Climate change advisor

Background

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for the United Nations dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable development of human settlements in an urbanizing world, with the goal of providing safer and inclusive human settlements.

UN-Habitat, Myanmar is implementing several normative and operational activities focusing on basic access of services to settlements, while addressing cross-cutting issues of gender, risk reduction, environment and climate change.

With settlements support interventions on Habitat agenda established in multiple townships across Myanmar represent her operational capacities; UN-Habitat, Myanmar is planning to surge up her normative programmatic support to several line ministries and stakeholders in the cross-cutting areas of developmental planning: Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Gender.

As part of her normative support to stakeholders, UN-Habitat has appointed a National Environment Advisor to take forward UNHabitat & UNEP’s respective environment mandates in Myanmar and also mobilized technical support and inputs from UNEP regional office in Bangkok to support Ministry of Environment and Forestry in launching five flagship initiatives in Myanmar;

- Technical assistance and support to the formulation of Status of Environment Report by August 2012 by the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forestry
- Support to the formulation of NAPA by May 2012 by Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (by provision of follow-up coordination and technical assistance)
- Technical review and support to the ratification/implementation of Environment Law by the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forestry
- Technical assistance and organizational support to the Environment Department of Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forestry for the formulation of the 10Year Inlay Lake restoration plan by end of January 2012. (12 line ministries and stakeholders (NECC etc.,) have identified Basic Elements for the Formulation of a Long-term Restoration Action Plan for Inlay Lake in a workshop held in Nay Pyi Taw on the 24 and 25th of August 201)
- Technical training, capacity building initiative for MoEF and other relevant ministries and partners on the issues of Climate Change and inputs to respective in-country planning strategies/programmes/initiatives;

All the above initiatives except (e) are currently being implemented by UN-Habitat, under the framework of ‘Disaster Response and Preparedness- Coastal and Urban Communities (DRP-CURB)’ with support from Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and now mobilizing additional resources to launch item (e) Training and Capacity Building Initiative on Environment and Climate Change in Myanmar.

Responsibilities

For an effective technical assistance and advisory services, and for future in-country programming support on Environmental issues, UN-Habitat is looking for a technical professional (Advisor, Environment and Climate Change) who will work under the direct supervision of the UN-Habitat Country Manager, and in close cooperation with sectoral advisors and ROAP officers.

S/he will be responsible for the following:

- Technical Advisory and Training/Capacity Building Support: Provide guidance and technical support as following to variety of stakeholders in Yangon and to line ministries in Napyitaw

• Initiate and support climate change policy dialogues and trainings with key partners such as line ministries, donors, civil society, multi-donor funds on food security (like LIFT) ensuring adherence with, and consistent and integrated application of, regional and global approaches, methodologies, and strategies;
• Provide substantive technical and intellectual inputs in order to support Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry and Ministry of Agriculture in the implementation of policies and programs on climate change adaptation and mitigation;
• Advise UN-Habitat, and UNCT on ways to build capacity of line ministries in programming climate change-related resources and provide advice on the effective use; and provide inputs to strategic framework/CCA/human settlements analyses and needs assessments and other activities aimed at human settlements and environmental policy, strategy and programme development at the national level
• Review key documents produced by stakeholders to ensure that these account for and address climate change issues, and are within the context of the ASEAN and global agreements/policies
• Develop policy papers/briefs on the relationship of biodiversity and climate change; explore strategic opportunities with partner organizations that can maximize synergies between biodiversity and climate change;
• Participate in various coordination fora in Yangon related to Urban Environment and Environmental Sustainability. as well as, INGO’s, Local NGO and government departments. Identify possible synergies, represent UN-HABITAT and UNEP and take note of any action points.
• Liaise and coordinate with development partners and donors, building strategic alliances on behalf of the UN-Habitat and UNEP that deliver benefits to line ministries and to the people of Myanmar

- Research and Knowledge Management, Networking and Partnerships

• Conduct regular briefings with the partners on the status of international climate change negotiations, forthcoming events in the region, major regional initiatives underway and on-going climate change projects in the region and their applicability/impact to the context of Myanmar and in-country initiatives;
• Support UN-Habitat and other UN/INGO partners in the development of strategic and thematic partnerships with governmental agencies, UN agencies and other important regional actors in climate change;
• Promote the use and improvement of knowledge management mechanisms to share information about climate change related initiatives;
• Provide inputs to the preparation of presentations, advisory and briefing notes, as needed
• Document and analyze local experiences in Myanmar, and advise on in support of climate change activities;
• Perform any other duties that falls under incumbents’ expertise and as reasonably required by the UN-Habitat Country Programme Manager.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

- Master's degree in Environmental Studies, Economics, Sciences, Development Policy, or a closely related field; with specific research on climatic vulnerability and adaption or climate change linkages to developmental planning etc.,

Experience

- Minimum five years of relevant and professional work experience in the field of environment and development, including specialized experience in climate change at a local/national/regional level;
- Extended experience in technical assistance/cooperation programmes, training/capacity building initiatives, familiarity with development assistance framework and policy development;
- Relevant training or short-term courses required of the position;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, ability to communicate ideas effectively and write quickly and clearly under pressure;
- Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; and good communication and interpersonal skills, team oriented work style, interest and experience of working in multi-cultural environment.
- Good humour, patience, high energy, and a shared belief in UN values and mission