Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall responsibility of the Director of the Division of Water Sciences and the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the overall supervision of the Chief of the Section of Groundwater Sustainability and Water Cooperation, and the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist of GSW, the expert will provide technical support in line with the following:

1) Provide technical input for the preparation, operationalization and execution of the GEF/FAO project “Enhancing sustainability of the Transboundary Cambodia – Mekong River Delta Aquifer” (CMDA) (https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/projects/10520) project activities, particularly for the development of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of the aquifer, including:
a. Adapting the “Guidelines for Multi-Disciplinary Assessment of Transboundary Aquifer” (IGRAC, UNESCO-IHP, 2015) and the Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP) methodologies to the CMDA context (up to 50 pages);
b. Providing methodological guidance for the multidisciplinary assessment of the CMDA transboundary aquifer system to support the work of the national experts, by providing technical advice to the discussions with national and international experts and other project executing partners (up to 6 meetings). The incumbent will provide one report on these meetings (up to 20 pages).

2) Provide technical input for the operationalization of the activities of the Adaptation Fund funded project “Groundwater resources in the Greater Mekong Subregion: Collaborative management to increase resilience” (https://www.adaptation-fund.org/project/groundwater-resources-greater-mekong-subregion-collaborative-management-increase-resilience-cambodia-lao-peoples-democratic-republic-myanmar-thailand-vietnam-2/), including:
a. Supporting the preparation of the detailed technical workplan, including a description of activities and the respective timeline (up to 20 pages).

3) In the framework of the Output 2.4. of the GEF/UNEP MedProgramme Child Project 2.1 “Mediterranean Coastal Zones: Water Security, Climate Resilience and Habitat Protection” (MedProgramme) (https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/projects/9687), provide technical support for the design of the monitoring networks in beneficiary countries of UNESCO’s component of the project (Albania, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, and Tunisia), which will include:
a. A methodology for designing monitoring networks for coastal aquifers (up to 20 pages);
b. Detailing monitoring protocols with specific recommendations for each beneficiary country (up to 60 pages).

4) Provide input for the organization of a Scientific Symposium of the MedProgramme (Output 2.5), which is expected to take place in Q1 2026 (2 days), in UNESCO HQ. For this meeting, the consultant will: (1) prepare a list of participants, (2) prepare a concept note and a draft agenda, (3) prepare at least 2 PowerPoint presentations, (4) review abstracts and presentation materials as necessary, (5) moderate at least 2 sessions, and (6) draft a report of the meeting (up to 15 pages).

5) Prepare, based on the outcomes of the MedProgramme, draft publications on:
a. Policy Brief: Methodology for the preparation of Coastal Aquifer Management Plans (up to 20 pages);
b. Contribute, from a technical perspective to the review and finalization of other MedProgramme-related draft publications on aquifer characterization, submarine groundwater discharge and conjunctive water management (up to 20 days).

6) Review and provide inputs for the reports produced by the national consultants and partner institutions implementing the MedProgramme activities related to:
a. Output 2.4 – Coastal Aquifer Management and GIS-based informed management system (up to 5 reports);
b. Output 2.5 – Contribution to CP 2.1. Gender Action Plan (up to 2 reports).

7) Provide input for the organization of the consultation meetings for the development of coastal aquifer management plans under the framework of Output 2.4. of the MedProgramme (up to 7 meetings), including: (1) review of agendas and participants lists; (2) prepare at least 4 PowerPoint Presentations with an introduction of the activity, and (3) moderate at least 4 sessions.

Remuneration

Remuneration will be based on the submission and validation of the deliverables. All submitted reports/materials should be drafted in English. The fee is payable in instalments upon certification by UNESCO of satisfactory performance by the consultant for the work corresponding to each payment. All payments shall be made by bank transfer.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The consultant should have the following qualifications:
• A PhD in Water Sciences, Water Management, Hydrogeology, Environmental Sciences or related fields. A Master’s degree with 15 years of working experience might replace the PhD requirement.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in Water Sciences, focusing on the assessment, management, and governance of aquifers, including conjunctive water management and transboundary contexts.
• Previous work experience with groundwater and a geographical focus on the Mediterranean region. Experience in the Mekong region is an asset.
• Demonstrated previous experience providing technical assistance to national stakeholders, including government officials, national academics, and technical staff from multilateral/bilateral organizations.
• Previous experience and a good knowledge of the UN system is an asset.
• Excellent communication skills, with proficiency in written and spoken English and a good knowledge of French.
• Advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word), proficiency working with communication tools (Microsoft Teams and Zoom).