Policy and Technical Advisor (Disaster Risk Reduction)

United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)

Home-based/Remote

Result of Service

• Strengthened Branch partnerships on NBS for disaster and climate resilience across/within UNEP and with external partners
• Strengthened UNEP DRR strategy including for resource mobilization

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

initially 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The Disasters and Conflicts Branch works to reduce environmental causes and consequences of disasters and conflicts and promotes environmental security and resilience to reduce disaster and conflict risks.

Under its Disaster Risk Reduction portfolio, UNEP’s work includes promoting and upscaling Nature-based Solution (NBS) or Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR), an integrated approach to promoting both sustainable and resilient development. UNEP aims to meet the growing demand from countries and communities to enhance resilience to disasters and climate risks and address the limited or lack of technical expertise for scaling-up implementation of NBS for disaster and climate resilience. It raises public and private sector awareness and seeks to influence institutional practices and programs. By doing so, UNEP aims to catalyze increased public and private sector investments for scaling up Eco-DRR interventions at national, regional and global levels and advancing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.

UNEP is also working to reduce environmental and pollution risks associated with extractives and industrial-related activities. In this context, UNEP works to strengthen Government institutional and policy capacities for improved environmental governance and management in the extractives sector, particularly in the oil and gas sector, while enabling countries to support their climate commitments and work towards a sustainable and just energy transition.

An international consultant with climate and DRR expertise is required to support UNEP’s normative and policy engagements and partnerships at global level, as well as provide technical support towards project implementation in countries.

Objectives, output expectations :-

• Delivers thorough, well-reasoned contributions, e.g., policy recommendations, policy briefs, speaking points, trends analysis, substantive sections of reports and studies, publications, etc.
• Identifies and develops new concepts /proposals for future resource mobilization and partnership development
• Organizes events/webinars/trainings related to global outreach and awareness raising in relation to NBS and disaster and climate resilience

Deliverables

  1. Policy engagement/advisory support towards the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework (10 days)
    • Technical Review of the MTR process and further refine UNEP policy positions/recommendations, taking into account UNDRR MTR report on Planetary Boundaries and Synthesis Report on the MTR, as well as the Political Declaration.
  • January to early February 2023
    • Development of policy brief for UNEP senior management on the MTR, – February
    • Meeting minutes of attendance of UN DRR Technical Focal Point meetings on the MTR and other UN level engagements related to the MTR , January – March
    • UNEP senior management speaking points for the UN General Assembly meeting in New York to conclude the MTR – –
  • April-May
  1. Provision of technical advisory services on other DRR normative/policy engagements ( 15 days)
    • Technical reviews and inputs provided to support Branch mainstreaming of disasters and conflicts in UNEP’s new Medium Term Strategy and across Divisions/Regional Offices programme /project cooperation project frameworks
    • Support UNEP engagements in the Center of Excellence on Disaster and Climate and Resilience, convened by UNDRR and WMO, and UNEP priorities for engagement identified
    • Support UNEP engagements in the IASC Sub-Group on Climate and UNEP priorities for engagement identified and potential collaborations identified
    • Support in undertaking the UNEP’s annual reporting towards the UN Plan of Action on DRR; compilation of UNEP inputs across the organization and report submitted
  • January to June
  1. Strengthened partnerships / partnerships development towards resource mobilization (30 days)
    • Discuss/advance potential project collaboration with PEDRR partners on Opportunity Mapping for disaster and climate resilience under the UNCCD G20 Initiative Global Initiative on Land
    • Support PEDRR collaboration to work on and promote multi-goal (SLM-EBA-Eco-DRR-NbS) on Land management under the UNCCD CoP in May 2023 , including development of a joint policy brief
    • Support development and refinement of PEDRR advocacy/collaboration working with targeted sectors (agriculture, water, tourism, urban), including e.g. advancing partnerships on UNEP’s draft project concept on tourism and NBS for DRR and adaptation
    • Partners working on technological / industrial hazards and risk reduction, including those industries linked to the extractives and the green transition, to be identified and at least one technical working session convened to discuss UN system support to address climate and environmental issues

Qualifications/special skills

A relevant postgraduate degree in environment, geography, disaster risk management, urban development, or a related discipline.
• At least 5 years’ experience of policy and technical advisory services and coordination in the field of environment, disaster risk reduction / disaster management, climate change adaptation and humanitarian action
• Experience in programme and project design and project implementation and management;
• Demonstrated experience in partnership development and resource mobilization in the field of environment, disaster risk reduction, and climate change
• Demonstrated experience in research and technical writing and preparing reports for publication;
• Demonstrated experience in planning, facilitating logistics and delivering workshops/ events/ trainings
• Experience working on climate and environment issues related to the green transition is an advantage

Languages

Oral and written fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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