CIMA Research Foundation (www.cimafoundation.org, Savona, Liguria, Italy) is a non-profit research organization that promotes the study, scientific research, technological development and higher education in engineering and environmental sciences. The main interests are in the fields of civil protection, risk reduction, climate change impact, public health and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems conservation.
CIMA is looking for a French speaking consultant supporting in the realization of the activities of the Volta Flood and Drought Management project (VFDM project). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) and the Global Water Partnership in West Africa (GWP-WA) are implementing in consortium the project titled “ Integrating Flood and Drought Management and Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta Basin (VFDM) ” . CIMA has been engaged by the Consortium (WMO, VBA and GWP-WA) as one of the technical implementing partners of the VFDM project. The project aims to develop capacities for coordinated management of national and regional institutions and communities, in terms of integrated management of both floods and droughts. It also aims to help the six countries of the Volta Basin to implement coordinated and common measures to improve their existing management plans at regional, national, and local levels and to learn from past and current projects related to the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
The VFDM project has three components:
1: Risk prevention whose main results are the development of Risk Maps, the definition of Climate Scenarios, the evaluation of ecosystem services, the definition of long-term risk management strategies in the Volta Basin; component
2: Concrete adaptation measures and stakeholders’ engagement whose main expected results are the establishment of a basin-wide early warning system, the identification of pilot sites to test concrete adaptation measures, the promotion of nature-based solutions, and gender mainstreaming in flood risk management; component
3: Improving Governance whose expected essential products are the strengthening of resilience, the strengthening of the capacities of political decision-makers and the development of local collaborations. The implementation of the VFDM project involves the active participation of regional and national agencies (in charge of meteorology, hydrology, water resources management, water protection, civil protection, etc.). Particularly, CIMA Research Foundation during last year of the project developed for the Volta basin a flood and drought risk assessment through probabilistic approach and elaborated a Risk Profile with recommendations for risk reduction and management based on the results of the probabilistic risk assessment carried out.
Key responsibilities
The Flood and Drought Risk Management Expert should work in achieving the following activities within the VFDM project:
• Develop, through stakeholders’ consultation, an action plan for flood and drought risk reduction and management based on the recommendations of the Volta Flood and Drought Risk Profile developed by CIMA in 2022
• Contribute to the definition of the outline of the document and develop contents based on the Volta Flood and Drought Risk profile results and recommendations and other existing literature (e.g. UNDRR guidelines for DRR strategies, ECOWAS flood risk management strategy and action plan, etc…)
• Participate in the preparation and carry out six national workshops (3-days each) together with CIMA’s experts to present the draft version of the strategy document, co-develop country-specific content and integrate them into the strategy document (four workshop will be realized face to face in: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and Togo; two workshops will be realized virtually in: Burkina Faso and Mali)
• Review of workshop reports prepared by National Stakeholders. Liaise with countries for the revision and validation of the strategy document
• Assist CIMA’s Project Manager in the implementation of the project All tasks should be performed in coordination with other CIMA’s experts and under the supervision of CIMA’s project manager of the VFDM project and reference program directors.
REQUIREMENTS
The ideal candidates should have the following expected profile Education
• University degree on Civil and Environmental Engineer, Geology, Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Management or equivalent. Languages
• Full working knowledge of French (written and spoken).
Personal skills
• Good organizer and planner;
• Good attitude to work in teams and sense of initiative;
• Liaison skills;
• Facilitation skills;
• Analytical skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and capacity to work under pressure and short deadlines;
• Willingness to travel abroad;
• Experience in conducting assessments and/or/research is a merit.
EXPERIENCE
• At least 5 years of experience in Flood and Drought Risk Reduction and Management;
• Proved experience in interaction with national stakeholders in charge of disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, water resources management, hydrometeorology and civil protection;
• Experience and skills in writing strategic documents and plans for risk management; •
Experience and knowledge of the West African context.
ASSETS
Further desirable assets could refer to:
• Fluency in English both written and spoken;
• Experience in training, capacity building and co-development activities;
• Experience in capacity development for Risk Management in international context;
• Experience in reporting.
WE OFFER
• an interesting job in an interdisciplinary environment;
• the opportunity for professional growth and know-how acquisition;
• the opportunity to work in motivated teams;
• the opportunity to work in an international initiative.
OVERVIEW OF THE ASSIGNMENT
• Position: Flood and Drought Risk Management Expert;
• Location: Home and Field;
• Estimated Duration: 3 months (with possible extension);
• Expected starting date: as soon as possible;
• Responding to: CIMA Foundation;
• Reporting to: CIMA Foundation.
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit their CV to the email [email protected] (cover letter and reference letters can be submitted too).
The deadline is Tuesday 20th September 2022 time 00.00 (CEST).
The subject of the email should be: Flood and Drought Risk Management Expert.
The candidates, after CV evaluation, can be contacted for an online interview. Based on the interview outcomes, a proposal for the position and remuneration within CIMA will be made to the candidates. Any question related to this call can be directed in French and English, within Friday 16th September 2022 (00.00 CEST), to Anna Mapelli via email at: [email protected]
