Organizational Setting

The FAO Representation in Tunisia is responsible for the development, promotion, supervision, and implementation of programmes and strategies jointly prepared with the Government in the areas of food, agriculture, and rural development. It also maintains strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including government institutions and financial and technical partners.

This position is focused on development support and project implementation.

Tunisia is finalizing its first national project for submission to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), acting as the GCF Accredited Entity. The proposed project, Climate Resilient Agriculture and Livelihoods in Southern Tunisia (CRALST), aims to strengthen climate resilience, enhance rural livelihoods, and protect vulnerable arid ecosystems. During 2024–2025, the Funding Proposal (FP) underwent a full restructuring following initial feedback received from the GCF Secretariat in March 2024. A first version of the revised FP and annexes was prepared. To finalize the FP formulation, a Climate Impact and Potential Analysis (CIPA) is required to further strengthen the project’s climate rationale.

Reporting Lines

The Climate Risks and Agrometeorologist Specialist will be under the overall supervision of FAO Representative of Tunisia, OCB Natural Resources Officer, and the direct supervision of SNE land and water officer.

Technical Focus

To support the aforementioned project, the international Climate Risks and Agrometeorology Specialist is expected to produce information and recommendations using national and sub-national level data. In particular, the following activities are foreseen:
•     Analysis of the occurrence and geographical coverage of climate-related hazards in the project locations using nationally available data, including a historical analysis of hazard types, intensities, frequencies and associated losses and damages
•     Assessment of historical and future trends in climate data and extreme events to determine changes in frequency, intensity and duration and potential impacts in project areas, to the highest resolution possible. 
•     Assess the impacts of climate and weather hazards to the agricultural sector.
•     Analysis of historical and future climatic indicators.
•     Assessment of vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the people and ecosystems in the project area and identify additional areas to integrate resilience into the project.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Collect and synthetize of all available climate data (historical and future periods) to build a more comprehensive understanding of climate trends and projections specific to the agricultural sector. 
•     Collect data and study on agricultural production, trends and use along the project area and, if possible, prepare assessment on the impacts of climate change tailored to the systems targeted by the project. 
•     Review available information on climate indicators, including extremes and impacts on the agricultural sector (historical and near and mid-term future). 
•     Collect and synthetize available biophysical and socio-economic maps, vulnerability assessments and data at the targeted level.
•     Review all available information and collect relevant data on climate risks at regional level. 
•     Collect and analyze loss and damage data in relation to climate-related hazards. 
•     Review how and which type of weather-informed advisories are being delivered to the agricultural sector.
•     Advise and support for the integration of climate risk consideration in the Funding proposal. 
•     Develop crop suitability maps assessing the impacts of climate change using analytical impact-based frameworks (e.g. PyAEZ) for RCPs 2.6 and 8.5. The former will be complemented by a set agricultural transformation and adaptation solutions to climate change.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•     Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in climate science, environmental sciences, agricultural climatology, natural resource management, or a related field relevant to the assignment. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
•     At least five (5) years of relevant experience in climate change adaptation, with demonstrated experience in agrometeorology, climate risk analysis, and/or climate impacts on agriculture, water resources, or food systems. 
•     Working knowledge of English and Arabic.

FAO Core Competencies

•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Familiarity with programming language (R), web-based interfaces used to write and run codes (Jupyter Notebooks), and GIS software’s (Q-GIS, ArcGIS).
•     Excellent understanding of national and regional climate policies, climate risk assessments, and their intersection with agriculture, water, energy, and food security strategies.
•     Strong analytical and conceptual skills and ability to think creatively. 
•     Excellent writing skills and ability to synthesize. 
•     Experience working with UN agencies is an advantage.