Risk Management and Climate Change Specialist

El PNUD trabaja en unos 170 países y territorios, ayudando a erradicar la pobreza, reducir las desigualdades y la exclusión y desarrollar la resiliencia para que los países puedan progresar. Como agencia de desarrollo de la ONU, el PNUD desempeña un papel fundamental para ayudar a los países a alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS).

Costa Rica has made significant progress in environmental legislation and international commitments. However, the country continues to face increasing climate vulnerability and mounting pressure on its ecosystems. The effects of climate change, combined with unsustainable patterns in the use of natural resources, threaten biodiversity and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable communities. These impacts are exacerbating socioeconomic risks and revealing the country’s limited adaptive capacity. The country ranks 12th on the world risk index due to high exposure to natural hazards. According to estimates by the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention, from 2016 to 2020, the country spent more than $820 million on replacing elements affected by different types of disasters, while it only spent $308 million during 2011-2015. This vulnerability to natural hazards is exacerbated by its proximity to politically unstable and highly impoverished countries.

From this perspective, UNDP has been supporting the country in developing mechanisms and tools to strengthen comprehensive risk management and to advance its climate goals as established in the NDC.

To continue this support, UNDP requires a specialist who can contribute both to the coordination and engagement with relevant counterparts, and to the strengthening of internal capacities to align the content of its institutional offer to the country in the areas of disaster risk management and climate change, following the specifications outlined in these Terms of Reference.

Under the direct supervision of the Nature, Climate and Energy Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Support to the Nature, Climate and Energy Programme in tasks related to disaster risk management and climate change analysis within the programming of its portfolio, in close coordination with and promoting collaboration, joint intervention, and articulation with the various programmes and projects of UNDP Costa Rica.

Support in promoting and strengthening partnerships with other stakeholders, counterparts, initiatives, and national and international actors, to foster collaboration around disaster risk management and climate change.

Contribution to enhancing UNDP Costa Rica’s capacity to produce analytical work on disaster risk management and climate change, and to ensure its effective integration into the programmatic offer of the institution to the country.

Mobilisation of financial resources through the development of new project proposals on disaster risk management and climate change for UNDP in Costa Rica.

Coordination with the UNDP Regional Office on matters related to disaster risk management and climate change.

Promote, throughout the execution of duties and responsibilities, the advancement of Human Rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.

Support other activities of the Project as requested by the Nature, Climate and Energy Programme Officer.