Consultant: Systemic Risk Assessment for the Caribbean

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Produce a technical report with a Systemic Risk Assessment for Caribbean countries.

You have:

• An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction, environmental engineering, catastrophe risk assessment, statistics or other related area is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in risk management is required.
• Experience with national stakeholders in areas of disaster risk management, climate change, early warning systems, or identification of vulnerabilities and exposures is desirable.
• Familiarity with the Caribbean region regarding risk assessments or identification of vulnerabilities is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of Spanish is desirable.

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

The ultimate result of the consultancy is the production of a technical report which includes a Systemic Risk Assessment for different countries in the Caribbean region. This report will be underpinned by robust research on regional hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, and will include detailed, evidence-based multi-hazard risk scenarios for selected countries. These scenarios will explicitly consider cascading effects, secondary impacts, and cross-sectoral interdependencies, thereby enabling a holistic understanding of complex disaster risk dynamics in the region and supporting more informed decision-making for risk reduction and resilience building, while also highlighting their linkage for the improvement of design and implementation of multi-hazard early warning systems.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

8 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 160 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. The Caribbean region is highly exposed and vulnerable to a range of hazards, including hydro-meteorological events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding, as well as geological hazards like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This multi-hazard exposure and vulnerability is exacerbated by the region’s geographical location spanning the hurricane belt and sitting along the seismically active Caribbean Plate, as well as socio-economic factors, including densely populated coastal areas, limited land availability, and heavy reliance on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and tourism. Climate change further intensifies these risks by increasing the frequency and/or severity of extreme weather events, contributing to sea level rise, and altering precipitation patterns. These interconnected factors contribute to a complex and evolving disaster risk landscape that requires comprehensive, multi-hazard risk management strategies to safeguard lives, property, ecosystems, and critical infrastructure across the region. The Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative plays a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of Caribbean nations to hydro-meteorological hazards. Launched to enhance multi-hazard early warning systems, component two focuses on improving disaster risk knowledge at a regional, national and community level within the Caribbean. Understanding systemic risk is critically important for the Caribbean region due to its unique vulnerability to a wide range of interconnected hazards: both natural and human-induced, that can trigger cascading impacts across sectors, borders, and societies. As a region comprised largely of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Caribbean faces heightened exposure to climate change, extreme weather events, economic shocks, and health emergencies, all of which can overwhelm national capacities and disrupt essential services such as food security, water supply, tourism, and trade. A systemic risk perspective allows for a more integrated understanding of how these risks interrelate, revealing hidden vulnerabilities and interdependencies that traditional risk assessments often overlook. This approach supports more resilient policymaking, investments, and early warning systems that can anticipate and mitigate compound and transboundary crises, ultimately safeguarding sustainable development and the well-being of societies. Duties and responsibilities Under the supervision of the Risk Knowledge Officer of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean (ROAC), the consultant will provide support to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for implementing the Component 2 of Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Caribbean 2.0 initiative by: • Carrying out desk research on the hazard, exposure, and vulnerability conditions of the Caribbean region, as well as on existing quantitative and prospective risk assessments. • Develop at least three (3) multi-hazard risk scenarios for each of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Haiti and Suriname, making use of available disaster risk data and information. All these scenarios must explicitly account for cascading effects, secondary impacts, and interdependencies across sectors, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the potential consequences of complex hazard events and the application of multi-hazard early warning systems. • Prioritization of hazards for which the scenario analyses are going to be developed; these must include hazards of different origin and types, with enough lead time to develop multi-hazard early warning systems and will be agreed upon with the supervisor. • Development of a technical report with the methodology and results of the systemic risk assessment for the Caribbean region and its linkage to multi-hazard early warning systems.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction, environmental engineering, catastrophe risk assessment, statistics or other related area is required. A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in risk management is required. Experience with national stakeholders in areas of disaster risk management, climate change, early warning systems, or identification of vulnerabilities and exposures is desirable. Familiarity with the Caribbean region regarding risk assessments or identification of vulnerabilities is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of Spanish is desirable

Additional Information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. UNDRR values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women, men, and people with disabilities.

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.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 8 months ago - Updated 6 months ago - Source: careers.un.org