Water resources / harvesting specialist

The organization

Established in 1977 as an autonomous, non-profit, international research center, ICARDA is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is co-sponsored by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations Development Programme. ICARDA's mission is to contribute to the improvement of livelihoods of the resource-poor in dry areas by enhancing food security and alleviating poverty through research and partnerships to achieve sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and income, while ensuring the efficient and more equitable use and conservation of natural resources. With its main research station and headquarters in Aleppo, Syria, and a staff of over 500 scientists and support personnel, ICARDA works through a network of partnerships with national agricultural research systems (NARS), regional and international institutions, universities, advanced research institutes, and non-governmental organizations. In addition to its headquarters programs, ICARDA operates throughout the non-tropical dry areas through regional programs and country offices.

The position

Water resources in the dry areas are scarce and poorly managed. ICARDA conducts research and capacity building to sustainably improve the productivity of rainwater, surface and groundwater resources in agriculture. The Water Resources/Water Harvesting Specialist will report to the Director of ICARDA's Integrated Water and Land Management Program. The appointee will work with ICARDA scientists from other disciplines, with national program partners, and with advanced research institutes to assess water resources in the dry areas, mainly in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), to design and implement research and capacity building programs on micro and macro catchment water harvesting systems and associated small structures for managing water resources. He/she will also identify the main technical, social and policy constraints to integration of water harvesting practices in agricultural systems in general and in drier rangeland environments in particular. He/she will develop linkages to current research and development work in ICARDA's water benchmarks and satellite sites project to develop options for efficient water and land management; and initiate training activities in rainwater harvesting and associated water management practices. The appointee will develop project proposals for donor support to tackle water management issues in the dry areas. Such projects will adopt an integrated approach to water and land use analysis and management options applicable beyond the target area, using a holistic, interdisciplinarity and participatory approach.

Required qualifications and experience

The successful candidate will have a PhD in water resources management/engineering, demonstrated competence for at least 5 years in understanding, analysing, designing and implementing rainwater harvesting systems for agriculture at the macro and micro levels. He/she must have at least 3 years extensive field research experience in the application of water harvesting and conservation practicies for rangeland rehabilitation, supplemental irrigation and other agricultural and environmental uses, part of which should have been in developing countries; capability and willingness to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural context; computer skills; and fluency in spoken and written English. Capability in French and/or Arabic and GIS and remote sensing capabilities would be an advantage.

Living in Syria

ICARDA's headquarters is situated 30 km south of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. In addition to the internationally-accredited school, ICARDA runs a Sports and Social Club for the staff. Syria has many historical and archaeological sites, some a short drive from Aleppo. There are four distinct seasons and the terrain varies from desert to mountains to fertile fruit orchards. Major international airlines fly into Damascus and Aleppo.