Organization: UNV – United Nations Volunteers
Location: Kenya
Grade: Level not specified – Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
Environment
Natural Resource Management
Closing Date: 2024-08-08
Details
Mission and objectives
Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the 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. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.
Context
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. UN Environment’s mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The Freshwater Ecosystems Unit, Marine and Freshwater Branch within the Ecosystems Division, is scaling up work on water to enable countries to accelerate their science-informed actions to address the climate, nature, and pollution crises. Freshwater ecosystems and improving management of freshwater resources plays a pivotal role and forms part of the solution, articulated in the Executive Director’s Report to UNEA6 and in UNEP’s Global Freshwater Strategic Priorities 2022-2025 in support of implementation of the Medium Term Strategy (MTS). The 2030 Agenda, the Water Action Agenda, and the UN System Wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation provide a unique and strong global framework as a foundation to accelerate action to tackle freshwater issues over the coming years. UNEP’s global mandate and comparative advantage make it well placed and prepared to support countries to implement the water-related SDG targets, with an official role as the custodian agency responsible for global monitoring and reporting of SDG targets relating to protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems (SDG target 6.6), addressing ambient water quality of water bodies (SDG target 6.3) and implementing Integrated Water Resources Management, or IWRM (SDG target 6.5). The ongoing work to develop tools and methods to inform and inspire freshwater-linked targets and indicators that track freshwater ecosystem health and extent – in particular, for wetlands – is both timely and critical to fill the current gaps on global observation of freshwater ecosystems. By advancing the collection and production of knowledge, data and information, UNEP aims to work with partners to improve country access to the data and information needed at different scales to inform their water-related policies, plans, actions and investments.
Task description
Under the direction of and reporting to the Head of the Freshwater Ecosystems Unit of the Marine and Freshwater Branch, the Water Ecosystems Specialist will undertake the following activities: •Research methods, tools and approaches used for freshwater ecosystems extent, status, water quantity including through earth observations. •Assists in the exploration, identification, and acquisition of sources of statistical data to help inform the development of a global observational system on wetland ecosystems. •Assists in capacity building of Member States, researchers and institutions to enable countries to identify and verify actionable data and information on wetland ecosystems for policy and planning. •Support the Head of the Unit to establish joined up, inter-disciplinary freshwater eco-system research and collaboration network by identifying and bringing key water institutions together. •Support the establishment of regional, sub-regional and/or basin wide networks connected to existing collaborative frameworks to improve the application of science findings, protection, restoration and sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems include through south south and triangular exchanges. •Supports the Head of Unit to ensure that information collected and included in the global wetland watch and in UNEP’s World Environment Situation Room platforms on freshwater ecosystems is accurate, accessible, understandable, scientifically robust, near real-time and in high-resolution. •Assists the team in the work on capacity building of Member States to improve the SDG 6 indicator monitoring for which UNEP is custodian and connect across the UN-Water community to share lessons and form coalitions for action. •Conduct research, coordinate drafting and review of materials, presentations and re-ports to support the implementation of the UNEA6 water resolution. •Contributes to the design and development of projects, programmes and initiatives to support UNEP’s integrated approach to freshwater action and implementation of the UNEA6 water resolution. In undertaking these duties, the Water Ecosystems Specialist will establish and maintain relationships to support collaboration with data, statistical, scientific, and other specialists, as well as technical staff across UNEP, UNEP-DHI, UN-Water and the UN system as well as representatives in national governments, international organizations, private sector, and NGOs. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). •Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. •Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. •Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. •Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. •Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.