Mountain Climate Change and Governance Specialist

Result of Service- Operational contribution with regards to execution of milestones, deliverables and indicators that UNEP is accountable for under respective project/outcome 2 of overall Adaptation at Altitude programme, as well as successful project closure. - Operational contribution with regards to UNEP`s contributions under respective outcomes 1, 3 & 4 of overall Adaptation at Altitude programme - Contribution to the finalization of Programme Document of phase 2 (2024-27) of the Adaptation at Altitude programme - Operational contribution with regards to execution of milestones, deliverables and indicators that UNEP is accountable for under the PRIMA project component, especially outputs 3 and 4, as well as successful project closure - Operational contribution with regards to execution of milestones and deliverables that UNEP is accountable for under the MountainsADAPT project, especially outputs 1 and 2 and successful closure of 1st phase - Contribution to revising grant proposal/ Programme Document of phase 2 (2024-27) of the Mountains ADAPT project and potentially PRIMA project - Contribution to additional resource mobilization/project proposal development in the above mentioned workstreams of climate, nature and pollution action in mountains.

Work Location Vienna

Expected duration 6/11/23 - 31/05/24

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. This position is in the Vienna Programme Office of the Europe Office at the Vienna Duty Station and reports to the Programme Manager that manages the Adaptation at Altitude project (including PRIMA and Mountains Adapt), as well as the Head of Vienna Programme Office of UNEP.

The United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The Vienna Programme Office, closely liaising with the Ecosystems Division as the overall accountable entity, maintains a number of different projects related to sustainable mountain development and climate change adaptation including the Swiss funded project „Adaptation at Altitude: Taking Action in the Mountains“ (2019-2024), and the Austrian funded project “Mountains ADAPT: Advancing Climate Action” (2023-2024) (integrated into Adaptation at Altitude) as well as the PRIMA project component (2022-2024).

The overall objective of the Adaptation at Altitude (A@A) programme is to increase knowledge on climate change and appropriate adaptation solutions in mountains and feed it into science-policy platforms for informed decision-making in national, regional and global policy processes, to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of mountain communities and ecosystems to climate change.

UNEP besides ICIMOD (responsible for Hindu Kush Himalaya) and CONDESAN (responsible for Andes) has been selected to lead the work under Outcome 2 to support regional policy action in the South Caucasus and East Africa as well as the interregional level. Strengthening regional cooperation and concrete action is furthermore seen as an effective catalyzer for adequate policy integration of mountain adaptation at national levels. The first phase of the programme will ultimately end with 28 February 2024 and a second phase for another four-year period is being prepared by UNEP and programme partners to submit to the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).

As complementing project activity to the Adaptation at Altitude programme, UNEP and the implementing partner Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) of the University Berne undertake the project “Promoting innovations for sustainable development in mountain areas” (PRIMA) between 2022-2024. PRIMA’s overall objective is to promote collaboration among partners and across mountain regions on innovative approaches that provide mutual benefits and enhance the effectiveness of actions towards inclusive sustainable mountain development.

Further complementing the work on adaptation in mountain areas, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK) decided to support the Mountains ADAPT project, coordinated by UNEP, with the aim that innovative mountain adaptation solutions supported for implementation through a newly established small grants funding scheme to foster needs-based and context-specific adaptation financing. In the first phase (until June 2024), a small grants funding scheme concept for flexible and easily accessible financing of mountain adaptation solutions is to be developed and access and operability of the scheme tested and validated with a selection of mountain adaptation solutions in the target regions of East Africa and the South Caucasus. A subsequent second phase for roll-out of Mountains ADAPT in both target regions is under discussion with the donor, possibly starting in summer 2024.

Further, the Vienna PO works closely with the Ecosystems Division (BPL Unit) helping to coordinate and overseeing UNEP`s delivery on mountain ecosystems with various work streams on climate, nature and pollution action in mountains.

Under the overall responsibility of the UNEP Programme Management Officer, responsible for the Adaptation At Altitude, Mountains ADAPT and PRIMA Projects the specialist will contribute to operational tasks, including:

- Overseeing contractual arrangement with South Caucasus implementing partner for the Mountains ADAPT project, and relationship management

- Contribution on the delivery of relevant outputs and indicators, milestones according to approved logframes of the related projects (components) such as:

Adaptation at Altitude:

- Further development and coordination of regional mountain governance structures in programme target regions (South Caucasus), in close collaboration with implementing partners; - Preparation of regional adaptation dialogue meetings with targeted policy stakeholders in the South Caucasus - Preparation for relevant partner meetings including reports and presentations - Finalization of project document for Phase 2 (2024-27) of Adaptation at Altitude programme following the conducted End-Term Evaluation for the first phase (2019-23) including internal set up; - Preparation of contractual agreements with Adaptation at Altitude implementing partners for phase 2 of the programme.

Mountains ADAPT:

- Stocktake report of small grants schemes (SGFS) in target regions and beyond; - Finalization of stakeholder mapping; - Development of a draft small grants funding scheme concept and consultation with key stakeholders (with focus on South Caucasus); - Development of matrix for identifying and confirming pilot testing sites in the South Caucasus; - Co-organization of needs consultations in target regions of Mountains ADAPT project; - Contribution to set-up of draft SGFS to channel seed money for selected mountain adaptation solutions in chosen pilot sites; - Refined SGFS with lessons learned for possible wider roll-out in subsequent phase of project - Mainstreaming of mountain climate change adaptation into relevant policy processes, consulting with national as well as regional stakeholders and wider UNEP team (CCAU responsible for NAP process), leading to draft pathways for policy integration; - Contribution to developing phase 2 of the Mountains ADAPT project (revised grant proposal).

PRIMA:

- Follow-up of the Mountain Innovation Fair held in October 2023 - Facilitation of the Mountain Innovation Award price money for out- or upscaling of one innovative approach in mountains

Mountain portfolio:

- Targeted resource mobilization building on and complementing the Adaptation at Altitude programme, as agreed with the supervisor; - Communication of activities and outcomes with regards to overall programme using various communication networks and channels.

Qualifications/special skills Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and Environment and / or International Affairs or similar is required. - A minimum of 5 years of work experience in environmental sector / international affairs is required - Work experience in sustainable mountain development, climate change adaptation and regional governance-related aspects is required. - Working experience with organizations in the Alps, Caucasus, Andes and Hindu Kush Himalaya is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. In addition, knowledge of another official UN language will be considered 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.