Consultant for disaster management planning unit

Background

The United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), which was established in 1971 based on an agreement between the Government of Japan and the United Nations, promotes sustainable regional development in developing countries. UNCRD’s Disaster Management Planning Programme has been one of the core issues for sustainable regional development since 1985. With the experience of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Kobe in 1995, the UNCRD Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office which was established in Kobe in 1999, developed and launched Community Based Disaster Management (CBDM), School Earthquake Safety Initiative, and Anti-seismic Building Code Dissemination projects. The office promoted effective disaster mitigation, with a focus on the key elements of self-help, cooperation, and education through various activities such as training courses and international/national/local workshops for capacity building in disaster-prone countries. The UNCRD Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office was integrated into the UNCRD Nagoya Office as the Disaster Management Planning Unit at the end of May 2011.

The Great East Japan Earthquake, which struck an expansive area of East Japan on 11 March 11 2011, was unprecedented in scale and nature. The earthquake was the fourth largest to have occurred in the world and the largest in Japan ever recorded. Subsequent tsunami hit the Tohoku region along the Pacific coast of Japan and washed away many towns and communities, resulting in massive loss of lives and property. Recovery and reconstruction will likely to take many years. There is a great deal to learn from this experience for future disaster risk reduction and sustainable regional development.

In addition to earthquakes and tsunami, there are other natural disasters. In fact, water-related disasters account for 95 per cent of all disasters. Disasters caused by hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons as well as floods abound. The impacts of climate change are also being increasingly observed.

In order to prepare for future UNCRD activities in the area of natural disaster management planning, taking into account the experiences of recent major natural disasters, including the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Sichuan Earthquake in 2008, Haiti Earthquake in 2010, and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami this year, UNCRD will be hiring one (1) consultant for a period of four (4) months.

Objectives of the consultancy

The UNCRD Disaster Management Planning Unit will formulate and implement projects in line with the “Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA),” adopted in 2005 at the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, and support the efforts of the target countries to further implement the HFA and to achieve the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). In the formulation of the projects, UNCRD will take stock of the experiences gained and lessons learned from recent major natural disasters.

Disaster risk reduction aims to support the promotion of sustainable regional development, which is mutually linked to the successful achievement of the MDGs. The Chair’s Summary of the Third Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (2011) also calls for governments, institutions, communities, and individuals to place disaster risk reduction at the forefront of our efforts to preserve and protect the balance of nature, and ensure sustainable development and the well-being of generations to come.

To reduce vulnerability and strengthen the capacity to create disaster-resilient communities, human security is a fundamental requirement for implementing sustainable regional development through community participation. Disaster management tools must be incorporated into national, regional, and urban development planning and implementation according to the situation of each setting, as conditions vary under their respective socioeconomic conditions and hazard-related circumstances. Facilitating the participation of women in the development process, including efforts to reduce disaster risk, is also a key priority. UNCRD aims to support the efforts of governments of developing countries, including the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to formulate appropriate policies to promote the creation of disaster-resilient communities and strengthen their capacity towards achieving this aim.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the UNCRD Director, the Consultant is expected to perform the following services:

- To conduct an assessment of major natural disasters that have occurred in recent years, including the Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Sichuan Earthquake in 2008, Haiti Earthquake in 2010, and Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami this year, and make a proposal for UNCRD’s projects on improved prevention and preparedness against major natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, and hurricanes.
- To identify key areas of intervention for the UNCRD Disaster Management Planning Unit.
- To monitor information, maintain networks of organizations working in the subject area, and identify the needs of developing countries in the area of natural disaster management while making periodical reports to the UNCRD Director/Coordinator of the Disaster Management Planning Programme.
- Any other duties assigned by the UNCRD Director/Coordinator of the Disaster Management Planning Programme.

Requirements

The Consultant should have the following qualifications:

- Advanced university degree in science, engineering, disaster management planning, or other related field.
- Excellent command in the subject of disaster management planning with at least seven (7) years’ relevant experience with international organizations or other recognized institutions.
- Good understanding of climate change in terms of disaster management planning.
- Good computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills in English. Proficiency in Japanese (speaking and writing) is an added advantage.