy advocacy.

ROYM-Nepal, with the support of Foundation S - The Sanofi Collective, is implementing the project "Improving Women’s Health through Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Building in Sarlahi District of Nepal" mitigate the adverse health impact of climate change on local women of Sarlahi, Parsa Rural Municipality. The project has been implementing in Sarlahi District that lies in the Southern belt of Nepal and federally in Madhesh Province. Madhesh Province stands in first rank of population in the country consisting of a total of population of 6,126 million (20.99%) and sex ratio is 100.99%.

Sarlahi District is significantly affected by climate change, with women bearing a disproportionate share of the impact. Due to changing climate patterns, agricultural yields have declined, leading many men to migrate for work in order to support their families. Consequently, women are left with increased responsibilities, particularly in agriculture and household management, which often forces them to neglect their own health—resulting in various physical and mental health issues.

Patriarchal social norms place a greater burden on women to manage agricultural work. As climate change reduces agricultural productivity, women are increasingly reliant on hybrid crop varieties that demand intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Without proper protective measures, exposure to these chemicals has led to severe health problems, including menstrual irregularities, uterine cancer, white discharge, miscarriages, and infertility. These health issues, coupled with growing responsibilities, have contributed to heightened psychological stress among women.

Floods are a common consequence of climate change in the project area, particularly during the monsoon season. These floods contaminate water sources, resulting in widespread waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, and typhoid. Conversely, prolonged droughts have caused water scarcity, further exacerbating the burden on women, who are traditionally responsible for fetching drinking water. This often requires walking long distances, carrying heavy loads of water, fuelwood, and fodder leading to serious physical health problems such as uterine prolapse, spinal injuries, and musculoskeletal disorders.

In addition, the rise in temperature due to climate change poses serious public health risks. A 1°C increase in mean temperature is estimated to increase malaria cases by 26%. According to a Red Cross report, temperatures across Nepal have increased by between 1°C and 1.82°C. In Sarlahi, where residents already endure extreme heat, this has created ideal conditions for the spread of malaria, affecting the entire population.

Pregnant and lactating women are particularly vulnerable, as food scarcity driven by climate change severely compromises their health and nutrition.

The project is being implemented in Sarlahi District, specifically in Wards No. 3 and 4 of Parsa Rural Municipality. Parsa Rural Municipality is located approximately 10 kilometers east of Malangwa, the district headquarters of Sarlahi.

This municipality is considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It spans an area of

23.12 square kilometers and has a total population of 24,039, of which 11,777 are female and 12,262 are male.

The project aims to enhance the resilience of women in Sarlahi, Nepal, enabling them to adapt to and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on their health. Women in Sarlahi face significant health challenges exacerbated by climate change, necessitating community-centered solutions that promote sustainability and empower women.

The project has following objectives:

1. Increase awareness of local women, and other community members about the effects of climate change on women's health.
2. Ensure women's health care services are accessible.
3. Train and prepare frontline health workers to deliver community health services with a focus on climate readiness.
4. Equip women with knowledge and skills to effectively respond during climate-related emergencies.
5. Foster leadership and advocacy skills among women to promote their active participation in community decision-making.
6. Promote climate resilient agricultural practices and alternative livelihoods.
7. Advocate for the inclusion of gender perspectives in climate and health related policies.

Among the key deliverables of the project is the development of a Climate Resilient Health Policy to guide local government in strengthening health systems against climate risks.

Link:

Detailed ToR

HOW TO APPLY

Proposal should be submitted via email to nepalroym@gmail.com. Contact person for any clarity to this call is senior-program@roymnepal.org (Senior Program Coordinator of ROYM-Nepal).

Interested team of professional experienced consultants should submit below mentioned documents by 7th of July 2026.

CV(s) of the proposed consultant(s) with full date of birth in dd/mm/yyyy format.

For firms: Copies of - Firm registration certificate, VAT registration certificate, and latest Tax clearance certificate should be submitted.

For Individuals (Nepali): Copies of citizenship certificate and PAN registration certificate. Applications not including all the above information will not be reviewed. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

If an individual is a full-time staff member of another organization, a no objection/consent letter signed by the organization head must be submitted along with the proposal. This is not applicable for proposals sent through a firm.