Climate Change Analyst

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. Georgia became a member of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1995. The FAO Representation Office was inaugurated in Tbilisi on 4 November 2004, and a post of Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) was established. FAO mandate in Geor-gia is to support national efforts to promote food security and sustainable development. FAO priorities in Georgia reflect the objectives and priorities of the Government set in the strate-gy papers related to agricultural development. In essence FAO assists the Government in creating and implementing an institutional, legal and regulatory environment. FAO having experience and expertise supports Georgia in implementation of UN Sustainable Develop-ment Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Both the SDGs and FAO’s strategic framework are geared towards tracking the root causes of rural poverty and food insecurity in Georgia, building a fairer society and leaving no one behind.

The assignment will take place within the framework of the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) program, focusing on climate change, climate finance, and environmental sustainability in Georgia. Under the operational guidance of the Assistant FAO Representative for Georgia and the direct supervision of the Programme Assistant, the UN Volunteer will be involved in a range of activities to support the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in advancing climate-resilient and low-carbon agriculture, contributing to national efforts to tackle climate change. One of the core responsibilities of the assignment will be to support the Agency’s contribution to joint UN work on the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) in regards with the climate change and environmental protection and sustainable management of natural resources. The volunteer will act as an agency focal point for FAO in these areas, helping to coordinate efforts across various UN agencies to ensure that climate change adaptation and resilience are integrated into national development plans. This will involve close collaboration with UN colleagues, government representatives, and other partners.

A central component of the assignment will involve contributing to low-carbon and climate-smart initiatives. The UN Volunteer will assist in the development and implementation of projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector while enhancing climate resilience. This may involve supporting the design of strategies, identifying best practices, and coordinating efforts to integrate low-carbon technologies and climate-smart practices into agricultural systems.

The volunteer will also contribute to technical reports and policy briefs on climate resilience and climate-smart agriculture. Through research and analysis, the volunteer will help provide recommendations for policies that promote sustainable agricultural practices and strengthen climate resilience.

Finally, the volunteer will be involved in raising awareness about the intersection between climate change and agriculture.

The UN Volunteer will be expected to contribute to the following key tasks and responsibilities:

-Support the preparation of reports related to climate change and climate finance at the national level. Identify national challenges relevant to climate change issues, such as climate-resilient and low-carbon agriculture, and possible FAO areas of intervention that can also serve as a baseline for national discussions in the development of other projects in thematic areas;

-Support Agency’s contribution to joint UN work on UNSDCF in regards with climate change, environmental protection and sustainable management of the natural resources and act as an agency focal point of FAOGE;

-Provide technical inputs for the development of the proposals considering the requirements of Global Environment Fund (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) funding initiatives;

-Contribute to technical reports and policy briefs on climate resilience and low-carbon agriculture;

-Assist in collecting, analysing, and interpreting climate-related data for decision-making;

-Support the development of awareness-raising content on the climate change and agriculture nexus;

-Provide support for the implementation of ongoing projects related to climate change in the country;

-Support in organizing multi-stakeholder meetings and events related to climate change and environmental initiatives in the country;

-Support the day-to-day communication between FAOGE and relevant divisions and Country/Regional Offices with regard to coordination and collaboration on Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environmental Facility (GEF)-related issues;

-Perform any other related duties and activities as required.