Urban risk management specialist - land use planner

Background

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), established in 1986, is a regional non-profit foundation with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. The primary geographical focus of ADPC’s activities is Asia with the South, South East and East Asia being the primary sub-regions. In 2005, nine countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Sri Lanka signed a Charter establishing ADPC as an inter-governmental organization.

ADPC has vast experience of 25 years of working in Asia Pacific region along with the national and local Government of its charter member countries as well as countries of the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management (RCC); a regional mechanism established by ADPC in 2000 and comprising of head of national disaster management offices of 26 countries in Asia Pacific. ADPC also shares a close partnership with sub-regional inter-government agencies, such as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Secretariat for Pacific Community (previously known as SOPAC) on various DRR related themes including capacity building, strengthening institutions and systems, knowledge management and mainstreaming DRR into development. It works closely with a range of UN Agencies including UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCAP, WHO, WMO, UNISDR, UNOCHA, UN-Habitat, etc. on DRR related projects and consulting services. ADPC works with international and local NGOs, national technical and training institutions, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

ADPC aims at supporting governments strengthen institutions and build capacity for mainstreaming DRR into socio development processes at all levels. The primary focus of ADPC is to assist national and sub-national Governments in Asia to build capacity to respond to, prepare for and mitigate the natural disaster risk and adaptation to climate change. It includes building Institutional and Legal systems in reducing risk due to natural disasters and adapting to climate change, Assessment of Risk; undertaking risk reduction programs and programs for adaptation to climate change, Hazard specific mainstreaming of DRR & CCA into development etc. Accordingly ADPC is comprised of several thematically organized operational departments such as Department on Safer Development Planning and Implementation, Department on Climate Change and Climate Change Adaptation, Department on Resilient Cities and Urban Risk Management, Department on Disaster Risk Management Systems, Department of Public Health in Emergencies, Department of Disaster Risk Assessment and Monitoring, Training Services Unit. With over 100 staff from 19 countries and with professionals with expertise in development planning, engineering, architecture, agriculture, social sciences, health science climate sciences and disaster risk reduction, ADPC has been involved for years in strengthening partnerships between nodal agencies on disaster risk management (DRM) and national agencies of water resource, agriculture, meteorology & hydrology, geology, physical planning, development planning & financing etc and other sectors for effective integration and institutionalization of DRR in development planning processes.

Duties and responsibilities

• Analytical skills for interpretation of relevant science-based information to create hydro- meteorological and geological hazard specific decision support products for utilization by urban sector stakeholders at all levels (community, city/local government) including sector specific stakeholders (urban development, natural resources and Env. Management etc)
• Application of hydro- meteorological and geological hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment for reduction of potential impacts to urban areas based on subject specific information in order to design appropriate urban disaster risk reduction interventions
• Generate / prepare GIS maps to aid advance hazard specific warnings to urban communities and dissemination of relevant information to specific urban level stakeholders
• Package scientific and technical information in assessing urban risks as well as risk communication and gap analysis
• Analysis of socio-economic and physical vulnerabilities in urban areas(settlements, infrastructure, lifeline facilities), utilizing results from research on historical impacts, current coping strategies and policy and institutional landscape, and changing socio-economic conditions (population growth, urbanization, economic growth, consumption trends, environmental degradation, etc.)
• Provide resource inputs in development and delivery of training & capacity building programs on the subject to enable user institutions and communities to translate urban hazard risk information and apply decision support tools for Urban DRR
• Advocate for the integration of urban hazard risk reduction information in development planning process and mainstreaming.
• Assisting in developing strategic approach to achieving program goals and sustainability of the urban risk reduction programs undertaken by ADPC
• Assistance in increasing the program outreach through development of new programmes, engagement in advocacy, assistance in fund mobilization, enhancement of existing partnerships and development of new partnership to increase the outreach.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director(ADPC)or Director, Department Head

Required qualifications / selection criteria

Qualifications and experience

• PhD or master’s degree in one or more subjects such as Urban land use planning, Environmental Engineering, Urban development, urban risk management or other related fields
• At least 5-10 years experience in application of hazard specific information in to Interventions designed to reduce the physical & socio-economic impacts to urban communities and vulnerability of urban areas
• Experience in GIS applications in urban hazard risk assessment, and generation of related information will be an added qualification
• Experience in training and capacity building

Training skills and knowledge

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of subject specific urban hazard risk information generation and applications in urban hazard risk reduction
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding on assessment of impacts of hydro- meteorological and geological hazard risk on urban societal systems
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate technical matters effectively to general audience

Personal qualities

• Self-motivated, pro-active and takes initiative
• Demonstrated ability and plan and organize work and time independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills, team-oriented work style, and experience in working in a multi-cultural environment
• Strong desire to learn, undertake new challenges, must a creative problem-solver, must have self confidence, willingness to work hard, good sense of humor but with seriousness about the quality and excellence of work.