Kenya: Scoping Study on Climate Security in the Horn of Africa

Sep 24, 2020 | UN Environment Programme
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The United Nations Environment Programme is responsible for coordinating the UN's environmental activities and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

The UN’s Comprehensive Regional Prevention Strategy for the Horn of Africa (HoA) is the United Nations support framework for the HoA region. The five-year strategy, covering the period 2019 to 2023, aims to operationalize the Secretary-General’s vision of prevention in the region and encourage joined-up action and system-wide ownership of outcomes. The strategy promotes coordination and information sharing between United Nations stakeholders in the region as well as alignment and partnerships with external partners including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) as sine qua non conditions to reach prevention goals. The strategy is constructed around four core elements or pillars: regional peace and security; resilience and socio- economic development; inclusive and responsive governance; and sustainable natural resources management and climate adaptability/resilience.

The fourth pillar focuses on improving the analysis of environmental risks, including climate-related security risks, leading to more consistent adoption of conflict-sensitive methodologies, trans-boundary water resources management, and transparent and accountable management of extractive resources. An inter-entity group, led by UNEP and including FAO, IOM, UNDP, UN Habitat, WFP and Secretariat officials, has already begun work and recently completed an analysis of transboundary water issues in the HoA, relevant to the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa’s prevention mandate. FAO and Habitat are conducting analysis of land, peace and development issues. In parallel, an ongoing UNDP study, “the nexus between climate change, peace and security; the role of the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the prevention of climate related security risks” will examine the frameworks, policies as well as legal and normative instruments of the AU and RECs relating to climate change, and its impact on peace and security. This analytical work provides a solid basis for defining next steps towards implementation of the UN Strategy. Additional resources are now to be deployed to buttress this ongoing work with (i) a comprehensive regional assessment of climate-related security risks and (ii) support to the Special Envoy and his team in taking forward the findings of the assessment and integrate key initiatives to support regional management of natural resources and promote climate resilience in the light of conflict prevention.

The Climate Security Mechanism (CSM), a joint DPPA-UNDP-UNEP initiative, will support these efforts through funds made available by the Federal Government of Germany and mobilize thematic and local expertise through this project to inform the climate-related security risk assessment and by providing technical advisory services for innovative response strategies and political engagement in the region.

To prepare for these support activities, a scoping study will be undertaken. To perform this task, UNEP will recruit a consultant on behalf of CSM. The aim of the scoping study is to produce a baseline for the regional assessment of climate-related security risks and a workplan for the sustained advice services. The scoping study will also inform the development of a geospatial catalogue of key environmental and natural resource indicators in the Horn of Africa that will facilitate the analysis of environmental and natural resource issues. It will equally inform ongoing work of DPPA, UNDP and UNEP.

Building in particular on work so far under working group 4, the baseline study will:

• Compile and create an overview of existing policies and initiatives (including projects and programming) related to climate security in the Horn of Africa at national and regional level, with particular attention to the extent they reflect a gender and age-sensitive lens, including but not limited to the ongoing work under Pillar 4 of the UN Strategy.
• Identify existing platforms ad key areas for information/research and knowledge gaps for the holistic regional assessment.
• Identify and consult key informants (including regional actors such as AU and IGAD) on recommended approach and targeting. This should include considerations of thematic and geographic aspects as well as the level of granularity, outlining the needs and opportunities.
• Identify and map relevant stakeholders and potential partnerships active in the region, including subject matter experts on political, security, socio-economic and environmental factors; geospatial specialists; interested Member States; regional and sub-regional organizations; and non-governmental and civil society organizations, including women’s and youth groups.
• Recommend a way forward, entry points for concrete action by the United Nations and for strengthened capacity in the region in relation to Pillar 4 of the Prevention Strategy. These results will be presented at a workshop with CSM and the Office of the Special Envoy with a view to further development of plans for implementation of the recommendations.
• Provide a scope of work for a proposed geo-spatial catalogue and the regional climate-related security risks to be undertaken during the project.
• Throughout the baseline study, pay special attention to the differentiated impacts of climate change and insecurity on women and men, girls and boys and to the interlinkage between local livelihoods, climate change and conflicts.

The workplan for the regional assessment, cooperation and sustained advice services will:

• Translate conclusions of the baseline study into activities and a timeline for the regional assessment, cooperation and sustained advice. This includes key local consultation events and sequencing of the assessment.
• Include gender-sensitive indicators for monitoring progress.

Qualifications/special skills

Competency:

• Demonstrated ability to design, generate, analyze and synthesize data from a wide variety of sources (including primary and secondary sources) and present the resulting information in a clear and concise format.
• Proven capacity to conduct the assessment of environmental, climate, and political risks, and their potential interconnections.
• Excellent report writing, editing and communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating consultative processes and strong capacity to innovate and tailor solutions to respond to the specific needs of stakeholders.
• GIS experience is beneficial.

Academic Qualifications:

• Advanced university degrees (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental sciences, development studies or other relevant discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience (7-10 years desirable) in the areas of climate change adaptation, environmental sustainability, and/or peace and security in the Horn of Africa; in particular, a thorough understanding of the region’s complex historical and political background and familiarity with regional peace and security/conflict prevention agenda is required.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Good knowledge of regional languages is an advantage.

Work Location: Home based

Expected duration: 60 working days between 1 November 2020 and 30 April 2021

No Fee

The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or training). The United Nations does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.