Programme Specialist

Climate change is already causing widespread disruptions in every region of the world and threatens to undermine progress in nearly every area of human development. It poses substantial risks to multiple dimensions of poverty and wellbeing – people’s health, nutrition, education, food security, water and shelter, economic development, as well as natural environment. While climate-related hazards threaten all of us, their impacts fall unequally. Children will bear the brunt of climate impacts due to their greater vulnerability and the disproportionate risks they face, especially in developing countries.

Bangladesh ranks 15 in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index – second highest in Asia, behind Pakistan, and is at a high risk from multiple natural hazards. According to the INFORM Index 2024, Bangladesh’s risk value stands at 5.7 (on a scale of 1-10) with significant recurrent climate-related hazards including floods, cyclones, landslides, and riverbank erosion.

An estimated 19.4 million children, spread across 20 of Bangladesh 64 districts, are exposed to the most detrimental and hazardous consequences of short- or longer-term climate change. Approximately over 5 million of them are under the age of five, a changing climate is already undermining their prospects for a better future. Further, approximately 4.5 million children live in coastal areas regularly struck by powerful cyclones, including almost half a million Rohingya refugee children living in fragile bamboo and plastic houses.

In Bangladesh, climate changes manifest itself in floods, cyclones and increases cases of diseases such as dengue and acute watery diarrhea and cholera. Climate-induced emergencies disproportionately affect different population groups, with pre-existing gender inequalities worsening the adverse impacts on women, children, people with disabilities, and gender-diverse individuals. By September 2024, a total of 18.4 million people had been impacted, with an estimated 6.4 million in need of immediate assistance like food and clean water.

Despite significant government efforts to implement risk-informed development strategies, the recurrence of climate-related disasters and public health emergencies demands enhanced stakeholder collaboration. Thus, innovative human, environmental, and economic climate-smart interventions are critical to building resilience and ensuring sustainable development in this challenging humanitarian context.

Thus, UNICEF has development the Sustainability & Climate Change Action Plan to guide mainstreaming of climate-change activities across various sectors

The Programme Specialist-Climate will support the Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) mainstreaming across all sectors. S/he will report to the Chief of Field Services and work closely with the Deputy Representative-Programmes, to coordinate the climate, environment, energy and DRR components of the country program across various sectors/sections. The main purpose of this position is to uphold and strengthen capacities of the UNICEF BCO and its partners in implementing the Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) of the country office. The goal of the position is aligned with UNICEF’s global strategy on climate, environment, energy and DRR (CEED).

Skills and experience:

• Three years of experience in similar position in the field of Climate.
• Experience with climate change, environment, energy and/or DRR work will be an added advantage.
• Expertise in solid writing and communication skills in English.

Experience:

• 3 years

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Source: https://app.unv.org/opportunities/1776489052710144