WASH and Climate Change Officer

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments

Côte d’Ivoire faces multiple challenges in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), exacerbated by the effects of climate change.
Rising temperatures, varying rainfall patterns, coastal erosion, water resource pollution and rapid urbanization affect sustainable access to safe drinking water, hygiene and sanitation services. It is therefore imperative to modify WASH program to consider the risks associated with climate change and water scarcity to ensure resilient and sustainable WASH services. In this context, UNICEF is working with all relevant stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen the “WASH sector resilience to climate change”, by launching an evidence-based multi-sectoral process that would result in the prioritization of WASH solutions that are resilient to climate change and water scarcity, including adaptation options. To support this ongoing process and implement the recommendations, the recruitment of a young United Nations International Volunteer (UNV) in Environment and Climate Change is required. The interventions in which the volunteer will participate are part of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and UNICEF cooperation program. Thus, the volunteer will collaborate with the implementing partners of this cooperation program both at the national and decentralized levels. The Cooperation program between the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and UNICEF is composed of seven (7) programs namely: (i) Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, (ii) Health and HIV, (iii) Nutrition, (iv) Education, (v) Child Protection; (vi) Adolescents and Youth and (vii) Social Inclusion and multisectoral units such as Planning and Monitoring-Evaluation, External Communication, Social Behavior Change. The next cycle of cooperation 2026-230 will be marked by a major “programmatic shift” including the integration of climate change into programming, which is a new and transversal area for the entire office.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief WASH, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Contribute to the process of developing the climate argument for the WASH sector in Côte d'Ivoire;
• Support the WASH sector in the process of revising the Nationally Determined Contribu-tions, considering WASH and water resources aspects;
• Contribute to the formulation of proposals for the mobilization of green climate funds;
• Contribute to the development of periodic reports on the relevance of WASH climate resili-ent solutions;
• Contribute to the evaluation of climate change adaptation actions in the WASH sector ;
• Participate in the meetings of the Technical Working Group “Resilience of the WASH sec-tor to climate change.