Climate Change Mitigation Expert for Assessing Climate Change (CC) mitigation and adaptation benefits in County Spatial Plans (CSP), County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP) and identify adaptation

Result of Service

Reports in English including Climate change mitigation and adaptation assessment, workshop report and a policy brief.

Work Location

Homebased

Expected duration

4 months

Duties and Responsibilities

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. Its 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. This post is in UNEP, Ecosystems Division at Marine and Freshwater Branch, under the direct supervision of Programme Management Officer.

Background:
The Go-Blue Project is a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Government of Kenya to advance the Blue Economy agenda across six counties in Kenya’s coastal region. The implementing partners include four-member states agencies from Germany, Italy, Portugal and France, and two UN Agencies (UN-Habitat and UNEP), with each implementing specific components of the Project in collaboration with the coastal counties and the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) Secretariat and relevant national government Ministries. UN-Habitat and UNEP are jointly implementing the main environmental component Result Area 2: Connecting People, Cities and the Ocean: Innovative Land-Sea Planning and Management for a Sustainable and Resilient Kenyan Coast. Under this component, UN-Habitat and UNEP are focusing on Innovative Integrated, Ecosystem-based Land-Sea Planning and Management for a Sustainable and Resilient Kenyan Coast. The core goal is to enable land-sea planning, including compilation of relevant data in Kenya’s six coastal Counties. This includes addressing key socio-economic and environmental drivers and challenges to secure marine and coastal ecosystem services through planning, capacity building and pilot activities across the six coastal Counties.

The project has four (4) specific outcomes:
1. Planning authorities to use information generated from the project in demonstration exercises on integrated, sustainable land-sea spatial planning and management;

2. JKP counties and coastal locations apply new frameworks and approaches in integrated land-sea planning and management;

3. Pilot interventions resulting in protection of coastal ecosystems, improved waste management, climate change and blue job creation in target areas; and

4. Good practices and knowledge from integrated land-sea planning are applied by county governments, local communities, and private sectors in JKP region.

Rationale
These Terms of Reference (TORs) seek to support the delivery of outcome 2 - JKP counties and coastal locations apply new frameworks and approaches in integrated land-sea planning and management. More specifically, the assignment will contribute to output 2.5 - ensure that carbon emission mitigation and adaptation benefits are mapped and quantified informing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) formulation and reporting processes. Kenya’s NDC to achieving the Paris Agreement on climate change includes a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 30 per cent by 2030 relative to the Business-as-Usual scenario. However, blue carbon ecosystems and carbon emissions from urban areas were not taken into account in the initial generation of NDCs but have been added to the revised NDCs, albeit in a limited way. The Go Blue project has an opportunity to raise the profile of coastal ecosystems and urban areas for their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to support their inclusion in the NDCs and National Greenhouse Gas Inventory process.

Responsibilities:
a) Determine the extent to which County Spatial Plans (CSP) and County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) have incorporated climate change mitigation and adaptation.

b) Compilation of all available data sets on climate change mitigation and adaptation, while liaising with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) who are conducting a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Mombasa and Tana-River counties within the Go Blue project.

c) Review and identify key legal and policy frameworks such as The National Environment Policy, National Climate Response Strategy, National Climate Action Plan, Climate Change Act, along with others that provide detailed provisions for counties to mainstream CC mitigation and adaptation.

d) Highlight cross cutting issues/challenges/gaps that hinder the incorporation of CC mitigation and adaptation measures into CSP and CIDPs frameworks.

e) In collaboration with UNEP and KMFRI, organize for a workshop for the presentation of draft assessment report to relevant stakeholders and county officials for input on the assessment.

f) Determine/propose various potential climate change mitigation and adaptations measures for the different counties that also align with and feed into the Go-Blue land-sea planning framework.

g) Engage relevant stakeholders in mainstreaming Climate Change (adaptation and mitigation) priorities and opportunities within CSPs and CIDPs; this presents an opportunity to influence counties that are yet to develop their CSP.

h) Collaborate with other implementing partners (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Wildlife Research Training Institute, CORDIO-East Africa and University of Nairobi) who are implementing related work under the Go-Blue project on climate vulnerability assessment, enhancing Marine Protected Area (MPA) management and conservation, ecosystem valuation and development of a blue carbon project in the Lamu-Tana seascape, on sharing data and collectively deliver on the outputs for the Go Blue project.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Masters or PhD) in subjects related to climate change mitigation and adaption, disaster risk reduction, urbanization and sustainable development is required.

Must have at least 7 years of work experience is required for the study priorities in climate change mitigation and adaption, disaster risk reduction, urbanization and sustainable development.

Familiarity with Sustainable Development Goals in relation to SDG 13 on Climate Action and SDG 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable is desirable.

Demonstrate previous experience conducting similar studies in the Kenya and the JKP region.is desirable

Excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills preferably with proven experience working in subjects related to study priorities in Africa.

Publications. Researchers who have published in peer-reviewed journals is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required. Fluency in other United Nations language is an advantage.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.