Climate Resilience and Livelihoods Specialist

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.

During times of displacement, we provide critical emergency assistance in the form of clean water, sanitation and healthcare, as well as shelter, blankets, household goods and sometimes food. We also arrange transport and assistance packages for people who return home, and income-generating projects for those who resettle.

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

The Climate Resilience and Livelihoods Specialist, IUNV will report to Head of Field Office, Aweil; the position is based in Aweil and supporting the operation. The recurrent droughts , floods, inter communal conflict and forced displacement are common every year, the position will integrate climate adaptation with sustainable livelihood and other key sectors, and to reduce dependency to assistance. S/he will provide technical support and management of earmarked projects, work with multi-functional team and lead coordination, assessment, implementation and monitoring in the Area of Responsibility. S/he also will ensure that forcibly displaced and stateless persons are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them, and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by their concerns, priorities and capacities. S/he will provide technical leadership and coordination on climate-resilient livelihoods, sustainable natural resource management, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) within the earmarked projects within Northwestern South Sudan. The Specialist will ensure that all livelihood and economic inclusion activities, environmental assessments and DRR interventions are climate-informed, conflict sensitive, and aligned with national frameworks, UNHCR strategies, and donor requirements. Due to Sudan crisis in April 2023, UNHCR opened the office at Aweil in April 2023, to ensure protection and humanitarian assistance to Sudanese refugees and returnees, in collaboration with South Sudan Commissioner of Refugee Affairs, Relief Rehabilitation Commission, UN agencies and other partners in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap and Abyei Administration Area. UNHCR established a refugee settlement and provided registration, named Wedweil settlement, to ensure the refugees are protected under South Sudan’s Refugee Act 2012.

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of Head of Field Office or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Climate Resilience and Livelihoods Specialist will:

• Provide technical leadership on climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable energy solutions, and natural resource management for refugee and host communities.
• Guide design and implementation of climate-adapted livelihood strategies, including diversified value chains and community-based enterprises.
• Ensure integration of environmental sustainability across site planning, shelter, WASH, food security, and other sectors in line with UNHCR’s Climate Action Strategy.
• Support disaster risk reduction and early warning systems, ensuring climate risk information is translated into actionable advice for farmers and small businesses.
• Coordinate with government, private sector, and development actors to leverage partnerships and promote inclusive, climate-resilient livelihood initiatives.
• Lead capacity strengthening for communities, partners, and staff through training, technical guidance, and development of tools and standards.
• Monitor and report on climate resilience and livelihood outcomes, including risk assessments, audits, and contributions to donor and project reports.
• Serve as technical focal point for climate resilience and livelihoods, contributing to strategic planning, resource mobilization, and communications.

Detailed responsibilities include:

Agriculture & Natural Resource Management
• Provide technical guidance on climate-resilient agriculture, adapted value chains, water-efficient production and management, and circular/green enterprises (e.g., solar-powered farming, sustainable livestock, clean energy, waste-to-value).
• Support design and implementation of climate-resilient livelihood activities, including community-based enterprise groups, climate-adapted production systems, microcredit schemes, business incubation, seed multiplication, certified seed production, and resilient livestock and poultry value chains.
• Develop/adapt technical packages and guidance notes on climate-adapted practices for refugee and host communities (crop choices, soil and water conservation, tree management, livelihood diversification).
• Provide technical oversight for tree planting, agroforestry, and restoration of degraded areas, ensuring species selection and planting models are climate-appropriate and support livelihoods.

Energy & Environmental Sustainability
• Guide clean cooking and sustainable energy interventions (fuel-efficient stoves, alternative fuels, institutional stoves, solar lighting) to reduce deforestation and emissions while improving protection and livelihoods.
• Develop and implement environmental management plans for livelihood and food security activities, including waste management, soil erosion control, water resource management, and energy-efficient technologies.
• Ensure integration of environmental sustainability across site planning, shelter, WASH, livelihoods, food security, nutrition, public health, education, and cash-based interventions.

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Information
• Provide technical support for community disaster risk reduction and early warning committees, linking to protection and climate risk monitoring systems.
• Guide design and implementation of structural and non-structural measures (e.g., flood protection works, community mitigation schemes).
• Ensure climate risk information (seasonal forecasts, flood risk maps, early warning messages) is translated into actionable advice for farmers, livestock keepers, and small businesses.

Entrepreneurship & Value Chains
• Coordinate with development actors, private sector, UN agencies, NGOs, and financial institutions to identify sustainable solutions and leverage existing programs for complementary climate-resilient livelihood and value chain initiatives.
• Engage with government entities, private sector representatives, international organizations, and local communities to align on findings and recommendations.
• Support business incubation and financing mechanisms for community enterprises and ecosystem services.

Strategic Guidance & Coordination
• Serve as the technical focal point on climate resilience and livelihoods, participating in project steering committees, technical working groups, and field coordination forums.
• Contribute climate and livelihood sections to progress reports, donor missions, mid-term reviews, and project completion reports, ensuring alignment with South Sudan’s NAP/NDC commitments and GRF pledges.
• Ensure implementation of UNHCR’s Operational Strategy for Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability and Strategic Plan for Climate Action 2024–2030.
• Develop a funding strategy to integrate climate change and environmental sustainability into annual operations, in collaboration with External Relations.
• Produce strategic communications documents in collaboration with partners.

Capacity Strengthening & Monitoring
• Support capacity development initiatives for communities and partners on environmental management plans and climate-resilient practices.
• Develop and deliver training and tools to strengthen technical capacity of colleagues and partners.
• Support monitoring of project log frames, indicators, and tools to capture climate resilience and livelihood results.
• Lead documentation of environmental audits, update climate and environment-related risks, and propose risk-informed adaptations.

Other
• Perform other related duties as required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/expected outputs

• As an active Aweil team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to in UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
o The needs of person of concern in the operation are assessed and analyzed in a participatory manner and using Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning
o Inputs are provided for the operation plan (including budgets, staffing level and structure) as well as for funding submissions, appeals and reports
o Enforced compliance with UNHCR global strategies, protocols and guidelines.
o The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal one-the -job training, when working with (including supervising) national staffs, partners and relevant stakeholders in the operation
o Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systemically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
o A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment

• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.