Thematic area
Water and Air
Background
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) seeks to enable sustainable and resilient mountain development for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge and regional cooperation.
ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Working in partnership with regional and international organizations, ICIMOD aims to influence policy and practices to meet environmental and livelihood challenges emerging in the HKH. ICIMOD provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional cooperation.
ICIMOD works through its six Regional Programmes: 1) Adaptation and Resilience Building, 2) Transboundary Landscapes, 3) River Basins and Cryosphere, 4) Atmosphere, 5) Mountain Environment Regional Information System, and 6) Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks. These regional programmes are supported by four Thematic Areas – Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services, Water and Air, and Geospatial Solutions – and underpinned by the Knowledge Management and Communication (KMC) Unit. ICIMOD seeks to contribute to reducing poverty and vulnerability and improving the lives and livelihoods of mountain women, men and children, now and in the future.
About the Water and Air Theme
Water and Air is one of ICIMOD’s four strategic thematic areas and houses competencies related to water and atmospheric issues. ICIMOD fosters regional and transboundary exchange and dialogue to promote integrated water and land management and air quality monitoring. It acts as a resource centre for information on water resources and atmosphere. These competencies are applied in ICIMOD’s six regional programmes to foster inter and transdisciplinary research and development activities, thereby delivering a positive impact in the HKH.
Water and Air is one of ICIMOD’s four strategic thematic areas and houses competencies related to water and atmospheric issues. ICIMOD fosters regional and transboundary exchange and dialogue to promote integrated water and land management and air quality monitoring. It acts as a resource centre for information on water resources and atmosphere. These competencies are applied in ICIMOD’s six regional programmes to foster inter and transdisciplinary research and development activities, thereby delivering a positive impact in the HKH.
From physical, ecological, and social perspectives, the Water and Air Thematic Area analyses the demand and future availability of water from mountains; cryosphere dynamics; rivers, springs, groundwater, and watersheds; water-related hazards including floods and droughts; the potential impacts of climate and anthropogenic changes; hydropower development; and the role of hill and mountain irrigation in providing food security. The Thematic Area also focuses on improving quantitative understanding of atmospheric transport, chemicals and microphysical processes, emission sources within and up-wind of the region, and the impacts of atmospheric change on the health of poor communities and on the cryosphere. Water and Air focuses on developing solutions at a variety of scales, from community to national policy levels, and fostering regional cooperation. It also addresses transboundary issues, especially within the water–food–energy nexus, including benefit-sharing and building community resilience. Regional cooperation on atmospheric monitoring, data sharing, and mitigation is an important component of the thematic work.
Climate service initiatives of ICIMOD focuses on catering to information needs of individuals and institutions to anticipate and manage climate-related shocks and opportunities effectively. It builds on emerging weather and climate modelling facilities, information dissemination platforms and will focus on strengthening both regional development of weather and climate services and nationally by supporting improved capacity and capability in the HKH countries.
Responsibilities and task
Under the overall supervision of the Climate and Hydrology Group Lead of the Water and Air Theme, the climate change analyst will work as a team member of the Water and Air Theme. The candidate will have the following duties and responsibilities:
- Evaluate climate data from different global climate models and regional climate models
- Downscale and bias correct global datasets to high resolution
- Downscale and bias correct CORDEX datasets and prepare different information products
- Analyse climate data to prepare a change in climatic variables for different future time periods
- Analyse climate data for the calculation of extreme climate indices also for different sectors
- Support training and capacity buildings on climate change and data analysis and impact assessment
Minimum qualifications
- A master’s degree (or equivalent) in climate change, environmental sciences, hydrology, geoinformatics or geographical information sciences, or related fields, with a minimum of three years of qualifying experience. A first-level university degree in combination with five years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the more advanced university degree.
- Competent skills in scientific data analysis software, data analysis, downscaling, and bias correction
- Strong skill in coding and programming of climate data (such as R programming, Python, and Java) and GIS software
- Good record of publications on climate change, hydrology, and water resources
Competencies
- Cross-cultural impact: Adapts to various customs and practices and can resolve misunderstandings
- Result and impact orientation: Navigates through challenging situations to achieve concrete results, successfully transforming outputs to outcomes
- Teamwork and cooperation: Solicits ideas and opinions to help form specific plans and take decisions cohesively
- Networking and stakeholder management: Recognizes the needs of different stakeholders and partners to build capacity and solve project issues while maintaining existing professional linkages and building new ones
- Impactful communication: Applies active listening skills and tailors convincing messages for different audiences, integrating ideas from several sources
- Continuous improvement and innovation: Identifies opportunities for improvement, encourages new ideas, and implements new technologies to enhance workflow
- Analytical thinking: Simplifies complex issues to identify the crux of a problem or opportunity in order to make effective, timely decisions
- Behavioural flexibility and change management: Adapts to change and capably adjusts to new responsibilities and circumstances
Duty station
The duty station is Kathmandu. Frequent travel and fieldwork will be required.
Duration
The position will be for two years, of which the first six months will be probationary, with a possibility of extension subject to ICIMOD’s future funding levels.
Renumeration
Salaries and benefits of ICIMOD are competitive compared with other regional organizations; remuneration is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Gender and equity policy
Qualified and eligible women candidates and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. ICIMOD upholds a gender equity policy and is supportive of women professionals. It operates a day-care centre at the campus and is committed to the integration of gender equity at organizational and programmatic levels.
Method of application
Applicants are requested to apply online before 15 June 2020 through ICIMOD’s online application system.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
