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.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III – member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development rethinking the way we build, manage, and live-in cities. Through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors including all levels of government as well as the private sector UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) and country offices (COs) consider environmental sustainability and climate change as a priority issue that cuts across all projects and programs with its counterparts and other UN partners to achieve SDG goals related to environment and climate change. Future support will be linked to national SDG prioritization, both horizontally and vertically, by defining environmental challenges and developing a planning methodology to build up climate change resilience especially at the subnational level as well as enhancing social cohesion and improving people’s livelihoods and wellbeing. Hence, UN-Habitat has ambitious plans to deliver environmental and climate change projects including the Adaptation Fund, Spanish Development Agency (AECID), and other agencies funded projects.
The Adaptation Fund (AF) sponsored project titled “Increasing the resilience of both displaced persons (DPs) and host communities to climate change-related water challenges in Jordan and Lebanon” aims to support the development of a comprehensive response framework to climate change combined with the Syrian crisis especially in an urban context. The project’s main aim is achieved through identifying effective approaches and best practices to build urban resilience, focused on actions that address water challenges and that benefit both DPs and host communities especially women and youth. The framework is not only developed for the project’s target areas, but also for areas with similar contexts. The project will focus on supporting a sustainable water management approach, by reducing water use of unsustainable sources by means of reducing water losses and increasing water use efficiency and by increasing water supply of sustainable sources via supporting water harvesting and promoting the use of non-conventional sustainable water resources. The approach also includes promoting innovative, low cost and sustainable techniques and establishing urban-rural linkages as water challenges also impact agriculture and livelihood security. The project identifies DPs as the most vulnerable group due to socio-economic challenges that could affect affordability to access water in the target areas. However, the project also recognizes increased tension between DPs and host communities and the needs of poor Lebanese and Jordanians.
The AECID “Enhancing climate change resilience through water related interventions and non-conventional nature-based solutions in areas hosting displaced people in Jordan and Lebanon” project aim to use water related interventions and non-conventional nature-based solutions such as rainwater harvesting, reuse of treated wastewater and organic fertilizers, agrivoltaics farming and subsequent greening of public spaces, in order to increase the resilience of communities in Jarash and Irbid, Jordan and Zahle, Lebanon. Several tangible results will be accomplished for the development of climate change resilience and water sustainability in the project areas in Jordan and Lebanon. Overall, the action aims to directly benefit local farmers, students, families, and the population of the District of Zahle and indirectly improve water resilience by creating greener and more sustainable public spaces for larger populations in Irbid, Jerash, and Bekaa Governorate.
Environmental and water challenge: Issues in Jordan are to some extent similar to those in Lebanon. However, Jordan is an even more water scarce country. In fact, it is the second most water scarce country in the world. Water demand distinctly exceeds supply as the annual water availability per capita has declined significantly, from 3,600 m³ per capita in 1946 to only 145 m³ in 2008. If supply remains constant, per capita domestic consumption is projected to fall to 90m³ per person per year by 2025, putting Jordan in the category of having an absolute water shortage that could constrain economic growth and potentially endanger public health. Jordan requires about 1,400 MCM annually (2014) but has on average, only 848 MCM of freshwater supply available for various uses. Non-revenue water accounts for approximately 50% of total water consumption. In 2014, 229.3 million Cubic Meters (MCM) were lost, out of the 428.1 MCM delivered for municipal needs, the MoWI strategy includes the reduction of non-revenue water from 52% to 25% by 2025. The increased demand for water has caused over abstraction of water resources to reach 160 percent in 2014. According to the Ministry of Water, of Jordan’s 12 groundwater basins, 10 are being pumped at a deficit. Overall, groundwater is being extracted at twice the rate that it is replenished. In 2017, 50.3 percent of the Jordanian population had 24 h/week of piped water supply or less and 49.7 percent of Jordanians were listed with higher than 24 supply/week. This trend will make some areas unliveable, reduce agriculture lands and put more pressure on already scarce water resources, potentially increasing displacement, the continuous risk of social unrest and conflicts and migration to host settlements already struggling to provide basic services.
Demographic challenge: With a total population of 10,558,717 in 2020, Jordan’s population has grown very rapidly, doubling more than ten times in 55 years. The largest increase took place during the last decade, especially because of the large influx of DPs since the Syrian Crisis started in 2011. This relatively high population growth rate puts pressure on government spending to deliver basic public services, and to stimulate economic development. Jordan registered an absolute poverty rate of 15.7 per cent for Jordanians only in 2018 while 78 per cent of the Syrian population is highly vulnerable, living below the Jordanian poverty rate
The Senior Water and Environment Engineer will support the implementation of climate change and urban resilience programmes in in Jordan and support regional initiatives. This includes enhancing the capacity of municipal governments to manage urban risks, particularly those related to water scarcity and population growth due to displacement. The engineer will be involved in designing and implementing sustainable water resource management systems such as rooftop rainwater harvesting, greywater treatment and reuse, and efficient wastewater treatment for agricultural and domestic use. They will also contribute to the development of water-use efficient irrigation systems and closed-loop water systems through permaculture demonstrations. The role involves promoting the use of non-conventional water sources, including nature-based wastewater treatment solutions, and ensuring these systems are contextually appropriate and replicable. Additionally, the engineer will support community engagement efforts by building the capacity of displaced persons and host communities to operate and maintain these systems. They will also contribute to knowledge management and policy development by documenting best practices, supporting the creation of regional models for urban resilience, and participating in awareness-raising and dissemination activities. The position is based in Amman and reports to the Programme Managers and the Head of Programme at UN-Habitat Jordan.
The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
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