Result of Service

Facilitate the establishment of a continental impact based EWS for Early Action and Transboundary Risk Management through: • The improvement of the operation of the ECCAS Situation room, the production of bulletins and situation reports, and any other products generated by the ECCAS Situation Room • Expansion of early warning and early/anticipatory action products offered by ECCAS to its member states • Capacitation of other situation rooms at AUC, ACMAD, RECs and Member States through a common web-based platform and Standard Operating Procedures.

Work Location

Douala, Cameroon.

Expected duration

12 Months

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 catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with U.N. Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.

In March 2015, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 was adopted by the UN General Assembly.

In alignment with the SFDRR, the African Union (AU) member states developed a new Programme of Action (PoA) for the implementation of the SFDRR in Africa. In addition to the seven global targets of the Sendai Framework, the PoA has an additional 5 targets. The PoA aims to achieve “substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.” Early warning systems (EWS) are key elements of disaster risk reduction, resilience building and climate change adaptation.

An effective Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) includes four pillars: 1) disaster risk knowledge; 2) observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting; 3) warning dissemination and communication; 4) preparedness and response capabilities.

The UN Secretary General (UNSG) in 2022 launched the Early Warning for All (EW4All) initiative https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/early-warnings-for-all, aimed at providing a global EWS coverage by 2027. A regional and continental response has to be enhanced to proactively support member states in mitigating impacts of natural hazards and in event of a disaster.

Observing from the recent disasters on the continent, hazards such as droughts, floods, tropical storms and cyclones, pests and epidemics have constantly affected more than one country simultaneously.

Even where such hazards occur locally, the severity in which these events have manifested could easily overwhelm localized response. In October 2018, the DRR Ministerial Conference organized on the margins of the Africa-Arab platform for disaster risk reduction, in its ministerial declaration (Tunis Declaration) ‘encourages African States to strengthen their early warning systems, including multi-hazard and impact based early warning with priority on hydrological and meteorological systems and the delivery of services in understandable manner to end-users for enhanced preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction’.

The Tunis Declaration was further endorsed by AU Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Environment Water and Environment (AU STC-ARDWE) during its 3rd Ordinary Session on 25 October 2019.

The STC-ARDWE further calls upon the African Union Commission to establish a continental multi-hazards early warning and preparedness system for natural hazards. The AU Executive Council further endorsed the STC-ARDWE’s call for establishment of Multi Hazard EWS in its ordinary Session in January 2020. In light with the above AU decisions, UNDRR is collaborating with the AU Commission, regional economics Commissions (RECs), and other partners to mobilize resources for the establishment and the operationalization of the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action System (AMHEWAS).

With funding from the Climate Risk Early Warning Systems (CREWS Initiative), UNDRR is supporting the establishment of the situation for the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and its link to the AMHEWAS.

Under the project titled” Central Africa – Seamless approach to forecasting and warning for meteorological, hydrological and climate extremes”, UNDRR and other CREWS Implementing partners (WMO and WB) aim at enhancing national early warning systems, with a multi-hazard, impact-based and seamless approach, based upon strong regional cooperation, in 11 Central African countries.

Specific Duties and responsibilities: The Early Warning Systems (EWS) and Disaster Operations Expert will undertake the following responsibilities: • Coordinate the preparation and dissemination of regular early warning and action information products (continental watch and situation reports) based on information collected through the coordination mechanism established.

• Provide input for the AUC situation room for EWS and situation reports and coordinate the preparation of bulletins and situation reports based on information collected through the new regional coordination mechanism established; • Liaise with the Head of Service Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation (DRM/CCA) of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on all activities related to the realization of the situation room.

• Liaise with the EWS experts and the hydro meteorological experts at AUC, ICPAC, ECOWAS, SADC, ACMAD and Member States to improve the coordination mechanism for data exchange at the continental and regional levels.

• Coordinate with and support partners for the integration of the ECCAS Situation Room into the AMHEWAS • Advance early action within the mandates of ECCAS and Member States, including by identifying opportunities for the ECCAS Situation Room to support the implementation of the Early Warning for All initiative among ECCAS Member States.

• Coordinate across ECCAS, with technical partners and with technical-scientific organizations on the continent to ensure gradual addition of information products related to new hazards and to improve current modeling.

• Develop Standard Operating Procedures for the ECCAS Situation Room related to data sharing between Member States and sectors, roles and responsibilities for early and anticipatory action and other governance and operational aspects, as needed. • Support the Head of Service Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation (DRM/CCA) in promoting the ECCAS Situation Room institutional and governance framework among its Member States and in developing a sustainability strategy for the Situation Room.

• Coordinate the day-to-day operations of the ECCAS situation room.

• Develop and monitor the implementation of learning and development plans for the team -establish mechanisms to facilitate and encourage knowledge sharing in own area. • Support joint regional training and training on the job for MS experts. • Anticipate obstacles realistically and plan for contingencies – create plans that factor in time for unexpected problems and uncertainties. The consultant will be guided by a workplan outlining monthly deliverables to be endorsed by UNDRR and ECCAS.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in areas relevant to disaster risk reduction, early warning, meteorology, geomatics, or related fields is required.

A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

• At least 7 years of experience in the areas of disaster risk assessment, early warning systems, and risk analysis relevant to EWS, anticipatory action and disaster prevention is required. • Experience of leading or contributing to strategy country-led disaster risk reduction or early warning and action initiatives is required.

• Experience as a professional forecaster, including data management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Early Warning Systems (EWS) management of emergency information is desirable • Experience in convening and organizing multi-stakeholder partnerships, events, or consultations is desirable.

• Experience with at least one major government institution or international organization working on early warning/early action or disaster risk reduction/risk knowledge is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English and French 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.