Disaster Resilience Programme Development Specialist

Update

Bhutan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced and natural disasters such as earthquakes, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods, and landslides. These hazards pose significant threats to lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, and Bhutan’s development trajectory. The country’s mountainous terrain, fragile ecosystems, and increasing urbanization—particularly in seismic-prone areas like Thimphu, Punakha, and Wangduephodrang—further compound its exposure to disaster risks.

In response to the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-induced disasters, the Royal Government of Bhutan, in collaboration with UN agencies has launched the UN Joint Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) titled “National Resilience Programme: De-risking Bhutan’s Development Pathways.” This initiative is a strategic effort to strengthen Bhutan’s national and local capacities to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and prevent shocks, while promoting inclusive and risk-informed development. It is fully aligned with Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2024–2028), and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This programme opens up significant opportunities for disaster resource mobilization by providing a structured platform for integrating DRR into national development planning. It supports the mobilization of both technical and financial resources to build resilience across sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, health, and education.

Complementing this national initiative is the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF)—formally known as the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD)—under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. The LDF represents a landmark in global climate finance, designed to support developing countries like Bhutan that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. It provides financial assistance for both economic and non-economic losses resulting from extreme weather events and slow-onset processes such as glacial retreat and ecosystem degradation.

The Disaster Resilience Programme Development Specialist will play a pivotal role in supporting UNDP Bhutan to:
• Develop and strengthen DRR project pipelines that are responsive to Bhutan’s evolving risk landscape and aligned with national priorities.
• Support Resource Mobilization by identifying funding opportunities, drafting proposals, and engaging with donors and partners.
• Support Country Office in building strategic partnerships with government agencies, UN entities, financial institutions, and civil society to scale up anticipatory and inclusive DRR efforts.
• Support the implementation of the UN Joint Programme on DRR, including its focus on risk governance, early warning systems, inclusive preparedness, and risk-informed development.
• Integrate cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, disability inclusion, and youth engagement into DRR programming and pipeline development.

This role is critical to ensuring that Bhutan’s development gains are safeguarded against disaster risks and that the country’s transition from LDC status is supported by resilient systems and institutions. The Specialist will also contribute to positioning UNDP Bhutan as a key partner in resilience-building and climate adaptation financing.

• Lead the development of new project pipelines on disaster risk reduction and resilience, aligned with Bhutan’s 13th FYP (Five Year Plan) and UNDP CPD (Country Programme Document) 2024–2028.
• Support resource mobilization efforts by drafting concept notes, proposals, and donor briefs.
• Coordinate with government counterparts, UN agencies, and development partners to identify funding opportunities and co-financing mechanisms.
• Provide technical inputs to the implementation of the UN Joint Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Conduct risk and resilience assessments to inform pipeline development and investment planning.
• Support knowledge management, reporting, and documentation of lessons learned and best practices.
• Contribute to the integration of gender, disability inclusion, and youth engagement in DRR programming.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, and in close coordination with the Governance and Environment Portfolio Managers, the Disaster Resilience Programme Development Specialist will:

• Lead the design and development of new project pipelines focused on disaster risk reduction (DRR), resilience building, and risk-informed development, aligned with Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan, UNDP CPD 2024–2028, and the UN Joint Programme on DRR.
• Identify and pursue resource mobilization opportunities by drafting concept notes, proposals, and donor engagement materials targeting bilateral, multilateral, and vertical climate and disaster finance sources.
• Support the implementation of the UN Joint Programme on DRR, including coordination with UN agencies, government counterparts, and development partners.
• Provide technical inputs to strengthen risk governance, early warning systems, and inclusive preparedness and response mechanisms, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.
• Facilitate stakeholder consultations and partnership-building efforts with government, civil society, academia, and private sector actors to advance anticipatory and inclusive DRR.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, policy briefs, and advocacy materials to promote risk-informed development and resilience financing.
• Support the integration of gender equality, disability inclusion, and social protection into DRR programming and pipeline design.
• Monitor global DRR and climate resilience trends and funding windows to inform strategic positioning of UNDP Bhutan.
• Collates and extracts lessons learned and good practice from existing disaster and climate risk governance programmes to inform UNDP policy positions, strategies, methodologies, and knowledge products.
• Supports regular analysis of UNDP’s programme portfolio on disaster and climate risk governance.

Results/expected outputs:
• DRR Pipeline and Proposal Portfolio Developed
o A portfolio of disaster risk reduction (DRR), resilience-building, and Loss and Damage project concepts and proposals is developed, aligned with Bhutan’s national priorities (13th Five-Year Plan, UNDP CPD 2024–2028) and global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework and SDGs.
o At least three new funding proposals are submitted to donors or financing mechanisms during the assignment period.

• Implementation Support to UN Joint Programme on DRR Strengthened
o Technical inputs are provided to support the implementation of the UN Joint Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction and Loss and Damage, including contributions to risk governance, early warning systems, and inclusive preparedness components.
o Coordination and engagement with UN agencies, government counterparts, and stakeholders are facilitated to ensure effective delivery of programme outcomes.

• Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy Enhanced
o Strategic partnerships are established or deepened with key stakeholders, including government agencies, UN entities, donors, civil society, and academia.
o Knowledge products, policy briefs, and advocacy materials are developed to support decision-making and promote investment in DRR and resilience financing.

• Supports UNDP’s engagement in and contribution to major global conferences and events with respect to disaster and climate risk governance
o Coordinate and perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, and verify that knowledge sharing and content management are in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.
o Maintains updates on UNDP SharePoint and UNDP website spaces on disaster and climate risk governance

• Inclusive and Evidence-Based DRR Programming Advanced
o Evidence of increased integration of gender, disability, and youth considerations in DRR programming and pipeline development is documented.
o Regular reporting and documentation of lessons learned and best practices are shared with UNDP and partners to inform future programming and resource mobilization efforts.