Urban Heat and Nature-based Solution Practitioner (Consultant)

Purpose and Objectives: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization established for scientific, educational. developmental, and humanitarian purposes with a vision of safer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific. For details, please refer to ADPC website at www.adpc.net.

In 2023 as well as in early 2024, Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, faced an unprecedented heatwave, an issue that is set to worsen due to climate change. Heat is increasingly a pressing problem in cities, as the urban heat island (UHI) effect amplifies the impacts of rising temperatures. Across Southeast Asia, the urban poor—including people living in informal settlements—are most at risk from heat stress as they typically live in low-quality and overcrowded housing with poor ventilation and limited access to cooling.

Research indicates that blue and green urban infrastructure solutions can lower temperatures, improving human thermal comfort and reduce heat stress. However, in the Mekong Region there’s a scarcity of analyses at the city and sub-city scale to gauge the efficacy and cost- effectiveness of such interventions for long-term climate adaptation.

The present project outlines a plan to employ innovative heat modeling techniques to assess urban heat risks to bolster Bangkok’s resilience, yielding insights applicable to first and second tier Mekong cities like Mỹ Tho, Vietnam, to address urban heat challenges and support vulnerable communities.

In view of the above, services of an individual consultant are required to assist ADPC in carrying out a detailed review of urban heat impact in southeast Asia and how Nature-based Solutions (NbS) is being effectively used to manage urban heat.

Note:

It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

Expected Outputs: The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following Outputs:

1. Desktop Review Report on impact of heat on urban landscape in Southeast Asia.
2. Stakeholder map of entities responsible for managing heat at urban scale in Thailand and Vietnam (to be incorporated in the Desktop Review Report).

Responsibilities and Tasks: The Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and duties:

• Conduct a comprehensive desktop review (and report) on:
• The impact of heat on urban landscapes in Southeast Asia and the role of climate change
• Policies and plans related to urban heat resilience especially focusing on Thailand and Vietnam
• Key options to support urban heat adaptation (including but not limited to NbS) with a focus on vulnerable communities.
• Research and develop a stakeholder map of entities responsible for managing heat at the urban scale in Thailand and Vietnam, especially those involved in policy development, planning and implementation.
• Project management support, including organizing workshops (virtual and onsite).

Working Principles: Consultant will report to the Director, Climate Resilience Department and will work closely with Sr. Water Resources Management Specialist, ADPC as well as with project consortium partners Alluvium, TEI and RMIT, Vietnam.

Qualifications:

Consultant shall have the following qualifications:

• At least a master’s degree in Environmental Science, Social Science, Geography, Engineering or any other relevant field of study
• At least five years of experience in conducting research in one or more of the following: Urban heat, climate adaptation, NbS, natural resource management, policy development or environmental studies
• Demonstrated knowledge of climate risks, impacts and vulnerabilities in Southeast Asia
• Demonstrated ability to gather credible data and information and synthesize into a simple, coherent and comprehensive report to inform program implementation
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and motivational skills and sensitivity to the local environment as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision; and
• Strong English reporting and writing abilities.

Duty Station: Home-based

Duration: Maximum 25 days of input over 8 months period. Travel may be required as part of the assignment to Bangkok / Vietnam

Itinerary: 1 July 2024 – 14 February 2025

Selection Method:

The candidate will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment process and policy guidelines.