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Mangroves and Coastal Ecosystem Conservation Specialist in Timor Leste

Timor-Leste

  • Organization: UNV - United Nations Volunteers
  • Location: Timor-Leste
  • Grade: Mid level - International Volunteer - Internationally recruited Volunteer
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Environment
    • Maritime
  • Closing Date: Closed

UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT TLSR000042--Mangroves and Coastal Ecosystem Conservation Specialist The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long- established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

General Information

Country of Assignment Timor Leste

Host Institute United Nations Development Programme

Volunteer Category International Specialist

Number of Volunteer 1

Duration 12 months

workbench.possibility_of_extension Yes

Expected Starting Date Immediate

Duty Station

Dili

Assignment Place Family Duty Station

Assignment Place Remark

Family duty station

Living Conditions

Living Conditions: Timor Leste is half of a tropical island on the Australian continental shelf characterized by a rugged mountain chain running east-west that divides the country into a generally warmer north coast and a milder south coast. The capital city, Dili, is in the north. Oe-cusse is a district of East Timor. It is a coastal exclave in the western part of the island of Timor, separated from the rest of East Timor by West Timor, which is part of the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia and which surrounds Oe- cusse in all directions except the north, where it borders the Savu Sea. The capital of the district is Pante Macassar, also called Oecussi Town.

Climate: The climate along the coast is relatively warm hot year-round with an annual average temperature of 30°C. There are two

distinct seasons: the north-east monsoon season, which runs from November to March, constitutes the rainy season throughout the country. The southeast monsoon season, which runs from March to October, constitutes the dry season with some rain on the southern coast but otherwise dry and windy conditions in the rest of the country. The climate inland with its high mountains can be very cold with an annual average temperature of 15°C.

11 Oct 2017 Page 1 of 7 Health: Now, public hospital and private clinic service to community and not listed as a recommended medical facility for UN staff. In case of emergency evacuation to be taken in place through helicopter to capital Dili. Stamford clinic serves as a recommended

medical facility for UN staff There is a national hospital with some international staff and a limited number of other private clinics in

Dili. For more complex medical treatment and assessment, it is necessary to evacuate to neighbouring countries such as Darwin or

Singapore.

Diet, Food and Water: Most staple foods can be found in the markets such as rice, meat, vegetables, cooking oil, salt and sugar.

There are many local markets around Oe-cusse supermarkets that are stocked with imported goods, mainly from Australia,

Indonesia, Singapore and China. Oe-cusse has a view number of restaurants, cafes and bars. There is a variety of food ranging

from Western to Southeast Asian fare. You can also find several local restaurants with less expensive meals. The price range for a

meal can range from $3 to $20+.

Telecommunications: Now, there are three telecommunication providers in country, Timor Telecom and Telcomcel and Telemor.

While Timor Telecom has been long present, Telcomcel and Telemor were newly launched in Timor-Leste, and started operating in

February 2013. The SIM cards cost $2-3 and pre-paid/pulsa cards range from $1 to $50. Further, depending on UN Agency, you

may receive a PIN code to make international phone calls that will be charged to your VLA.

Hotels: The UNV Field unit in Dili will help arrange your initial accommodation in a hotel, at your expense. Most of the hotels in Oe-

cusse are aimed at internationals and offer a good level of comfort with air-conditioned rooms and en-suite bathrooms. You can

expect to pay from $30 to $50 per night. Permanent Accommodation: Expect that your accommodation will range from the very

basic to adequate, although many private houses in Oe-cusse have been renovated to a reasonable or even considered ‘luxurious’

level of comfort. The rate of reconstruction and renovation in the districts has been much slower than in Dili. Accommodation is far

more likely to be of a very basic level.

Assignment Details

Assignment Title Mangroves and Coastal Ecosystem Conservation Specialist

Organizational Context & Project Description

The objective of the UNDP GEF-funded project – Building Shoreline Resilience of Timor-Leste to Protect Local Communities

and Their Livelihoods is to strengthen resilience of coastal communities by the introduction of nature-based approaches to coastal

protection; as well as support inter- and intra-ministerial coordination for collaborative development planning ensuring protection of

coastal areas, as well as identify and research potential revenue streams for long term sustainability.

The project will be implemented in close collaboration with the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) through the Ministry of

Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Environment; Ministry of Public Works and; Ministry of Finance, as

well as working with international and national NGOs and private enterprise as the issues of coastal areas are complex and cross-

sectoral. It employs an integrated approach, while tailoring activities to address the specific needs, challenges and priorities of the

Government of Timor Leste.

As mangroves are vital natural defence to the impacts of climate change, extensive mangrove protection and restoration will be

supported while addressing community pressures (i.e. felling for fuelwood) and introduce alternative mangrove-supportive

livelihoods, as well as improve public awareness about the important role of coastal ecosystems in shoreline protection and climate

change adaptation and mitigation.

Since Timor-Leste’s landscape is generally steep, therefore, where relevant, the project looks at upland SLM activities to reduce

impacts of sedimentation, increased runoff and flash floods, and availability of groundwater of the coastal areas.

Mangroves and coastal wetlands are highly vulnerable to the projected impacts of climate change, particularly sea-level rise (SLR).

An estimated 80% of mangroves have been lost in Timor Leste, since 1940 (Boggs et al. 2009, Alongi 2014), due to a combination

of both, climate related risks (i.e. sea level rise, increased storm events) and also, non-climate related anthropogenic impacts (i.e.

demand for fuel wood, building materials, salt production, rice production, uncontrolled grazing). While the relative contribution of

these causal, climate and non-climate factors is unknown, anecdotal evidence (i.e. the lack of natural regeneration in many areas),

suggest SLR has had major impacts, particularly on the north coast. The loss of mangrove forests has resulted in greater exposure

to sea surges, inundation, erosion and accretion processes.

These pressures from upland areas, coupled with the rapidly rising sea level, are putting coastal communities (and the ecosystems

11 Oct 2017 Page 2 of 7 and resources upon which they depend), particularly at risk. Over the past two decades, mangroves, which serve as a natural defence to the sea, have been severely degraded – leaving the country’s shoreline and coastal communities vulnerable to coastal

inundation, erosion, salt water intrusion, and impacts of sea-borne natural hazards (e.g. waves, storm surges, and in extreme

cases, small scale tsunamis).

The major non-climate impacts on mangroves include large-scale, land clearance and conversion for rice farming and traditional salt

production, and also, their use as fuelwood, for cooking and household income. Mangroves are also illegally cut for house

construction, boatbuilding, and also, for fuel wood to support traditional salt-making livelihood activities.

With high levels of food insecurity, limited cash income and limited knowledge of climate risks, the coastal protection benefits of

mangroves, and broader ecosystem goods and services (EGS) benefits of mangroves, there are currently very limited incentives for

coastal communities in Timor Leste to protect and conserve mangroves. Further, restoration projects to-date have been short-term

– too short for community learnings to take place, and for mangroves to have time to regenerate, before the project stopped paying

and the community stopped protecting.

Communities are currently not guided or provided with sufficient incentives to become stewards of natural resources, ecosystems or

the essential services that grant coastal protection and livelihood sustainability. There are sporadic interventions by the government

to improve the situation in mangrove areas, like in Ulmera village where mangrove rehabilitation and replanting have been piloted to

cover 3km2 mangrove area. But rarely are mangrove rehabilitation and livelihood development linked to achieve sustainable results.

Employment and income generation potential associated with mangrove rehabilitation, protection and sustainable management has

not been exploited as part of the local, suco (smallest administrative area) level development plans, investments or public and

private partnership initiatives.

There is limited knowledge about the win-win solutions, whereby protection of natural assets such as mangroves can effectively

protect and sustain physical and economic assets against climate change induced hazards and at the same time deliver on social

and economic benefits.

This project will systematically strengthen the synergistic relationship between coastal communities and mangroves ecosystems and

ensure that coastal communities in Timor Leste have economic incentives to maintain and safeguard these protective natural

systems, without compromising their livelihood options. This will be achieved through community-led adaptation interventions, that

include mangrove re-afforestation, conservation and livelihood diversification options (such as agroforestry, fish ponds, intensive

gardening, fruit trees, developed through integrated community-based land use models and adaptation plans (such as the Forest-

Fish-Fruit mound-ditch model, successfully implemented in Bangladesh.

In line with this, UNDP would like to invite experienced international UNV/ Mangroves and Coastal Ecosystem Conservation

Specialist to lead the design and implementation of integrated community based mangrove/ coastal ecosystem restoration and

highland SLM activities.

Sustainable Development Goals 13. Climate Action

UNV Focus Area Securing access to basic social services

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Chief Technical Advisor/Project Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

The key role of the Mangrove Specialist is to lead the implementation of Community based Ecological CBEMR and SLM

activities and synergy with livelihood improvement activities in all target Municipalities

Conduct mangroves and coastal wetland inventory and assess the biophysical and ecological conditions of mangroves

ecosystem and update the existing report and findings

Base on the findings develop work plan and implement community based mangrove conservation and restoration and

upstream SLM activities in all target Districts

Conduct consultations with government and communities to inform (i) ecological selection of appropriate local varieties,

considering their reproduction and growth specificities; (ii) hydrology types that may necessitate mangrove zonation; (iii)

potential disturbance factors, including anticipated increased storminess that may require the plantation of mature species

and establishment of nurseries for replacement, etc.

Develop training materials and deliver training to project team, relevant government experts, partner NGOs and CBOs and

communities on coastal ecosystem restoration and mapping, CBEMR and SLM practices

11 Oct 2017 Page 3 of 7 Sensitize the communities on the value of mangrove areas and linkage between land use, groundwater quality/availability, and coastal areas management. And also convene periodic meetings of a Local Consultative Body (LCB) in support of the

target mangrove rehabilitation and livelihoods enhancement activities.

The key responsibilities and scope of works:

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor/Project Manager, the incumbent will be responsible for:

1. Manage and lead the community based ecological Mangroves conservation activities in all project target sites through

providing hands on technical guidance and support to the government experts, project team, NGOs, CBOs and the

community

2. Sensitize the communities on the value of mangroves and linkage between land use, groundwater quality/availability, and

coastal areas management

3. Conduct periodic survey on the status of mangroves and coastal ecosystem, update mangroves species, survival and

restoration status and develop national database for Mangroves of Timor Leste

4. Develop training materials and deliver training to project team, relevant government experts, partner NGOs and CBOs and

communities on coastal ecosystem restoration and mapping, CBEMR and SLM practices

5. Base on the findings from the field survey facilitate the preparation of work plan and implementation of integrated community

livelihoods enhancement, community based mangrove conservation and restoration and upstream SLM activities in all target

Municipalities

6. Develop simple hand book on mangroves species, location, characteristics, restoration mechanisms, etc. for Timor Leste

7. Jointly with Field Coordinators and local experts select feasible sustainable land management (SLM) activities and synergy

with livelihood improvement activities in all target Municipalities

8. Pro-actively engage with government experts, project team, NGOs, CBOs and the community and relevant stakeholders and

development partners on scale up of best practices, identifying bottleneck of mangroves restoration and design appropriate

joint solution

9. Prepare periodic report and progress update and document best practices, case stories and learning issues from the field.

10. Work closely with CTA and the project team to establish community of mangrove conservation in Timor Leste

11. Other tasks that may be assigned by supervisor

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerismby

reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNVactivities (for instance in events that mark International

Volunteer Day)- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms ofvolunteerism in the host country- Reflect on the type

and quality of voluntary action that they areundertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities- Contribute

articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNVpublications/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,

orencourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV OnlineVolunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs

Lead the implementation of Community based Ecological CBEMR and SLM activities

Conducted mangroves and coastal wetland inventory and assess the biophysical and ecological conditions of mangroves

ecosystem and update the existing report and findings

Developed work plan and implemented community based mangrove conservation and restoration and upstream SLM

activities in all target Districts

Conducted consultations with government and communities

Developed training materials and delivered training to project team, relevant government experts, partner NGOs and CBOs

and communities

Sensitized the communities on the value of mangrove areas and linkage between land use, groundwater quality/availability,

and coastal areas management. And also convened periodic meetings of a Local Consultative Body (LCB) in support of the

target mangrove rehabilitation and livelihoods enhancement activities.

Managed and lead the community based ecological Mangroves conservation activities in all project target sites through

providing hands on technical guidance and support to the government experts, project team, NGOs, CBOs and the

community.

Sensitized the communities on the value of mangroves and linkage between land use, groundwater quality/availability, and

coastal areas management.

Conducted periodic survey on the status of mangroves and coastal ecosystem.

11 Oct 2017 Page 4 of 7 Developed simple hand book on mangroves species, location, characteristics, restoration mechanisms, etc. for Timor Leste Jointly with Field Coordinators and local experts selected feasible sustainable land management (SLM) activities and synergy

with livelihood improvement activities in all target Municipalities

Pro-actively engaged with government experts, project team, NGOs, CBOs and the community and relevant stakeholders and

development partners on scale up of best practices, identifying bottleneck of mangroves restoration and design appropriate

joint solutions.

Prepared periodic report and progress update and document best practices, case stories and learning issues from the field.

Worked closely with CTA and the project team to establish community of mangrove conservation.

• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including

supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity

(AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final

statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the

number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Qualifications/Requirements

Required Degree Level Master degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments

Advanced/ MSc. /PhD Degree in Marine Ecology, Coastal Ecosystem Management, Wetland Management, Natural Resources

Management, Environmental Science, Forestry, or in any disciplines relevant to Mangrove/Coastal Ecosystem Restoration, Coastal

Adaptation and Shoreline Management.

Years of Required Work Experience 84 months

Experience Description

Minimum Seven years of professional level experience to the stated role and responsibilities including community based ecological

mangrove rehabilitation/restoration, watershed management, forestry, coastal ecosystem conservation, natural resources

management preferably within the UN or international Organization

Language Skills

ENG (Mandatory) , Level - Working Knowledge

And One of these - POR (Optional) , Level - Working Knowledge

DoA Expertise

Agriculture and horticulture Mandatory

Agricultural economics Optional

Other agriculture related experience Optional

Additional Requirements for Area of Expertise

Essential: Extensive practical experience in Mangroves conservation, coastal ecosystem management, coastal wetlands

conservation, watershed and SLM activities as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions

Practical Expertise in mapping, designing survey tools and conducting field surveys and other data collection instruments and

database management

Demonstrated skills in field survey, ecosystem inventory, evaluation of coastal ecosystem services/values, etc.

Desirable: Demonstrated strong interpersonal and motivational skills and sensitivity to the local environment as well as the

ability to work with minimal supervision and proven ability to accomplish and present work with a high degree of accuracy and

technical quality, in relatively short time;

11 Oct 2017 Page 5 of 7 Ability to communicated effectively orally and in writing, in order to communicate complex, technical information to both technical and general audiences, including strong policy advice skills; and

Need Driving Licence No

Conditions of Service and other information

Condition of Service Click here to view Conditions of Service

Conditions of Service for International Specialist:

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and

satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family

Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and

other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,587. The

VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis

according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty

stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is

published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website http://icsc.un.org.

For example, kindly enter the link Calculator

In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a

Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the

duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty

station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security

framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final

repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

11 Oct 2017 Page 6 of 7 UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.

Application Code TLSR000042-2270

Application procedure

* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account,

complete all sections of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and

click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink. Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at

https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you

would like to apply.

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Application deadline: 22 October 2017.

Disclaimer

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We

arecommitted to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.

11 Oct 2017 Page 7 of 7

This vacancy is now closed.
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