International Consultancy to Support the GIS mapping for GES Assessment for EOs 5, 9 and 10 within the preparation of the 2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report (Level B)

Result of Service The ultimate result of this assignment will be used to support the Contracting Parties and the United Nations Environment Programme/Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP) - Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea (MED POL) in delivering the implementation of the Roadmap and Needs Assessment for the 2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report with regards to IMAP Pollution and Marine Litter Cluster as provided in Annex V of the Decision IG.24/4 on Assessment Studies.

Work Location home-based

Expected duration The contract will be for the period of one (1) working month spread over eleven (11) months.

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional levels. 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. United Nation’s Environment Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and advisory services for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This consultancy assignment is for the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) – Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean (MED POL), Athens, Greece.

In line with the Decision IG.22/7 (COP19) on the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) of the Mediterranean Sea and Coast and Related Assessment Criteria and Decision IG.23/6 (COP20, 2017) on the 2017 Mediterranean Quality Status Report (QSR) recommending directions for the development of the 2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report, IMAP is being implemented at regional and national levels. To this aim, the regional and national activities have been supported through the Mediterranean Trust Fund (MTF), along with the EU funded Ecosystem Approach (EcAp) MED II and III Projects, IMAP-MPA and the GEF Adriatic Projects. The most important results achieved during the previous biennium were as follows:

-the methodological approaches to support mapping of the interrelations of drivers-pressures-impacts-state-responses (DPSIR) for the various ecosystem elements within integrated Good Environmental Status (GES) assessment. These methodologies are set for further testing, addressing also the approaches to definition of the scales of assessment and related areas for aggregation; -updated assessment criteria proposed for assessment of the contaminants in biota and sediment at sub-regional level; -recommendations to guide further discussions on scales of monitoring; and -national IMAP-based monitoring programmes. These programmes address spatial and temporal scope of scales of monitoring related to the respective IMAP Common Indicators per each Cluster of IMAP, namely Biodiversity, Pollution and Marine Litter, and Coast and Hydrography.

The above achievements are fully in line with the Roadmap and Needs Assessment for the 2023 Mediterranean Quality Status Report as provided in Annex V of the Decision IG.24/4 on Assessment Studies.

In line with above, Decision IG.24/14 on the Programme of Work and Budget for 2022–2023 adopted by the 22nd Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention (COP 22) held in Antalya, Turkiye, from 7 to 10 December 2021, mandated MED POL with the implementation of the following activities related to the Outcome 6.2 “Science-based IMAP, foresight and other assessments and assessment tools for strengthened science-policy interface and decision making” and 6.3 “IMAP implementation and Environment and Development Observation provide updated and quality assured data in support of decision-making by Contracting Parties and assessment of GES”:

6.2.2. Upgrade the assessment component of IMAP including possible integrated assessment for all IMAP clusters: Focus on assessment criteria and thresholds (CI 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, CCI 25); 6.2.3. Further develop IMAP Common Indicators; 6.2.4. Deliver 2023 MED Quality Status Report (QSR); 6.3.1. Strengthen national capacities to apply harmonized and standardized monitoring and assessment practices related to pollution and marine litter in line with IMAP; 6.3.10. Undertake Copernicus data analysis/integration of Copernicus Service to support indicator and data collection and ingestion; 6.3.13. Expand and improve the monitoring and forecasting capacities in the marine environment through integrating networks of observing and forecasting systems (oceanographic observatories) across the Mediterranean Sea; on integrated assessments adjusted and further developed.

In line with Decision IG.25/19: Programme of Work and Budget for 2022-2023, there is a need to recruit an international consultant to provide GIS support for the application of the assessment methods related to IMAP Pollution and Marine litter Common Indicators within the preparation of 2023 the Mediterranean Quality Status Report (2023 MED QSR) by preparing geospatial data i.e. layers for spatial assessment units and visualized assessment products for up to nine sub-areas in three Mediterranean sub-regions and by building on the products already provided in the Adriatic Sea Sub-region. The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of MED POL Programme Officer (Monitoring and Assessment) and under the overall guidance of the MED POL Programme Management Officer (Head of Unit).

The Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

1. Prepare a detailed work-plan including a timetable for activities/tasks and related deliverables; 2. Analyze and prepare for further use of the GIS layers providing distribution of the monitoring stations/areas for IMAP Common Indicators 13, 14, 17, 22 and 23, as needed, in line with the national IMAPs, and other relevant external sources of geospatial data (e.g. the projects and sources of relevance for MSFD implementation), upon the request of MED POL Monitoring and Assessment Officer based on the outputs of the MED POL expert team members responsible for preparation of the assessments for these IMAP Common Indicators; 3. Revise and further adjust GIS layers already prepared regarding the distribution of monitoring areas/stations, and areas of assessment, as feasible, for IMAP Common Indicators 18, 20 and 21, conditionals to new data availability and their assessment by relevant MEDPOL expert team members; Propose spatial scope and prepare related GIS layers for use of the NEAT application for assessment of IMAP Common Indicators 17, 22 and 23 in the areas with sufficient data for the application of NEAT assessment method by another MEDPOL expert team member, including i) the finest scales of assessment of the national parts of the subdivisions; ii) scales of assessment nested to the levels of integration that are considered meaningful for IMAP Common Indicator 17, including use of free open GIS information on the pressures; sensitive areas and national administrative units, as needed and available in relevant external sources of geospatial data (e.g. the projects and sources of relevance for MSFD implementation); and iii) application of the criteria for coupling the geographical information to define the appropriate areas of assessment, all in line with UNEP/MED WG.492/13 and UNEP/MED WG.492/Inf. 10, and in close coordination with MEDPOL and its expert team; 5. Propose spatial scope and prepare related GIS layers for assessment of IMAP CI 17 in up to eight areas by applying the CHASE+ assessment method by another MEDPOL expert team member; 6. Revise and further adjust GIS layers already prepared for the application of NEAT assessment method for IMAP Common Indicators 13, 14 and 17 conditionals to new data availability and their assessment by relevant MEDPOL expert team members; 7. Visualize assessment findings for CIs 13,14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 in up to nine assessment areas, as feasible, conditionals to successful preparation of assessment findings by other MED POL expert team members; Optimally compile all prepared GIS layers per IMAP Common Indicators and the areas of assessment for their further internal use within the preparation of the GIS catalogue of the scales of monitoring and assessment for IMAP Pollution and Marine Litter Cluster, considering also the UNEP guidance on maps and sharing the base maps files; 9. Prepare a final report of deliverables for the consultancy with details on tasks performed and activities to achieve the deliverables.

Qualifications/special skills - Advanced university degree in marine science and /or environmental science is required; - A minimum of 5 years of relevant scientific background and experience in monitoring and assessing marine environment, including experience related to the use of the GIS tools for setting the spatial scope for marine environment assessment such as application of NEAT tool is required; - Good knowledge of UNEP/MAP-MED POL, Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP), as well as the achievements in the Mediterranean by the scientific community, including the work under EU MSFD (2008/56/EC; 2010/477/EU; 2017/848/EU) is an asset; - Experience related to monitoring and assessment of the impacts of contaminants and marine litter on the status of Mediterranean marine ecosystems, as well as implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is a strong asset; - Fluency in oral English and excellent writing skills in English are required; - Knowledge of French is an asset.

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.