Azerbaijan belongs to the world’s water stress countries. With current deficit of water resources being about 5 km3, the additional pressures on water resources due to climate change will seriously affect the rural water supply. The region of Greater Caucasus has been identified as particularly vulnerable in this regard.
Water is unevenly distributed across the seasons and geographic areas in Azerbaijan. Despite an overall trend of rainfall reductions in the country, the mountainous regions of Greater Caucasus experience increasingly prolonged inundations and flash floods during the wet season and extended dry spells during the dry seasons. Variation of water flow may reach 30% between the dry and wet seasons. Paradoxically, most of the quality ground waters are formed in foothills of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus and constitute 24 million m3 (8.8.km3) per year. However, currently, only 20% of a total resource has been used. And as Azerbaijan's Second National Communication (SNC) suggests, with the view of increasing water deficit, the country will have to increase ground water extraction both for irrigation and fresh water supply needs.
The project aims to reduce vulnerability of the mountain communities of the Greater Caucasus region of Azerbaijan to climate change induced water stress and flood hazards by improved water and flood management through addressing the management framework at the legislative and policy level, strengthening institutional capacity by introducing new non- structural methods and providing training and empowering communities to actively participate in water and flood management.
Azerbaijan already has considerable experience of structural measures and therefore the proposed project focuses on non-structural measures. These measures mainly address institutional and management challenges, as well as improving public understanding of the problems and potential solutions, developing both organizational and community involvement in the process and pilot actions to improve micro-watershed management practices with a direct engagement of affected communities. The project proposes to sensitize water management policies and practices to the long term risks of, and adaptation to, climate change. Other aspects of flood mitigation and reduction of water stress, such as improved land use management and flood zoning, also require the sensitization of both government and civil society and these tend to have become very much secondary considerations in water management.
Project has following Components:
- Water and Flood management policy and regulatory frameworks to respond to climate change risks;
- Technical capacities to improve climate risk management in the Greater Caucasus;
- Water and Flood management practices demonstrated to lead to community resilience.
Expected Outcomes:
- Water and Flood management framework is modified to respond to adaptation needs and improve climate risk management on over 22,067 sq. km 3of land in highly vulnerable region of Greater Caucasus;
- Key institutions have capacities, technical skills, tools and methods to apply advanced climate risk management practices for water stress and flood mitigation;
- Community resilience to floods and water stress improved by introducing locally tailored climate risk management practices benefiting over 1,000,000 people on total land area of 22,067 km2 of the Southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus.
|
Duties and Responsibilities
|
- Lead the Water Resources Assessment of surface and groundwater studies;
- Demand assessment of urban and rural water supply, irrigation, livestock, forestry, non-consumptive uses within the study area;
- Water Allocation Modelling (conjunctive use modelling);
- Assessment of Climate change impacts in water resources;
- IWRM plan preparation based on water availability and water demand projections;
- Evaluation of water supply infrastructure;
- Lead a review of existing data available for developing CWM Model (including review and selection of appropriate CWM model);
- Lead hydrological studies (water resources, low flows assessment, yield assessment) and hydro geological studies (ground water resources yield assessment) for the three pilot basins based on existing data;
- Advise on appropriate locations for wells in pilot basins 2 and 3;
- Develop Training programme in CWM;
- Deliver training in CWM;
- Build and Calibrate the CWM model;
- Write CWM guidelines;
- Provide training in IWRM practice;
- Review regional development plans including information of planned development of industries, land use changes, population trends, planned infrastructure etc., and estimate likely impact the water demand;
- Undertake water demand assessment for the urban and rural domestic water supply sector, irrigation demand, livestock watering and wildlife use, industrial and mining demands and any other demands;
- Other tasks requested by UNDP.
|
Competencies
|
Core competencies
- Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.
Functional competencies
- Capability to work under deadline pressure and to take on a range of tasks;
- Ability to work in a team, to motivate other team members, and to balance the inputs and work of team members.
- Self-motivation and ability to recommend options for resolutions of issues;
- Have a good understanding of developments in international water resources management;
- Have good knowledge of climate modelling and downscaling. He/she should have good knowledge and experience in water allocation modelling;
- Have good knowledge of hydrological and water resources information systems;
- Chartership/accreditation with relevant institution will be desirable.
|
Required Skills and Experience
|
Education:
- A post graduate academic degree, preferably PhD. in water resources engineering/management or river basin management.
Experience:
- Minimum of 12 years of professional experience in water resources management with adequate good experience in the planning, investigation, and design of water management projects;
- Experience of water allocation modelling software;
- Excellent computer skills, including full working knowledge of standard word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software packages.
Language:
- Full working knowledge of spoken and written English, including the ability to draft and edit project documents.
|
|
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
|
http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=39315
