Water Management Analyst

Turkmenistan has the harshest climate in Central Asia with the highest air temperatures and lowest levels of precipitation. Over the last 60 years, increasing temperatures have been observed and documented as occurring at a faster pace in Turkmenistan than in many other parts of the world. The country is projected to experience an increase in average annual air temperature by 2.21°С by 2040. This puts additional pressure on surface water availability which is a primary source of irrigation and drinking water. Increases in temperatures will contribute to growing evaporation rates of the Amu-Darya River, the nation’s main source of water. Furthermore, hydro-meteorological modeling suggests there will be a steady decline in precipitation nationwide. In the next 30 years, the amount of precipitation will slightly decrease. However, by 2050 precipitation is expected to fall dramatically, reducing by as much as 22% by 2100 from current rates. These two climate trends of reduced precipitation and increasing temperatures will be accompanied by an increase in the frequency and severity of disaster events caused by climate change (droughts, floods, and windstorms).

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen Turkmenistan’s adaptive and resiliency capacities by developing a national adaptation process (NAP). The objective will be achieved through the implementation of the following proposed outcomes.

Outcome 1: The institutional framework to implement the Paris Agreement is established. 

Outcome 2: The evidence base for adaptation planning in the water sector is strengthened. 

Outcome 3: Capacity for adaptation planning is strengthened.

The project will establish an institutional coordination mechanism capable of multi-sector adaptation planning with a particular focus on the water sector. Considerations of vulnerability and gender inequalities will be key principles of the NAP process. Specifically, the representation of women and relevant gender-focused entities will be ensured throughout the implementation of this proposal including workshops and seminars.
 

The Water Management Analyst (WMA) is a key technical expert to provides advisory support, evaluates, identify, and develops adaptation options for water, agriculture and other inter-connected sectors. The WMA in close collaboration with the Project Manager (PM) and Climate Change Adaptation Analyst (CCAA) will contribute to the implementation of project outcomes with the higher attention towards providing input and organizing consultancy work under the Outcomes 2 and 3. The incumbent will be responsible for conceptualization and implementation of activities with full consideration of possible climate risks, gender aspects and interests of all stakeholders as well as for identifying the bottle-necks and strategies to overcome them. The WMA will also be responsible for capacity development measures of water planners.

More specifically, the WMA will perform the following duties:

• Serve as the Project’s key technical person on topics related to sustainable water management, use and efficiency, including IWRM approaches;
• Provide technical guidance to the team, and ensure the quality of work on various stages of project implementation, preparation of knowledge products/ PR materials related to climate change adaptation in the water sector;
• Maintain close coordination among various stakeholders in the water sector on the national and regional/ municipal levels; when applicable, engage local NGOs, the private sector and local communities in project activities;
• Review policy reforms and institutional changes on the regular basis for the timely adjustment of project design;
• Review ongoing state and development projects in the water management sector to come up with proposals for possible synergies;
• Promote the use of climate data amongst decision-makers and practitioners in the water management sector of Turkmenistan;
• Support preparation of knowledge products focusing on integrating climate resilience considerations in Water Management and Agricultural Sectors of Turkmenistan;
• Propose short-term adaptation actions and to identify triggers, tipping points and conditions that would need to be monitored to determine when and which future adaptation actions need to be taken. Also, an Integrated Water Resources Management approach could be applied;
• Provide input for the development of a training programme for the knowledge transfer;
• Support with the planning of the detailed actions according to annual work plans of the project and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria in close coordination with the Programme Management;
• Support with the assessment of climate risks in the water sector and contribute to the preparation of the list of priority adaptation measures
• Identify and support concrete capacity development measures of water sector practitioners;
• Support with design of implementation schedule, cost estimates, climate risk assessment, economic and financial assessments and alike for the project related measures;
• Provide inputs for the drafts ToRs and work/ service specifications as well as support various reporting and monitoring activities (on a monthly/ quarterly/ bi-annual/ annual basis)
• Plan and take part in project-related events, prepare presentations, minutes, meeting protocols or facilitate the discussion, if needed;
• Other tasks as assigned by the Project Manager.

• Master`s degree in Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydraulics, Irrigation or another related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in combination with 2 years of relevant experience can be taken into consideration in lieu of Master`s degree.

• Up to 2 years (with Master’s degree) or minimum 2 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressive working experience in the area of sustainable water resources management.
• Experience in similar assignments preferably implemented by UNDP or other development cooperation agency;
• Working / Consulting experience related to the institutional processes and organizations involved with water management and irrigated agriculture in Turkmenistan;
• Experience in the design and implementation of efficient irrigation systems, reduction of losses from canals, efficient operation of water delivery systems and climate adaptation at the national or international level;
• Strong ICT skills, including the application of digital tools in day-to-day work.

Languages:

• Fluency in Russian and Turkmen is required.
• Knowledge of English is a strong asset.

Required Skills: