Lao PDR National Coordinator, GEF IW Fostering Water and Environmental Security in the Ma and Neun/Ca Transboundary River Basins and Related Coastal Areas in Viet Nam and Lao PDR

This is a local recruitment. Only Laos nationals, individuals with residence status or the appropriate employment visa for Lao PDR are eligible to apply. The remuneration and benefits package for this position is established with reference to the local labour market and in line with the IUCN conditions of service for Lao PDR.

The Ma and Neun/Ca are two adjacent transboundary rivers with similar-sized basins with similar characteristics and water and environmental management challenges. Key challenges include hydropower reservoirs causing significant changes to flows in tributaries of both basins; deforestation and changes to forest cover impacting flows and sediment loads; agricultural expansion; increasing water withdrawals associated with demographic growth and rapid economic development affecting environmental flows; and emergency releases from dams during extreme water events contributing to flooding.

Continuing development in the two basins, combined with climate change, is affecting the coastal areas due to the degradation of surface and shallow marine waters quality, increasing frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts, seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers caused by groundwater over-extraction and sea-level rise. The emerging situation is posing serious threats to water supply for the rapidly expanding coastal populations. and to coastal habitats, such as mangroves, wetlands, fish refugia, and livelihoods (e.g. fisheries).

The project objective is to enable Viet Nam and Lao PDR to address freshwater resource management and ecosystem health in the transboundary Ma and the Neun/Ca river basins and coastal zones by creating an enabling environment for transboundary cooperation and action.

Under the guidance of the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), the National Coordinator (NC) will manage project activities in Lao PDR as part of the the GEF International Waters (IW) Fostering Water and Environmental Security in the Ma and Neun/Ca Transboundary River Basins and Related Coastal Areas, which will operate in Viet Nam and Lao PDR.

The project objective is to enable Viet Nam and Lao PDR to address freshwater resource management and ecosystem health in the transboundary Ma and the Neun/Ca river basins and coastal zones by creating an enabling environment for transboundary cooperation and action.

Specific outcomes are:

Outcome 1. Consensus among countries on key transboundary concerns, including climate change and variability strengthens transboundary cooperation and opens the way to coordinated remedial actions.
Outcome 2. Enhanced water security, environmental sustainability and forecasting capabilities in both basins and their coastal areas achieved through the establishment of transboundary cooperation and information exchange frameworks and mechanisms.
Outcome 3. Countries resolve to joint actions reinforced by testing on the ground environmentally sound land/water management approaches, policies, practices and technologies, and share results and experiences.
Outcome 4. The process of reversing of degradation trends in the two basins galvanized as countries commit to sustain joint cooperation mechanisms and to undertake priority reforms and investments.
Outcome 5.1. The sustainability of project outcomes enhanced by the reinforcement of capacities of relevant national entities and of the interim transboundary cooperation body established as part of the project.
Outcome 5.2. Benefits from the global to the local levels accrue through the sharing and dissemination of project experiences and lessons learned. Central to the project is the preparation of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis/Strategic Action Programme (TDA/SAP).

The purpose of a TDA is to identify, quantify, and set priorities for environmental problems that are transboundary in nature. In particular, the TDA aims to:

• Identify and prioritise the transboundary problems.
• Gather and interpret information on the environmental impacts and socio-economic consequences of each problem.
• Analyse the immediate, underlying, and root causes for each problem, and in particular identify specific practices, sources, locations, and human activity sectors from which environmental degradation arises or threatens to arise.Ultimately, a TDA provides the factual basis for the formulation of an SAP but the TDA is also part of a larger facilitative process of engagement and consultation with all the key stakeholders from the initial TDA steps through to the subsequent development of alternative solutions during the formulation of the SAP.

FAO is the GEF Implementing Agency. As the Lead Operational Partner (LOP), IUCN will support the Departments of Water Resources (DWR) in both countries to execute the project.

The total budget is $8 million over 5 years, of which $3 million will be disbursed directly from FAO to DWR in Viet Nam and Lao PDR to support pilot project implementation. The project will be delivered through a Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU) and National Project Management Units (NPMU) in Hanoi and Vientiane. The CTA will manage the RPMU on a day-to-day basis in cooperation with two NCs and two National Project Directors (NPDs) assigned (on a part-time basis) by the two executing agencies. The CTA and RPMU will operate under the guidance of the Regional Project Steering Committee (RPSC), with members appointed by the two governments, and with the support of dedicated Finance and Admin Officers.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Under supervision of the CTA, lead the in-country implementation of project activities in close collaboration with the RPMU and NPMU in Laos, and the NC and project team in Vietnam.

• Liaise with relevant project stakeholders, including DWR and provincial government departments, government line agencies at District Offices, research institutes/organisations, local NGOs and civil society.
• Provide secretariat support to the NPMU.
• Manage the delivery and performance of consultancy sub-contracts in Lao PDR.
• Provide technical review of project outputs and adherence to Lao PDR law, standards and norms. – Handle day-to-day project issues and requirements.
• Monitor, and regularly report on the progress of the project against annual budget and work plan.
• Prepare monthly reporting according to the project requirements.
• Provide inputs for the six-monthly and annual written reports on the overall project delivery, covering issues such as project activities, outputs and outcome delivery.
• Maintain linkages with other projects and studies relevant to the project and identify opportunities for partnership, technical collaboration and knowledge exchange with other agencies, organizations and donors.