Water and Climate Adaptation Expert

Result of ServiceThe incumbent will be responsible for the following: *Development of inception report (approx. 10-15 pages) including concept note and agenda for exchange within two weeks of the contract signature including complete Technical Exchange Program facilitation and pre-exchange briefing materials. *Facilitate a four-to-five-day field trip and workshops and exchanges, generating daily progress reports and providing documentation of sessions and key insights. *Mission report (approx. 10-15 pages) analysing exchange outcomes documenting lessons learned, learning objectives established by exchange participants, and operational protocols document adapted to the Zahle context, partnership framework for ongoing collaboration and proposed leads for Capacity building plan for Zahle Water User Association. Work LocationRemote and/or on-site (France) Expected duration3 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has partnered with UN-Habitat to implement an Adaptation Fund project on “Increasing the resilience of both displaced persons and host communities to climate change-related water challenges.” The project aims to improve the response to climate change impacts on the availability of water resources to displaced persons and their host communities in Lebanon and Jordan. The project is led by UN-Habitat. ESCWA is responsible for implementing the regional knowledge management, advocacy and communications component of the project. General Objectives Under this project, UNICEF Lebanon is implementing a wastewater reuse project and overseeing the establishment of a Water User Association (WUA) that will ensure the long-term sustainability of this intervention. This association is an official body formed of local actors including but is not limited to farmers, municipal representatives, the Bekaa water establishment, and other stakeholders. To enhance the capacities of the WUA to be able to manage and operate the installed wastewater reuse system and to advance the coordination amongst farmers, the project partners have planned for a technical exchange initiative for the WUA in Lebanon and Jordan to learn about similar water reuse projects, particularly in France. The technical exchange initiative emerges from the region's urgent need to address water scarcity through innovative wastewater reuse solutions. The reuse project in Zahle, Lebanon involves several stakeholders including UNICEF, ESCWA, UN-Habitat, the Bekaa Water Establishment, and the newly formed WWUA in Zahle. The French counterparts, specifically the Maine-et-Loire, Aude and Royan agricultural reuse scheme, offer operational experience in treated wastewater reuse for agricultural use, providing different models for technical, operational, and regulatory best practices transfer based on several years of solid experience. This knowledge exchange is particularly crucial given Lebanon's implementation of the LIBNOR National Standard NL819:2024 (National standards) for direct reuse of treated municipal wastewater in irrigation. Therefore, and to support those efforts, ESCWA is looking to recruit a Water and Climate Adaptation Expert responsible for the facilitation of the knowledge exchange between Jordan and Lebanon and the French counterparts, as overseen by ESCWA. The incumbent should report to the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in Beirut, Lebanon. The position will be remote and in-person for the facilitation phase. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and the overall supervision of the Climate Change and Natural Resource Sustainability Cluster Lead, the consultant's responsibilities are structured across three distinct phases to ensure comprehensive project coverage: 1- Pre-Exchange Preparation Phase encompasses stakeholders’ consultations with all parties including UNICEF, ESCWA, UN-Habitat (in Lebanon and Jordan), Bekaa Water Establishment, Zahle Water User Association, and Maine-et-Loire, Aude and Royan counterparts. This phase requires developing a comprehensive technical exchange program with detailed agendas, learning objectives, and learning material and methodology, while coordinating complex logistics including venue arrangements, interpretation services, and technical documentation requirements. 2- Technical Exchange Facilitation Phase centers on a four to five-day intensive program in Maine-et-Loire, Aude and Royan, in France, leading site visits to wastewater treatment facilities, irrigation infrastructure, and monitoring systems. The consultant must moderate technical sessions covering operation and maintenance of large-scale REUSE systems, Water User Association governance frameworks, application of national standards and monitoring protocols, and coordination mechanisms between water utilities and user associations. 3- Post-Exchange Activities Phase involves compiling comprehensive mission reports documenting key learnings, developing operational protocols adapted from Royan experience to the Lebanese and Jordanian context, supporting partnership agreement drafting, and providing follow-up technical support and remote consultation. Qualifications/special skillsA Master’s degree or equivalent in environmental engineering, water resources management, agricultural Engineering, international development, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 5 years of professional work experience in water and wastewater management sector; 2 years of which are in facilitation of international technical exchange programs is required. Demonstrated work experience in agricultural water reuse, irrigation systems, or WASH sector projects is required. Experience with multilateral organizations such as UN agencies, World Bank, and regional development banks is desirable. Experience encompassing Middle East and North Africa region exposure, Water User Association development or farmer cooperative management, and knowledge of Lebanese, French, or European Union water reuse regulations and standards is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand). Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.