Natural Resources Management Associate

The FAO subregional office for Eastern Africa (SFE) was officially established in February 2007 following the signing of a hosting agreement between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and FAO on 31 January 2007. SFE covers nine countries namely Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda. It is the FAO representation to the AU & UNECA and plays a liaison role to two Regional Economic Commissions (RECs) including the Eastern Africa Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and to a large number of important development partners based in Ethiopia and within the sub-region.

SFE is the FAO technical hub in Eastern Africa that is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing sub-regional food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development priorities. The UN Volunteer will be assigned within the multidisciplinary team (MDT) of SFE, which is a core team of professional staff as well as several project-based consultants with multi-disciplinary expertise. The MDT is in charge of programming, project formulation, operations monitoring, information management related to regional projects. It also provides policy and technical backstopping to the FAO Representation in the nine countries, including on critical national issues pertaining to food and nutrition security. The MDT also represents FAO, upon instruction and guidance of the Subregional Coordinator, in various inter UN agency undertakings and task forces, as well as in regional discussions related to food and nutrition security, food systems, agriculture, among others.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Ethiopia recognizes the critical role of integrating sustainable Natural Resource Management (NRM) into programs and projects. Given the country’s heavy reliance on agriculture, addressing NRM challenges becomes essential. These challenges include soil erosion and deforestation, both directly linked to farming practices, as well as the loss of soil productivity, which impacts agricultural output and contributes to food insecurity. Additionally, factors such as population pressure, agricultural expansion, migration, and climate change necessitate regulation to minimize negative impacts on natural resources. Over the next decade, FAO in Ethiopia aims to enhance its support in this area.

The Ethiopian government has developed a 10-year perspective plan with a strong focus on sustainable NRM and climate change mitigation. This plan promotes greener development models, particularly within the agriculture sector. FAO’s programs and projects align with the government’s ambitions, working toward achieving shared targets. Currently, the country office is developing a Climate Change Program Strategy tailored to address context-specific challenges related to the agrifood sector. This strategy translates FAO’s Global Corporate Climate Strategy (2022–2031) into actionable field-level interventions that directly align with Ethiopia’s priorities.

Within this framework, the FAO’s Better Environment Unit works on cross-sectoral work that includes forestry, agriculture, sustainable rangeland management and pastoral land restoration, watershed management, and climate change adaptation and resilience, to ensure sustainable production systems and build resilience of rural communities. The Natural Resource Management UN Volunteer will play a key role in supporting programme design, analysis, monitoring, and knowledge sharing, contributing to FAO’s strategic objectives of sustainable food systems and resilient livelihoods.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy FAO Representative for programmes, and the direct supervision of the Team Leader for the Better Environment Unit, the UN Volunteer will support the implementation of FAO’s programme of work, undertaking the following tasks:
• Assist in the formulation and development of programmes and project proposals related to sustainable rangeland management, pastoral land restoration, and broader natural resource management initiatives.
• Support the development and maintenance of technical, analytical frameworks, tools, systems, and databases.
• Contribute to data collection, validation, analysis, and/or reporting activities, through desk research and field visits to project sites.
• Provide support in the development of innovative approaches, strategies, tools, technologies, and manuals.
• Assist in the preparation of knowledge products such as studies, publications, and analyses, knowledge products and dissemination, including guidelines, capacity building, manuals, e-learning, and training materials.
• Contribute to the preparation of project reports, proposals, technical notes, and other documentation for government counterparts and partners.
• Provide support in the coordination, implementation, and administration of assigned pro-grammes/activities in accordance with FAO rules, procedures, and systems.
• Liaise with relevant FAO units, projects, decentralized offices, or other organizations relevant to their assignment. As applicable, support in the organization and participation in missions, consultations, and capacity-building events to strengthen the delivery of FAO’s programme of work.