Resilient Agriculture Specialist - Pakistan

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC):

ADPC is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reducing disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific region by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.

Established in 1986 as a technical capacity-building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. ADPC has over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise - from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees.

ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and regional cooperation.

With financial support from the World Bank Group, ADPC is implementing a five-year (2020-2025) project, titled “Climate Adaptation and Resilience Project (CARE) for South Asia”. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to create an enabling environment for climate resilience policies and investments in selected sectors (Agriculture, Policy, Planning and Finance, Transport and Water) across South Asia. This objective will be achieved through enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge exchange for climate resilience and adaptation and mainstreaming of resilience and adaptation in national policies, plans, and investments.

For details, please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

Background

Disasters take a huge toll on the development agenda of South Asian countries. Between 2000 and 2017, disasters in South Asia incurred estimated damages of US$ 149.27 billion. Public expenditure is under stress by the repeated need to reallocate capital budgets away from long-term development planning and towards reconstruction activities in post-disaster environments. For example, since 2005, Pakistan has suffered losses on the order of US$ 16 billion due to natural disasters.

Pakistan is facing a diverse array of climate-related effects that have serious consequences across multiple sectors. These impacts include accelerated glacial melt, increased temperatures, desertification, and sea-level rise. These phenomena lead to increased food insecurity and water scarcity. It is crucial to take immediate action to build resilience and adapt to these shifting climate patterns in order to protect the well-being of the population and promote sustainable development.

Agriculture is a key sector of Pakistan's economic development. However, it now faces increasing difficulties due to disasters and the fast-changing effects of climate change. The relevance and susceptibility of the sector are increased by these difficulties. The sector is having a difficult time responding to these changes as climate change alters weather patterns and increases the frequency and intensity of extreme events like droughts and floods. Growing crop cycles can be disrupted by rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, making it harder for farmers to foresee and plan accordingly. Additionally, the crop yields may further decline, which may have a domino impact on food security and economic stability. Thus, protecting Pakistan's agriculture sector from the effects of climate change and disasters is crucial for the country's economy as well as for food security. To ensure the sector's future, it is essential to implement effective adaptation measures, adopt sustainable practices, and make investments in agricultural resilience.

Based on the review of existing policies it was also identified to increase resilience and achieve climate commitments, there is a need for a transformational shift toward policies and institutions that enable climate-resilient investments. Investing in more resilient infrastructure is both profitable and urgent as disruptions are extremely costly for governments, households, and the private sector and large ongoing investments in infrastructure assets will have long-lasting repercussions as poor maintenance and natural disasters result in a vulnerable stock.

The Resilient Agriculture Specialist will be hired with the objective to support the country project team to smoothly implement the agriculture sector activities under CARE component 2. The proposed initiative aims to foster CSA practices in collaboration with the Agriculture Department of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The focus will be on promoting integrated pest management (IPM), sustainable agricultural waste management (SAWM), and flood resilience to enhance climate resilience in the region. Additionally, the initiative will encompass capacity-building programs aimed at risk and impact assessment, as well as upscaling climate-smart agriculture for agriculture extension, farmers, and community-based organizations (CBOs).

In this setting, the services of a qualified and motivated individual are required to assist ADPC in supporting the country team for the agriculture sector under Component-2 activities of the project.

Statement of intent

The Resilient Agriculture Specialist (Pakistan) will support the review and selection of relevant CSA practices, provide technical assistance for implementation, and develop climate-smart guidelines for IPM, SAWM, and flood resilience. He will also aid in scaling up these practices by identifying financing options and facilitating capacity-building workshops on risk assessment and upscaling of CSA practices for policymakers, researchers, farmers, and CBOs

Note:

It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

Duties and responsibilities

The Resilient Agriculture Specialist shall provide the following inputs:

• Conduct a thorough review and assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices related to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Agricultural Waste Management (SAWM) in Punjab province.
• Evaluate and shortlist relevant CSA practices focusing on flood resilience in Punjab province to enhance climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• Finalize and deliver climate-smart guidelines for IPM, SAWM, and flood resilience to the Agriculture Department, Punjab, ensuring they are tailored to local conditions and aligned with best practices.
• Offer technical assistance and support to the Agriculture Department, Punjab, in scaling up climate-smart IPM, SAWM, and flood resilience practices. This involves aiding in the development of project proposals and concept notes, as well as identifying available financing and investment options to facilitate implementation and expansion.
• Assist in the development of training modules and reports, and conduct training sessions focused on climate risk/impact assessment, climate-smart agriculture, and upscaling practices for extension workers, farmers, and community-based organizations (CBOs).
• Perform other relevant tasks as assigned by the Project Director.

Expected Output/s

• Review and assessment of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices related to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Agricultural Waste Management (SAWM) in Punjab province.
• Shortlisted CSA Practices for IPM, SAWM, and for Building Flood Resilience in Punjab
• Technical support provided to the Department of Agriculture Punjab for ongoing CSA practices
• Guidelines on IPM, SAWM, and flood Resilience for Punjab, developed for Punjab
• Proposals'/ Concept Notes co-developed with Agriculture Department to scale up select CSA practices
• Support delivering training modules (7)/ reports on climate risk assessment, climate-smart agriculture/ upscaling for extension workers, farmers, and CBOs

Qualifications

The Resilient Agriculture Specialist (Pakistan) must have experience in agriculture, food security, climate resilience in agriculture, and climate-smart solutions for the agricultural sector. The detailed qualifications are:

• A master’s degree in one or more subjects such as Agriculture, Agronomy or other related fields
• At least 10 years’ experience in the field of agriculture and food security. Experience of 15 years in the field of agriculture and food security is preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in climate change resilience and climate-smart solutions for the agriculture sector
• Strong understanding and knowledge of climate change impacts on the agriculture sector in South Asia and Pakistan
• Knowledge of or related to IPM, SAWM, and flood resilience in agriculture
• Teamwork with strong communication skills and the capacity to work under pressure and short deadlines
• Cross-cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff and partners
• Experience in training and capacity-building initiatives related to risk assessments using modeling, and climate-smart agricultural practices for various stakeholders
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a demonstrated track record in technical report writing and the ability to communicate technical matters effectively to a general audience. Fluency in Urdu and the local language is preferred
• Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, working
• Knowledge of climate/ crop modeling, SPSS, or similar statistical software and GIS application would be preferred

Reporting relationship

The Resilient Agriculture Specialist will report to the Project Director and work in close coordination with the Project Implementation Unit and Resilient Agriculture Specialist (Regional) based at the Bangkok office

Contract duration

The contract duration will be for 12 months in a time-based manner with a possibility of extension.

Selection method

The consultant will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment process and in compliance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations.

How to apply

Interested Candidates can submit the completed ADPC application form, (downloadable from ‘Join us’ on www.adpc.net), resume, copy of degrees/certificate(s) together with a cover letter, to: procurement.care@adpc.net

For inquiries, please contact to procurement.care@adpc.net

Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

ADPC encourages diversity in its workplace and support an inclusive work environment.