Agro-meteorologists/agronomist - climate risk management specialists

Background

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), established in 1986, is a regional non-profit foundation with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. The primary geographical focus of ADPC’s activities is Asia with the South, South East and East Asia being the primary sub-regions. In 2005, nine countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Sri Lanka signed a Charter establishing ADPC as an inter-governmental organization.

ADPC aims at supporting governments strengthen institutions and build capacity for mainstreaming DRR into socio development processes at all levels. The primary focus of ADPC is to assist national and sub-national Governments in Asia to build capacity to respond to, prepare for and mitigate the natural disaster risk and adaptation to climate change. It includes building Institutional and Legal systems in reducing risk due to natural disasters and adapting to climate change, Assessment of Risk; undertaking risk reduction programs and programs for adaptation to climate change, Hazard specific mainstreaming of DRR & CCA into development etc. Accordingly ADPC is comprised of several thematically organized operational departments such as Department on Safer Development Planning and Implementation, Department on Climate Change and Climate Risk Management, Department on Resilient Cities and Urban Risk Management, Department on Disaster Risk Management Systems, Department of Public Health in Emergencies, Department of Disaster Risk Assessment and Monitoring, Training Services Unit. With over 100 staff from 19 countries and with professionals with expertise in development planning, engineering, architecture, agriculture, social sciences, health science climate sciences and disaster risk reduction, ADPC has been involved for years in strengthening partnerships between nodal agencies on disaster risk management (DRM) and national agencies of water resource, agriculture, meteorology & hydrology, geology, physical planning, development planning & financing etc and other sectors for effective integration and institutionalization of DRR in development planning processes.

Duties and responsibilities

• Analyze relevant subject specific science based information to create hazard specific decision support products in agriculture and food security for utilization by stakeholders at all levels (community, city/local government, Provincial and National governments) Analyze hazard, vulnerability and risk and potential impacts to agriculture and food security, based on subject specific information in order to design appropriate climate risk reduction interventions and climate change adaptation measures to suit all levels (community, city/local government, Provincial and National governments).
• Generate / prepare advance hazard specific early warnings and dissemination of relevant information to specific stakeholders of sectors such as agriculture and food security at all levels
• Develop Climate Risk Management/climate change adaptation strategies and identification of risk management opportunities to address residual risk within different eco-systems to minimize socio-economic effects on lives, livelihoods, food security, economic assets and infrastructure
• Package scientific and technical information in assessing risk, risk communication and gap analysis
• Analyze socio-economic and physical vulnerabilities to changing climate and climate risk environment, utilizing results from research on historical impacts, current adaptation /coping strategies and policy and institutional landscape, and changing socio-economic conditions (population growth, urbanization, economic growth, consumption trends, environmental degradation, etc,)
• Provide resource inputs in development and delivery of training & capacity building programs on the subject to enable user institutions and communities to translate risk information and apply decision support tools for CRM and CCA
• Advocate for the integration of CRM and/or climate forecast information application in development planning process and mainstreaming.
• Assisting in developing strategic approach to achieving program goals and sustainability of the CRM and climate risk management programs undertaken by ADPC
• Assistance in increasing the program outreach through development of new programmes, engagement in advocacy, assistance in fund mobilization, enhancement of existing partnerships and development of new partnership to increase the outreach.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director(ADPC)/ Director /Department Head/

Required qualifications / selection criteria

Qualifications and experience

• PhD or master’s degree in one or more subjects such as , Agriculture, Agro-meteorology, Meteorology , Climate Risk Management, climate change adaptation, , or other related fields
• At least 5-10 years experience in undertaking Climate Risk management and climate change adaptation activities related to agriculture/food security, and utilizing climate information to reduce the physical & socio-economic impacts to communities and vulnerability of relevant sectors ,
• Experience in Climate related hazard risk assessment, and generation of climate information related to agriculture/food security
• Experience in design, implementation and management of projects related to climate risk management and adaptation to climate change related to agriculture/food security
• Experience in training and capacity building in the above mentioned fields
• Extensive work experience in developing user-need disaster risk/climate information, analyzing vulnerability and impacts and communicating / disseminating the information

Training skills and knowledge

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of subject specific information generation and applications in CRM and CCA
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding on impacts of multi- hazards and climate change on agriculture/food security and societal systems
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Climate related Hazard specific information application, translation / interpretation and dissemination to all levels including sector specific stakeholders
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate technical matters effectively to general audience

Personal qualities

• Self-motivated, pro-active and takes initiative
• Demonstrated ability and plan and organize work and time independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills, team-oriented work style, and experience in working in a multi-cultural environment
• Strong desire to learn, undertake new challenges, must a creative problem-solver, must have self confidence, willingness to work hard, good sense of humor but with seriousness about the quality and excellence of work.