Water and Sanitation National Consultant

Result of Service The main result of this task is twofold; (a) the capacity building of the counterparts in Qena, Luxor and Damietta through OJT on RBF and novel wastewater treatment technology, and (b) developing the roadmap for mainstreaming RBF codes and standards in Egypt.

Work Location Cairo, Egypt

Expected duration 8 months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational Setting UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

Background Established in 2005, UN-Habitat Egypt Programme has been providing technical support to national counterparts on a wide range of urban issues. Adopting an integrated approach, UN-Habitat Egypt has supported reforming and improving urban planning and management through three main sub-programmes; urban planning and design, urban policies, legislation and governance, and basic services and climate change.

In Egypt, water scarcity is a pressing national priority as water shortage has reached 23 billion cubic meters annually. The water challenge is expected to worsen due to climate change and other factors. Sanitation also poses a significant challenge. Residents of villages not connected to sanitation systems build informal sanitation systems with no quality controls. They also dispose sewage in the nearby water canals which leads to polluting the surface water and groundwater, endangering the public health of the citizens.

There is a constant growth in the number of vulnerable villages across the nation, facing different challenges, particularly the Upper Egypt and Delta governorates facing water provision and sanitation challenges, respectively. Upper Egypt house over 90% of Egypt’s most vulnerable villages regarding access, quality, affordability and sustainability of water provision services. On the other hand, the Nile Delta is home to millions of people as the population density is extremely high, proper and affordable sanitation might not be accessible to all its inhabitants.

As such, the Egypt Vision 2030 and National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction focus on the analysis of challenges facing water and sanitation sector and the application of the appropriate responding actions.

Accordingly, the project “Supporting Innovation in Water and Sanitation Sector in Egypt” aims to reduce the vulnerability of defined groups in Qena, Luxor and Damietta to enhance the resilience of the overall water and sanitation sectors. This is to be achieved through implementation of innovative service provision technologies (RBFs) in the identified areas, and offering wastewater treatment technology, in addition to raising communities’ awareness on responsible use of natural resources, building the capacity of local authorities and service providers, supporting research and innovation, in addition to scaling up and institutionalizing the models provided. The key reference for the roll out of RBF in Egypt is the National Feasibility Study report drafted and published in 2018 and based on the previously implemented units in other Governorates through UN-Habitat’s support.

Reporting Line The consultant will be working under the direct supervision of the Basic Services and Climate Change Programme Officer at the UN-Habitat Egypt office, and in close coordination with the Programme Managers at the respective affiliate companies of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and the project Coordinators supporting and facilitating coordination between different implementation sites.

Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities: 1. Develop detailed work plan per activity in coordination with the project manager and advise on demarcating roles and responsibilities among government authorities.

2. Organize in planning for (and accompanying in) periodic field visits and stakeholders’ meetings for follow up purposes and OJT.

3. Coordinate in providing On-Job-Training/technical assistance to the implementing partners (HCWW affiliate companies) for the implementation of 4 RBFs and 1 wastewater treatment unit in the governorates of Luxor, Qena, and Damietta respectively.

4. Conduct an assessment of national codes related to RBF and prepare a strategy and action plan for establishing/mainstreaming RBF technology in Egypt (through either existing or new codes) and supporting initiation.

5. Review UNHABITAT’s track record in containerized wastewater treatment and lessons learnt, and advise on novel wastewater treatment technologies applicable to disadvantaged small urban settlements in the Nile Delta.

6. Provide OJT in planning for and implementation high-impact wastewater treatment technology intervention in Damietta and support the project team in developing the technology identification and preparing specifications.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in civil engineering, environmental engineering, environmental science, Chemistry, Water Management, Water Pollution Control, or a related field is required, preferably with experience in water provision technologies, decentralized sanitation solutions, and water treatment. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

7 years of experience in the water and sanitation sector preferable in Egypt is required.

Previous relevant experience in planning and managing water and sanitation projects, innovative and decentralized WASH solutions, is required.

Previous experience in nature-based solutions, and with preference to experience in (or equivalent to) RBF technology is desirable.

Previous experience with international organizations, government counterparts, NGOs and local communities in similar field of activity is desired.

Languages Fluency in both oral and written English and Arabic is required

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.