Result of Service

The consultant will be responsible for strengthening the capacities of key local stakeholders from the municipalities in La Lima and El Progresso in Honduras on integrating Nature-based Solutions in their Urban Adaptation Plans developed as part of the Nature4Cities project. The consultant will: • Conduct a capacity-building workshop for key stakeholders on technical aspects of designing Nature-based Solutions for restoring river borders. • Provide technical advice on selecting Nature-based Solutions for La Lima and El Progresso and their integration in the Adaptation Plans for the two cities. The consultant will work on the two key outputs from the Nature4Cities project. Output 2.2.2: Nature Based Urban adaptation and mitigation Plans developed and validated by city level stakeholders including the NbS Task group for the 13 selected cities. Activities for the development of products 1A and 1B include: • Develop a detailed content proposal for a training workshop on river bank issues for personnel from the municipalities of La Lima and El Progreso, as well as for SERNA and ICF personnel. • Prepare the methodological proposal to be used for the development of the workshop. • Deliver the training on river banks to personnel from the municipalities of La Lima and El Progreso, as well as to SERNA and ICF personnel. • Prepare a report on the most important points developed in the workshop and other relevant information that can be used for the other products of the consultancy. Activities for the development of products 2 and 3 include: • Conduct a field visit to La Lima and El Progreso to collect information regarding the needs for implementing Nature-based Solutions for flood reduction. • Prepare a report with key findings from the field visit and the consultations with key actors. • Prepare a report with recommendations for the Adaptation Plans for La Lima and El Progreso for Sections: o Chapter 7. Nature based Solutions portfolio o Chapter 8. Integration of urban nature-based solutions. o Chapter 9. Enabling factors and governance. o Chapter 10. Plan for monitoring and evaluating o Chapter 11. Proposal of ideas for national/regional projects to access climate finance for urban resilience. The consultant will be responsible for strengthening the capacities of key local stakeholders from the municipalities in La Lima and El Progresso in Honduras on integrating Nature-based Solutions in their Urban Adaptation Plans developed as part of the Nature4Cities project. The consultant will: • Conduct a capacity-building workshop for key stakeholders on technical aspects of designing Nature-based Solutions for restoring river borders. • Provide technical advice on selecting Nature-based Solutions for La Lima and El Progresso and their integration in the Adaptation Plans for the two cities. Deliverables Output 2.2.2: Nature Based Urban adaptation and mitigation Plans developed and validated by city level stakeholders including the NbS Task group for the 13 selected cities. Product No. 1A: Training package on Nature-based Solutions for restoration of river basins, including agenda, methodology and training materials. Product No. 1B: Workshop report from the training in La Lima and El Progreso.with list of participants, main concerns and needs of the technical staff from La Lima and El Progreso, recommendations and findings. Product No. 2: Summary report from key findings from the field visit to La Lima and El Progreso., recommendations, description of the different locations visited, highlighting their main features and the main concerns and needs of the technical staff from La Lima and El Progreso. Product No. 3: Report with recommendations for the Adaptation Plans for La Lima and El Progreso including the following Sections: Chapter 7. Nature based Solutions portfolio. Chapter 8. Integration of urban nature-based solutions. Chapter 9. Enabling factors and governance. Chapter 10. Plan for monitoring and evaluating. Chapter 11. Proposal of ideas for national/regional. projects in order to access climate finance for urban resilience.

Work Location

HOME-BASED

Expected duration

4 MONTHS

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO Office), located in Panama City, Panama works closely with the 33 countries of the region – including 16 small island developing States – with a population of about 588 million people. The office works to serve the needs of the region and its activities are integrated into the work programs approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly of UNEP (UNEA). UNEP seeks to support countries in Latin America to implement the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new Paris Agreement and the priority actions defined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Latin American countries. The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is the second most urbanized region in the world, with ~80% of the population living in cities. Within the next two decades, this proportion is projected to reach ~85%, thereby ranking the cities of the LAC region among the fastest-growing in the developing world. The rate of urban expansion is faster in small and medium-sized cities relative to megacities. This rapid urbanization and the associated development of cities are degrading urban and peri-urban ecosystems – including wetlands, green spaces, and forests – that provide a wide range of ecosystem services for urban communities. To address the vulnerability of urban communities, governments in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region need to develop and implement cost-effective, low-risk solutions, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS), by protecting, maintaining, and rehabilitating priority ecosystems in urban areas. As a result, UNEP is working with the governments of Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Cuba, Panama, Guatemala, and Uruguay to execute a two-year, Readiness project “Nature4Cities – Increasing resilience through Nature-based Solutions in Latin-American Cities” funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Euroclima+. The project is implemented in 7 countries (Cuba, Honduras, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay) and 13 cities within those countries. The project aims to increase the capacity of participating countries to design and implement Nature-based urban development strategies that ensure urban resilience to climate change through five main areas of work: (1) Strengthening the knowledge base of national and local governments to assess the potential for Nature-based Adaptation and Mitigation Solutions in urban areas in the context of broader climate change strategies; (2) Reinforcing enabling policies and institutional frameworks to increase adoption of NbS in urban planning; (3) Strengthening partnerships between key actors to accelerate the adoption of NbS solutions; (4) Defining climate finance strategies through innovative public, private and blended financial mechanisms and facilitating access to climate finance for the sustained implementation of NbS; (5) Accelerating upscaling and replication through a regional Urban NBS platform. To achieve this, UNEP is seeking a Nature based Solution specialist to provide technical expertise to the project Nature4Cities under the supervision and guidance of the UNEP Programme Management Officer for Adaptation of Climate Change Unit for the Latin American and Caribbean Office while working in close collaboration with the Regional Project Team and National Coordinators of Nature4Cities. The consultant will work home-based.

Qualifications/special skills

ACADEMIC: − Bachelor degree in Environmental Sciences, Biology, Environmental Engineering or related field is required. − Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Geography, Biology or related fields is desired. PROFESSIONAL: − 5 years of professional experience and expertise in ecosystem restoration and/or management, natural resource management and restoration of river basins, disaster risk reduction, or a similar field is required. − Experience in conducting training or workshops for technical staff of ministries and municipalities in Honduras is desired. − Previous experience working on Nature-based Solutions in Honduras is desired. − Previous experience working with local governments is an asset. − Proven experience in delivering high-profile knowledge products is an asset; LANGUAGE: − Fluency in Spanish is required.

Languages

Not available.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.