National Project Officer

UNESCO’s Natural Sciences Sector plays a vital role in advancing scientific knowledge and promoting sustainable development. As the only United Nations specialized agency with a specific science mandate, UNESCO collaborates with Member States and partners across disciplines. Its key functions include serving as a platform for ideas, fostering international cooperation, facilitating scientist-policy dialogues, and building scientific capacity.

• UNESCO is seeking an expert to conduct hydrological studies in Lake Turkana in Kenya as part of the implementation of the project on Sustainably Unlocking the Economic Potential of Lake Turkana funded by the Government of The Netherlands. This is a five-year project which is being implemented in collaboration with the World Food Programme within the counties of Turkana and Marsabit. Lake Turkana is a saline lake located in the Kenyan Rift Valley, extending into northern Kenya and crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world’s largest permanent desert lake and largest alkaline lake. However, the lake faces challenges, including the construction of the Gilel Gibe III Dam in Ethiopia, which affects its primary water source the Omo River. Historically used for drinking water, Lake Turkana’s salinity and high fluoride levels make it generally unsuitable for consumption, leading communities along its shores to increasingly rely on groundwater. The role of UNESCO is to carry out a water balance of the lake to support Integrated Water Resource Management.
• In close collaboration with project and programme partners, the incumbent will work under the overall authority of the UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, under the overall supervision from the Head of the Natural Sciences and direct supervision and guidance of the Project Coordinator.

In this context the incumbent will, through fieldwork, data collection and interpretation:

• Establish a conceptual model on the water balance of the lake.
• Evaluate the impact of developments on the Omo River on water level variability as well as ecosystem adaptation to these variations.
• Apply principles of hydro geochemistry and isotope tracing to understand surface water- groundwater interactions including the recharge/ discharge zones.
• Publish papers in international peer-reviewed journals.
• Present the findings to the project partners.

 Additionally, the expert is expected to:

• Contribute to the formulation of a workplan for subsequent years, coordination and implementation of the project activities as per the agreed workplan.
• Regularly attend meetings of the project partners, support in preparing minutes of meetings where required and action plans with clear responsibility and timeframe.
• Regularly monitor the financial status of UNESCO’s activities within the project and ensure that budget execution rates are in line with agreed plans.
• Contribute to the preparation of reports on project activities for UNESCO, partners, and the donor.
• Foster exchanges of information, experience, identifying new strategies of action to improve implementation of project activities and to achieve the project requirements and objectives.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in hydrology, engineering or a related field within natural sciences (e.g. environmental sciences, water resources management, etc.).

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of (2) two years of work experience in the field of water resources management.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Excellent quantitative skills.
• Experience in data collection and field work activities.
• Experience in supporting and coordinating project activities.
• Good written and oral communication skills, human relations and team building.
• Ability to interact with people from different disciplines, and with varying degrees of technical experience.
• Ability to manage budgets and report on implementation.

LANGUAGE 

• Excellent knowledge of English.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Nairobi-National-Project-Officer-(Natural-Sciences)/801743302/