Climate Finance Specialist

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

ADPC is an intergovernmental regional organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders. Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees. ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and regional cooperation. For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

Background

Disasters take a huge toll on the development agenda of SAR countries. Between 2000 and 2017, disasters in South Asia incurred estimated damages of US$ 149.27 billion. Public expenditure is under stress by the repeated need to reallocate capital budgets away from long term development planning and towards reconstruction activities in post-disaster environments. For example, since 2005, Pakistan has suffered losses on the order of US$ 16 billion due to natural disasters. In Bangladesh, 2007 Cyclone Sidr resulted in damages and losses of US$1.7 billion, or 2.6 per cent of GDP. To increase resilience and achieve climate commitments, there is a need for a transformational shift towards policies and institutions that enable climate resilient investments. Investing in more resilient infrastructure is both profitable and urgent as disruptions are extremely costly for governments, households and private sector and large ongoing investments in infrastructure assets will have long-lasting repercussions as poor maintenance and natural disasters result in a vulnerable stock. With the financial support from the World Bank Group, ADPC will be implementing a five years project, titled “Climate Adaptation and Resilience Project for South Asia” (CARE). The project aims to create an enabling environment for climate resilience policies and investments across South Asia. This objective will be achieved through enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange for climate resilience and adaptation and mainstreaming of resilience and adaptation in national policies, plans and investments. Scaling up the climate financing is vital to satisfactorily implement all the required components of the project. It would involve review of national policies to support in development of climate resilient frameworks in planning and financing. Accordingly, a qualified and experienced Climate Finance Specialist will be required to support in ADPC in implementing the CARE for South Asia project and contribute to ADPC’s work on climate change in the region.

The objectives of this staff position are to:

• Provide overall technical oversight on Climate Finance for ADPC and for the CARE for South Asia Project.
• Take a lead role in CARE for South Asia project on activities related to climate finance in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal and ensure high quality outputs and deliverables.
• Provide overall support and technical inputs on climate and disaster risk finance review and analysis, preparation of policy and planning options and policy reforms for sectors through participatory process and engagement of stakeholders in focus countries.
• Provide technical guidance and prioritized actions to roll out the climate change fiscal frameworks at national and sub-national level in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Closely work alongside the Regional Climate Policy and Planning Specialist, and the Climate Planning and Finance regional and country teams in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Provide technical advice to support CARE for South Asia project countries and the Regional Consultative Committee mechanism in undertaking legal and regulatory frameworks to unlock, mobilize, mainstream, and leverage public and private climate finance.

Statement of Intent

The Climate Finance Specialist will provide technical inputs in CARE for South Asia project on public and private climate finance, and to contribute to ADPC’s work on climate change in the region. The Climate Finance Specialist will provide support remotely and also face-to-face with CARE country team and consultants. The Climate Finance Specialist will be based in Bangkok, Thailand 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.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Climate Finance Specialist will provide the following:

• Regional technical lead on Climate Finance for the CARE for South Asia project, providing advice on climate finance to ADPC staff, national counterparts, and partners.
• Support the development of an updated Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Provide technical inputs into developing country action plans for climate and disaster risk informed investments supplemented by a National appraisal and approval framework in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• Co-lead the organization and conduct of the National Policy Dialogue on Climate Change in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, and regional policy dialogues on climate change.
• Co-lead, along with the Regional Climate Policy and Planning Specialist to develop national guidelines on climate finance and planning in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• Regional technical lead in developing country fiscal risk analysis reports including country action plan for climate-related fiscal risk mitigation measures in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal by using World Bank’s Climate Change Fiscal Risk Analysis tool.
• Provide guidance in the development of an implementation plan for the
  • (1) Bangladesh Climate Fiscal Framework (BCFF);
  • (2) climate change financing framework in Pakistan.
• Provide guidance in the development of an implementation plan to roll out the climate change financing framework in selected province in Nepal, supplemented by a guidance note on climate change financing framework for the local adaptation plan of action (LAPA).
• Support ADPC in the accreditation process for the Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and/or Adaptation Fund.
• Develop and prepare training and information materials, and implement capacity building activities related to climate finance under the CARE for South Asia Project.
• Facilitate in the preparation of concept notes, and project documents.
• Perform other relevant tasks as assigned by the Director of Risk Governance, and the Regional Climate Policy and Planning Specialist.

Qualifications

The candidate should at least have:

• A master or equivalent qualification in the field of finance, economics, environmental science, natural resource management climate change adaptation or any related fields.
• At least 5 years of proven experience in the area of climate finance in Asia.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the climate finance in the region, well as knowledge of financial institutions and their operations.
• Good knowledge of the financial sector in the region and developed ability to identify and engage relevant stakeholders, both public and private.
• Strong technical understanding on climate public finance in Asia.
• Strong technical understanding and knowledge of green economy and climate change.
• Direct experience in the accreditation process of GEF/GCF/AF would be an asset.
• Strong analytical skills and solid understanding of climate science, the Paris Agreement, climate adaptation/resilience strategies, climate-informed policies and planning frameworks and sectoral interventions.
• Familiar with inter-governmental organization work.
• Proven ability to work in a team with strong communication skills and capacity to work under pressure and short deadlines.
• Cross-cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff, and partners.
• Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams.
• Experience in training and capacity building would be an asset.
• 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.

Reporting Relationships

The Climate Finance Specialist will be under the supervision of the Director of Risk Governance Department, and will work closely with the Regional Climate Policy and Planning Specialist.