“UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life...
“UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life-saving, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. I have seen many examples of how these activities help suffering people in troubled parts of the world.”
-Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General
UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.
Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.
By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.
UNOPS employs around 3,500 personnel annually and on behalf of its partners creates thousands more work opportunities in local communities. With its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, a network of five regional offices and a further 20 operations and project centres, UNOPS oversees activities in more than 80 countries.
UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.
International Waters Cluster
The UNOPS International Waters Cluster sp...
International Waters Cluster
The UNOPS International Waters Cluster specializes in executing projects to prevent and reverse the degradation of transboundary water systems, including multi-country rivers and large marine ecosystems such as oceans, lake basins and shared groundwater resources. The cluster is executing over 30 projects for its partners, helping countries to work together and share knowledge to reduce ecological stress, such as that caused by overfishing and industrial pollution.
The project’s objective is to spearhead integrated natural resource manage...
The project’s objective is to spearhead integrated natural resource management of Baikal Lake Basin and Hövsgöl Lake ensuring ecosystem resilience, reduced water quality threats in the context of sustainable economic development. The project has three primary components: elaborating a strategic policy and planning framework; strengthening institutional capacity for IWRM; and demonstrating water quality and biodiversity mainstreaming practice, including groundwater monitoring and protection.
This project builds upon a solid, decades-old baseline of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Mongolia on the transboundary waters of the Selenga River and by extension the Baikal Basin itself. To date, international support for environmental conservation and management in the Baikal Basin has not been transboundary in orientation; little support has been provided the two countries in strengthening their transboundary cooperation to manage sustainably the globally significant environmental benefits represented by the incomparable Lake Baikal and its transboundary Basin, at the top of which lies Mongolia’s aquatic jewel, Lake Hovsgol. In addition to this solid baseline of transboundary cooperation are two rapidly growing economic baselines in mining and tourism, with mining being the biggest and fastest growing economic activity in the Baikal Basin and tourism a smaller but also rapidly growing sector in both the Russian and Mongolian portions of the Baikal Basin. Both of these sectors hold much promise in becoming better stewards of the Baikal Basin’s aquatic ecosystems. In the absence of a GEF investment, these barriers are likely to continue hampering an effective transboundary response to the critical threats that are already impacting the ecosystem health and resilience of the Baikal Basin.
Successful implementation of a regional project like "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem", to a large degree depends on effective implementation and ownership of project-inspired work at the national and local levels.
Purpose and Scope of Assignment
Lake Baikal and its transboundary basin including Lake Hovsgol represent an unparalleled global benefit in terms of international waters and biodiversity values. While past and current efforts to protect and sustainably utilize the environment and its natural resources are impressive, they are insufficient to the task of addressing the threats to the health of the Baikal Basin’s interconnected aquatic ecosystems. These threats include: climate change, pollution and sedimentation, nutrient loading, and habitat destruction. To address these threats successfully conservation work must move beyond the protected area limits and into the 87% of the Basin that is not protected where natural resource exploitation continues without regard to ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation objectives. Significant barriers hamper both countries’ ability to move ahead both within their national envelopes and jointly on a robust transboundary level. These barriers include: policy and regulatory gaps, institutional weaknesses, poor utilization of BAT/BEP relevant to key issues facing the Basin, and low levels of awareness of transboundary BB issues. The picture of water quality threats from industrial and mining sites remains incomplete; and measures on how best to handle residual pollution problems from abandoned mining sites have not been defined in policies on either side of the border. EIA procedures do not properly address biodiversity risks; and sectoral programs are operating without standards for minimization or reduction of impacts to biodiversity.
An initial hot spot analysis was developed for the preliminary TDA. The consultant will elaborate this review, with a more detailed analysis and prioritization of the most significant hot spots. The hot spot assessment will identify and map all significant hot spots in the Basin, including both active and closed industrial facilities. A prioritized hot spot list will be created, based on the level of known and potential risks to surface and groundwater, the pollution spot’s proximity to: a) waters used for drinking water abstraction; b) Essential Fish Habitat and protected areas (including Lakes Baikal and Hovsgol). Some problematic sites or areas will achieve hot spot status due to the specific hazardous pollutants used in processes or stored that is vulnerable to a natural disaster such as an earthquake or flood (i.e. the enormous tailing pond in Erdenet, Mongolia).
Part of this enhanced hot spot review will rank the upgrade needs for Selenga Basin municipalities in Mongolia, including the identification of ongoing and planned water and sanitation projects. The PMU will provide additional assistance to a limited number of high risk / high priority hot spots for: a) development of pre-feasibility studies for remediation on closed facilities; b) training for improvements in PTS and POPs management, (Output 3.1), and; c) recommendations of environmental investments for high priority reductions in pollution discharge. Recommendations will also be developed to strengthen regulations and inspection policies for large industrial facilities in the region in light of the findings from the hot spot analysis.
Consultant will accomplish the following tasks:
Identify local sources of pollution located in the Mongolia catchment areas of Baikal Basin.
Determine their impact on water quality (surface and underground) on relevant chemical and biological parameters.
Develop pollution hot spot analysis and reporting methodology for Mongolia and harmonize it with Russian hot spot expert.
Review and rank upgrade needs for Selenga basin municipalities, including of ongoing and planned water and sanitation projects.
Multimedia materials (photo, video, publications made within the framework of the consultancy)
All scientific publications made within the framework of the consultancy must have reference on the project and have to be provided to Project Manager.
Monitoring and Progress Controls
The consultants are expected to deliver the following results:
Detailed calendar plan for activities at the end of first 15 days.
Final country hot spot review report.
Knowledge of hots spot analysis methodologies;
Highly developed communication...
Knowledge of hots spot analysis methodologies;
Highly developed communication skills, including the preparation of high quality reports and the delivery of presentations;
Ability to work under pressure, sometimes with extended hours, and to meet tight deadlines without compromising the quality of outputs;
Excellent knowledge of Mongolian required
Good knowledge of English is an asset
Computer literacy (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point etc.)
Advanced university degree (masters or PhD) or equivalent in natural resource ma...
Advanced university degree (masters or PhD) or equivalent in natural resource management, natural science or other relevant disciplines
At least five years demonstrated and successful experience in preparing and implementing projects which have successfully conserved water ecosystems, with some of this experience in countries with economies in transition;
Excellent knowledge of Mongolian required
Good knowledge of English is an asset
Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
Applic...
- Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
- Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
- Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
- Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
- UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post
- The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
Contract type: Local ICA specialist
Contract level: 7
Contract duration:
6 w...
Contract type: Local ICA specialist
Contract level: 7
Contract duration:
6 weeks (30 working days)
[15/05/2012] through [15/12/2012]
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
http://www.unops.org/ENGLISH/WHOWENEED/CONTRACT-TYPES/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements-ICAs.aspx