Result of Service

The consultancy will contribute to UNDRR Strategic Framework 2022-2025 Objective 3.3 on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction strengthened across the 2030 development agenda and key intergovernmental policy decisions’, in particular to Deliverable 3.3.5 Actions on environment and biodiversity in support of disaster risk reduction and climate resilience increased, including through support for scaling up Nature-based Solution, as well as support the implementation of UNDRR’s NbS for DRR Strategy.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

15 Set 31 Mar 2025

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries.

Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices.

Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.

Environmental issues have become a top priority for many countries over the past few years as biodiversity and ecosystems are rapidly declining and are close to collapse, water-related disasters are increasing in frequency and livelihoods are threatened, especially of those depending the most on natural resources.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds that the frequency and intensity of extreme events is increasing. Its report on Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability draws a clear link between human vulnerability and the vulnerability of ecosystems, emphasising the need to transform current unsustainable development patterns to address the increasing exposure and vulnerability of people and ecosystems to climate-related hazards.

Similarly, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) 2018 Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration acknowledges the increasing evidence that land-use changes and environmental degradation affect the occurrence and severity of natural hazards.2 IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services identified a knowledge gap regarding the role of nature and nature’s contribution to people in mitigating or reducing vulnerability to disasters.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 recognises poor environmental management, ecosystem degradation and unsustainable natural resource management practices as drivers of risk.

Furthermore, it provides guidance and entry-points for the design, implementation and reporting on Nature actions that strengthen disaster risk reduction and increase resilience. These include: – Understanding risks of ecosystem degradation and loss; – Common planning and risk-informed governance approaches bringing together national policies, processes and actors working in disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, water, climate change and other environmental sectors; – Risk-informed investments for greater resilience that takes into account environmental hazards and tipping points, and increases Nature financing; – Building back better and greener by considering a suite of options that take account of Nature’s role, function and service in spatial and landscape planning.

Working with Nature in disaster risk reduction is one pathway to keep ecosystems healthy, decrease vulnerability and exposure, and contribute to sustainable, resilient and equitable futures.

The Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework (A/RES/77/289) adopted 2023 recognises the gap in Nature actions in support of disaster risk reduction and explicitly calls on States strengthening comprehensive disaster risk governance, ecosystem-based approaches, among other approaches, for disaster risk reduction at all levels and across all phases of disaster risk reduction and management to restore, maintain and enhance ecosystem functions and services for protection from natural hazards, and to contribute towards increasing the resilience of biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods and building community resilience.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), in particular its Targets 8 and 11, provides concrete entry points for disaster risk reduction.

The UNDRR internal Environmental Policy outlines the guiding principles, scope, and areas of work for improving the environmental sustainability of the organization’s operations and programmes. An ambitious environmental policy with accompanying implementation mechanisms offers a blueprint for UNDRR to put into practice the principles the organization promotes, leaving a positive legacy for the communities we serve.

The implementation of this environmental policy requires the active involvement of all UNDRR staff, contractors, and vendors, including grant recipients.

This consultancy will support the roll out the ‘Recommendations and guidance for governments on strengthening disaster risk reduction in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP)’ in at least three countries and identify good practices. The consultant will further support efforts in moving activities related to environment and biodiversity in support of disaster risk reduction and climate resilience forward, including through the development of environmental sustainability standards/safeguards to be integrated into UNDRR policies, projects and programmes, in line with the UNDRR internal Environmental Policy.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Inter-agency Cooperation Unit, the consultant supports the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience.

Specific areas of support and tasks: 1) Support the roll out of the Recommendations and guidance for governments on strengthening disaster risk reduction in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) – Familiarize with the consultative version of the guidance and other relevant documents. – Develop training modules to facilitate the application of the guidance.

– Support the organization of three workshops that socialize and apply the guidance. – Develop policy recommendations and concrete actions for the three countries on the work related to biodiversity and disaster risk reduction, to be considered in DRR strategies/plans as well as NBSAPs.

– Document at least three good practices highlighting how biodiversity has been integrated in DRR NBSAPs and how biodiversity has been integrated in disaster risk reduction strategies. – Update the consultative version of the guidance based on feedback received during the consultation process.

– Ensure close coordination with relevant global and regional partners as well as national counterparts. – Undertake an analysis of existing guidance, documents and tools that inform how biodiversity can be integrated into national and local DRR strategies.

– Make recommendations whether there is a need to develop additional guidance on how biodiversity can be integrated in DRR strategies. – Support the organization of a consultation webinar in the margins of the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference to get feedback to the ‘Recommendations and guidance for governments on strengthening disaster risk reduction in NBSAPs”.

This includes developing the agenda and concept note for virtual consultation, the follow-up with potential speakers, etc. 2) Support the integration of environmental sustainability standards/safeguards into UNDRR policies, projects and programmes – Review existing UNDRR and UN entity procedures for integrating environmental standards and safeguards into policies, projects and programmes.

– Develop a proposal for including environmental sustainability standards/safeguards into UNDRR projects and programmes, building on existing UNDRR guidance and tools for considering gender and disability, and drawing on other UN standard/safeguard approaches such as the Model Approach to Environmental and Social Standards in United Nations Programming (https://unemg.org/modelapproach/).

– With support of the UNDRR environmental focal point, consult with UNDRR colleagues and the environmental task team on the proposed approach. – Finalize UNDRR’s approach to integrating environmental sustainability standards in UNDRR policies, projects and programmes and develop associated simple guidance for UNDRR programme staff, such as checklists, standard activities and indicators, flowcharts and/or other process description.

– Develop a one-hour online training session on the proposed approach for UNDRR staff. 3) Activities related to environment and biodiversity in support of disaster risk reduction and climate resilience – Support UNDRR’s engagement in the preparation of the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference, including the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) by engaging with relevant partners to ensure alignment to other activities; supporting speaking engagement and other actions.

– Map ongoing activities related to Nature-based Solutions and Ecosystems-based Approaches for Disaster Risk Reduction and assess possible join actions that can support the operationalization of the 2030 UN SLG recommendations and the work related to the G20 working group on disaster risk reduction.

Engage with relevant partners to ensure complementarity with other activities and verify readiness.

Qualifications/special skills

A master’s degree in planning, international development, international relations, environmental management, disaster management, social sciences, political science, law or related area is required.

A first-level university degree in combination with at least two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of ten years (10) of working experience in the field of biodiversity, environmental management, environmental law, sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, nature-based solutions at international level or related areas is required.

Experience in gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information, and presenting it in a clear, concise format is required..

Experience in drafting policy guidance is desirable. Experience with biodiversity, environmental issues, and disaster risk reduction, including nature-based solutions applications, is desirable. Experience in managing multi-stakeholder consultations and good knowledge of the UN system or any other similar international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required.

Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Additional Information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted

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.