Biodiversity and Health Expert

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Result of Service

The expected outputs of this consultancy will enable UNEP to support GEF eligible countries in their efforts to integrate holistic One Health considerations into their biodiversity planning and policy frameworks. The consultant will work to strengthen national and regional capacity to promote the integration of One Health approaches into NBSAPs.

Work Location

NAIROBI

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP's Ecosystems Division engages with governments and other partners to develop and promote ecosystem-base solutions for sustainable development. This assignment is in the Nature and Health Unit (NAHU) of the Biodiversity and Land Branch, Ecosystems Division. NAHU aims to strengthen the integration of environmental considerations in One Health approaches via two main vehicles: UNEP's role as member of the Quadripartite Collaboration on One Health, and through UNEP's role as Secretariat of the Nature4Health initiative. These initiatives encompass global, regional, and national interventions, with the aim of stimulating systemic One Health approaches that fully incorporate environmental dimensions. Through these initiatives, NAHU contributes to the work of the Ecosystem Division by fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, enhancing UNEP's capacity to reduce health risks emerging from ecosystem degradation. NAHU, together with the Nature Frameworks Support Unit of the Biodiversity and Land Branch, aims to support eligible countries in revising and updating their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPS) to enable effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the national level. The purpose of this programme is to strengthen the capacity of countries to integrate biodiversity-health interlinkages into their NBSAPs in line with the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity. This position is located in the Nature and Health Unit, Biodiversity and Land Branch of the Ecosystems Division. The assignment is intended to support the Nature and Health Unit. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Head of the Nature and Health Unit, and in close coordination with the Nature Frameworks Support unit, the consultant will undertake the following assignments: 1. Conduct a review and analysis of the inclusion of Biodiversity and Health into submitted targets and NBSAPs to identify what elements of the GAP are being adopted by countries, to encourage future uptake of biodiversity and health considerations into national biodiversity planning, and to share experiences and lessons learned. 2. Support UNEP's efforts, in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat, the Quadripartite and other partners, to contribute to the development and peer review of integrated science-based indicators, metrics and methodologies for assessing biodiversity and health considerations in national biodiversity planning and policy frameworks. 3. Strengthen national, regional, and global capacity to promote the uptake of the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health and facilitate expert participation in workshops to foster knowledge on the interconnectedness of biodiversity loss and poor health, material development, and the dissemination of good practices and sharing of experiences on biodiversity and health.

Qualifications/special Skills
Advanced university degree (Master's or PhD) in One Health, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science, Environment and Health, Environmental Governance or other fields directly relevant to the environmental dimensions of health is required. Minimum of 7 years of experience working in integrated, multi-disciplinary or intersectoral approaches to addressing complex challenges at the intersection of nature and health, is required. Experience in the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks is required. Demonstrated experience in facilitating workshops, developing presentations, including internal and external stakeholder engagement, and designing and delivering webinars and workshops across digital channels is required. Experience in project management, and experience in implementing and overseeing cross-agency programs is required. Familiarity working with and conducting critical reviews of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans is desirable. Experience in capacity building, technical and scientific cooperation and facilitating dialogues across sectors (e.g., environment, health, agriculture) is desirable. Familiarity with UN system operations, procedures, and mandates related to environment and health is desirable. Experience working in developing country contexts or support to countries implementing multi-sectoral approaches to complex problems is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.