Result of Service

The ultimate service of the consultancy is to strengthen the agency’s programmatic approach for climate resilience for the most vulnerable urban poor.

Work Location

Antananarivo, Madagascar

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background to UN-Habitat The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For over forty-five years UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for cities and towns of all sizes. One of the four focus area under the Strategic Plan 2020-2025 is Strengthened Climate Action and Improved Urban Environment. UN-Habitat’s Global Solutions Division (GSD) is overseeing the Agency’s operational work as well as the institutional and programmatic relationship with climate and biodiversity initiatives, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The Global Solutions Division is responsible for providing programmatic direction to UN-Habitat and accountable for the programmatic delivery of its Strategic Plan. The division leads tools and methodology production and the integration of substantive competencies towards effective delivery. Within GSD, the Programme Development Branch (PDB) is responsible for the overall coordination of programme development. It brings together normative and operational expertise supporting high-quality integrated programmes that maximize results across the outcomes and the domains of change in UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan, of which one is Strengthened climate action and improved urban environment. The Domain of Change focuses on three outcomes: 1. Reduced greenhouse emissions and improved air quality 2. Improved resource efficiency and protection of ecological assets 3. Effective adaptation of communities and infrastructure to climate change Delivery of the three outcomes under the Domain of Change to strengthen climate action and improve the urban environment is supported by UN-Habitat’s flagship programme on Resilient Settlements for the Urban Poor – RISE UP. This flagship programme is aimed at increasing the resilience and socio-economic prosperity of urban poor communities in the Global South by 2030. It will achieve this by reducing climate change risk-related disruption to livelihoods and improving basic service provision for a significant proportion of the more than 3.3 – 3.6 billion people living in vulnerable climate hotspots and the more than one billion urban dwellers who live in informal settlements today. To assist the strong commitment of the PDB intervention in country level, Regional Office for Africa (ROAf) commits to communicate with the government counterparts, UNCT, UN agencies, funds and programme (UN AFPs), donors, and development partners in countries, and to seek the further upscaling of the UN-Habitat country presence in Africa. Background to Consultancy Recognizing heightened climate, biodiversity and unplanned urbanization risks and vulnerabilities in LDCs and developing countries, and a lack of access to climate finance, this project will enhance capacities of national and local governments in least-developed countries and small island developing states, especially Lao PDR, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, on financing for urban sustainable, net-zero, climate resilient and nature positive development. Through south-south, regional and interregional cooperation between the four countries, the valuable exchange of knowledge, lessons, resources and technical know-how will collectively build and strengthen the capacities of national and local governments in technical topics relating to the project. The project will further seek to mobilize finance for accelerating climate adaptation and resilience efforts where the cascading and compounding urban risks and vulnerabilities are the highest. The project will assess multi-layered urban risks and vulnerabilities to climate change, biodiversity degradation, and urbanization, propose responsive action, and prioritize the development of bankable urban climate action proposals in LDCs and developing countries. These will be presented to bi- and multilateral climate donors, investors and funds to accelerate access to climate finance for LDCs and developing countries. The project will further highlight the urban multi-layered vulnerabilities of climate change, biodiversity degradation, and urbanization and the recent new commitments to local governments and urban practitioners through the Innovate4Cities partnership, facilitated by UN-Habitat’s Montreal Office for Climate Change and Biodiversity Solutions, in partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and to policy makers at the UNFCCC and CBD COPs, the World Urban Forum (in particular WUF12), and other relevant events. Further, the project will build on existing synergies with the SURGe Initiative, including connecting to the global network, build on learning from SURGe as well as use SURGe as an opportunity to scale the project up globally. In South Africa, the project will focus on disaster (flood) prone areas of EThekwini Municipality Area, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and the small town of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape province. Objectives: Building on the efforts of establishing a RISE UP Secretariat, the overall objective of the project is to enhance interregional knowledge exchange and capacities of national and local governments in Lao PDR, Madagascar, South Africa, and Sri Lanka for urban sustainable, net-zero, climate resilient and nature positive development for the most vulnerable urban communities. Long-term, the project will support the integration of urban climate issues into NDCs, NAPs and municipal and national climate policy. The project has two expected outcomes: 1. Enhanced interregional knowledge exchange and strengthened capacities of national and local governments in Lao PDR, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and South Africa to understand local multi-layered risks and vulnerabilities (climate change, biodiversity & urban) and develop appropriate response options. 2. Strengthened capacity of national and local governments in Lao PDR, Madagascar, South Africa, and Sri Lanka to develop appropriate bankable climate action projects in support of the most vulnerable urban communities. Duties and Responsibilities: The position is in the UN-Habitat in Madagascar. Under the overall guidance of the RISE focal point in Madagascar under UN-Habitat Southern Africa Sub Regional Hub, the position will involve the following typical main duties leading to the ultimate requested outputs: 1. In coordination with the Project Manager and in collaboration with the local government partners collect data and information on past adverse climate impacts, socio-economic urban and biodiversity issues as well as urbanization and spatial expansion trends, climate change projections, and biodiversity loss from global open-source, accessible geospatial datasets, as well as the acquisition of national or local GIS datasets from government agencies. 2. Clean received data and undertake remote sensing imagery analysis as necessary through commercial and open data sources. 3. In coordination with the Project Manager identify the data gaps and develop a targeted qualitative and quantitative data collection plans to ensure that all data required for the vulnerability assessment is made available. Digitization of sites as necessary where information is missing. 4. In coordination with the Project Manager undertake desk reviews and field studies in selected urban poor communities for a proper understanding of localities, past climate impacts, socio- economic factors, biodiversity issues, urbanization trends, spatial expansion, climate change projections, biodiversity loss, and gender-specific vulnerabilities and needs. 5. Prepare spatial information for the development of stakeholder and community multi-layered risk and vulnerability assessment. 6. In coordination with the Project Manager conduct multilayered climate risk and vulnerability assessment following the UN-Habitat RISE UP Vulnerability Atlas methodology, in each of the urban poor communities in each project city. 7. In coordination with the Project Manager and in collaboration with local government agencies, undertake spatial mapping and analysis to produce vulnerability maps and vulnerability hot spots. 8. Provide technical support as needed to project team in map(s) development to cover climate change hazards and risks, urbanization issues, spatial trends and characteristics, biodiversity loss, land degradation, etc. 9. Update GIS baseline data of assigned areas through regular monitoring and assessments, as well as data gathered by partners. 10. Participate in a series of Training-of-Trainers (ToT) workshops based on capacity needs. 11. In coordination with the Project Manager and the RISE UP Team, contribute to a hybrid global workshop for project countries national and local government officials and key urban stakeholders. 12. In coordination with the Project Manager prepare training plan and material on the understanding multilayered urban and spatial, biodiversity and climate risks and vulnerabilities, and on specific topics to be selected based on local capacity limitations, needs and interests, and undertake 3-day capacity building workshop in the country with project beneficiaries. 13. Share the projects spatial data and mappings with staff in GIS format, when required. 14. Produce a compiled report on the GIS data collected and analyzed. 15. Undertake any additional GIS relevant support related to the project assigned by the UN-Habitat RISE UP coordinator and Southern Africa Hub manager.

Qualifications/special skills

For MA/MSC degree in relevant field is required, minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in urban climate resilience and/or GIS and data collection for climate vulnerability assessments or at least 3 years of similar in-depth practical experience in GIS and data collection for climate vulnerability assessments, urban and biodiversity data, preferably with specific previous experience working with national and municipal GIS departments is required. Proven experiences in social inclusion such as gender, disability, conflict, and fragility in planning context, implementing integrated strategic planning approaches and participatory mechanisms for multiple stakeholders is an asset. Knowledge of environmental assessment and planning, climate change and vulnerabilities in urban areas, environmental and social impact assessment, and environmental and social safeguarding, is an asset. Experience working with the United Nations is an advantage. Experience in the sustainable development sector, including field experience, is an asset. Strong communications skills are highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required. Fluency in other UN languages is an advantage. Knowledge of the language of working regions is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.