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Technical Air Quality Expert
- This consultancy is managed by UNEP’s Early Warning and Assessment Division. The Early Warning and Assessment Division is responsible for analyzing the state of the global environment, providing early warning information, and assessing global and regional environmental trends to catalyze and promote international cooperation and action on the environment. In response to requests from the Member States, the Climate Services and Capacity Building Unit builds country capacities in the collection, management, and use of environmental and climate data, information, and knowledge for early warning, planning, policymaking, preparedness, and response actions.
- The International Consultant, Climate Information Services, will report to the Chief, Big Data branch of the Early Warning and Assessment Division, UNEP, based in Nairobi
Under the general supervision of the Programme Coordinator in the Early Warning and Assessment Division, UNEP, based in Nairobi, Kenya. the specific duties and responsibilities of the incumbent will be as follows:
The consultant will implement activities related to Establishing an air quality monitoring framework in Timor Leste under sub-Activity 2.3.2 as follows;
Responsibilities:
- Develop an air quality monitoring framework: Design and establish a comprehensive framework for air quality monitoring, including protocols for data collection, analysis, and reporting. Collaborate with local authorities to ensure co-location and effective coordination.
- Establish a hybrid monitoring system: Implement a hybrid ambient air quality monitoring system combining low-cost sensors for PM2.5/PM10, NO2 diffusion tubes, and reference-grade particle counters. Overlay the system with MAIAC/Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) PM2.5 satellite data for enhanced accuracy.
- Conduct technical training and capacity building: Deliver in-country technical training programs to enhance the understanding and application of air quality monitoring information and datasets. Provide training on data management, quality assurance, and reporting to local stakeholders and authorities.
- Develop a customized mobile application: Collaborate with the project team to develop a mobile application that disseminates hyperlocal air pollution forecasts, warning alerts, health impact advisories, and advocacy. Ensure the application is user-friendly and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders.
- Engage stakeholders and conduct workshops: Organize and facilitate stakeholder engagement workshops to increase awareness of air pollution sources, related health risks, and appropriate actions to mitigate impacts. Promote understanding of the link between air quality and biodiversity/ecosystem health.
Qualifications/special skills
Academic:
- An advanced university degree (master’s or Higher) in environmental science, climate change, Electrical Engineering or a similar related field is required.
Experience:
- At least five years experience in air quality monitoring and infrastructure development required.
- In-depth knowledge of air pollution, including the impact of climate change on air quality is required.
- Strong understanding of monitoring methodologies, including low-cost sensors, satellite data integration, and reference-grade instruments is required.
- Experience in developing monitoring frameworks, protocols, and quality assurance procedures is required.
- Proficiency in data analysis and reporting, including the use of relevant software tools is required.
- Familiarity with mobile application development and its integration with air quality data is required.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders is required.
- Prior experience in delivering technical training and capacity building programs with UNEP is required.
- Knowledge of Timor-Leste’s environmental context and air quality challenges is desirable.
Languages
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN Language is desirable.
Elaboration of the State of the Environment Report for Ecuador
Its objectives are:
- To provide access to the best scientific knowledge to generates support for environmental governance and to make evident its links to both the social and economic dimension through agreed development goals.
- To facilitate the interaction between science and public policy through multidimensional and multiscale processes, elaborating products of high credibility and legitimacy.
- As a global process, the GEO fits in Ecuador´s national political instruments for it states and analyses key concerns that require to be addressed through a multisector approach: what changes are operating on the environment, what are the causes and the effects of these changes in terms of ecological integrity and human heath, what is being done by different sectors and how effective are the measures, what should be done to shift to a more sustainable future
- Based on the robust GEO methodology the report addresses all these issues structuring its contents in chapters covering Air, Land & soils, Freshwater, Biodiversity, Oceans, and other component relevant to the environmental policies of Ecuador.
- Through a first intervention funded by UNEP (October 2021-March 2022), MAATE developed the structure and contents of all the chapters included in the national GEO, including all the visual material supporting the narrative (charts, figures, and tables) and main sources of information, indicators and data to be used in the report.
Explain the requirement for a consultant / individual
- UNEP will support MAATE in the preparation of the final edited version of the GEO and its publication, as digital document, on the institutional webspace of the ministry. The incumbent will be supervised by the Programme Officer of the Sub-programme Science-Policy of UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (Javier Neme).
- The Consultant will be based in Ecuador and expected to work 40 hours per week indicatively from 8 am to 5 pm at the premises of MAATE, Calle Madrid y Andalucía, Quito – Ecuador.
Specific tasks and responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Programme Officer, UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office, the consultant will perform the following tasks:
- Liaise with UNEP and provide administrative and technical coordination for the preparation of the GEO. Participate in meetings and technical workshops organized by UNEP and/or MAATE about GEO-Ecuador.
- Contribute to identify, collect, consolidate, process, validate, analyse and interpret, in order to prepare the final document of the GEO – Ecuador.
- Ensure coordination amongst all GEO’s stakeholders and contributors during the editing phase of all chapters to ensure consistency of the narrative, including facilitate the activity of the Working Group established by MAATE for the production of the GEO as well as support MAATE in the coordination of meetings and workshops to identify any new material it might be needed to include in the report.
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Qualifications/special skills
Academic qualifications:
- Bachelor´s degree Environmental Science, Environmental Analysis for Sustainable Development, Environmental Data and Statistics and related areas is required.
- Master’s degree in environmental sciences or related fields is desirable.
Experience:
- A minimum of four years of progressively responsible professional experience in Environmental Science, Environmental Analysis for Sustainable Development, Environmental Data and Statistics (required).
- Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to indicators frameworks to monitor the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals, Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other relevant international treaties and conventions (desirable).
Special Knowledge and Skills:
- Knowledge of the GEO Methodology and DPSIR framework is desirable.
Languages
Language requirements:
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy, fluency in oral and written Spanish is required.
- Knowledge of English is desirable.