Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote social and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all, supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as well as facilitate the implementation of the World New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat has been operational in Jordan since 2005, cooperating with regional and international organizations, local authorities, civil society organizations, and private sector, to localize SDGs and promote the implementation of UN-Habitat global programmes in the country. In Jordan, UN-Habitat has been working with national and local stakeholders and communities to support sustainable urban development and resilience-building, focusing on its core thematic areas; Climate Change and City Resilience, Urban Data and Planning, SDG Localization, and Community- Led Public Space Development. Through several of these initiatives, Jordan has been selected as a pilot country for innovative approaches and had national and local officials participating in global and regional knowledge exchange. Under the Jordan Country Programme, normative and operational tools are strategically combined to leverage public spaces as catalysts for improving socio-economic conditions, strengthening climate resilience, fostering social cohesion, and enhancing the overall well-being of vulnerable communities. Targeting dense urban areas, industrial and heritage cities, affordable housing projects, poverty pockets, and refugee camps, these community-driven initiatives place particular emphasis on empowering vulnerable groups and adapting to the evolving needs of communities. Public space rehabilitation projects in cities such as Al-Salt, Madaba, Amman, Irbid, Ghor Al-Safi, Zarqa, Sahab, and others serve as vital entry points to advance social cohesion, create economic opportunities, and improve environmental quality, while also building climate resilience for vulnerable populations, including refugees and women. Background to the Rethinking Sahab Project: Sahab City faces a complex set of challenges related to urban growth, climate change, social development, and biodiversity loss. In 2024, UN-Habitat, in collaboration with Sahab Municipality, conducted a Multilayered Vulnerability Assessment (MVA) under the project “Accelerating the Implementation of the Paris Agreement by Building the Climate Resilience of the Urban Poor in Bolivia, Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, and Tunisia,” funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and aligned with the global RISE UP programme. Applying a rigorous spatial methodology, the MVA identified and analyzed localized hotspots of vulnerability across Sahab, providing the basis for the development of an Urban Resilience Action Plan for Sahab City with actionable and locally tailored climate resilience and adaptation strategies. The MVA revealed that Sahab’s rapid industrialization and population growth have amplified environmental and health risks. Air quality is severely affected by industrial emissions, heavy traffic, and dust from stone-cutting sites, with pollutant levels far exceeding WHO guidelines. These levels pose serious risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases for residents. Compounding these risks is the scarcity of accessible green spaces. Green space per capita is only 0.275 m², compared to 2.5 m² in Amman and the internationally recommended 9 m². This deficit exacerbates the urban heat island effect, heightens flood risks, undermines biodiversity, and increases the pressure on infrastructure. The MVA recommended expanding green spaces, enhancing ecological connectivity, establishing buffer zones around industrial areas, and strengthening air quality management, flood resilience, and public health interventions. Building on these findings, the Sahab Urban Resilience Action Plan was developed, outlining 51 priority actions, of which 10 were considered urgent. The top priority identified was the promotion of urban greening to mitigate pollution, reduce heat stress, and improve overall livability in the city. In response, UN-Habitat Jordan, the Municipality of Sahab, and the Canton of Basel-Stadt launched the project “Rethinking Sahab: Urban Greening for a Resilient and Sustainable Future.” The project’s overall objective is to create a resilient, sustainable, and healthy urban environment in Sahab City, particularly in vulnerable areas with a high concentration of refugees, by integrating urban greening strategies, strengthening institutional and community capacities, and developing inclusive public spaces that improve quality of life while reducing environmental impacts. The project seeks to deliver three main outcomes: Outcome 1: Strengthened institutional knowledge and governance in Sahab municipality to promote greening of the city. Outcome 2: Enhanced Community Resilience, Social Cohesion, and Wellbeing of the Sahab Communities through the Provision of Safe, Inclusive, and Green Public Spaces as well as Waste Recycling and Urban Gardening Opportunities. Outcome 3: Increased Community Awareness on the Importance of Urban Greening in Open Spaces, Waste Recycling as well as Energy and Water Efficiency and Its Transformative Power to Strengthen Resilience, Health, and Safety in the City. The project adopts a phased, participatory approach, starting with citywide public space assessments and culminating in the implementation of pilot public space project(s). These phases include: Citywide Assessment and Green Public Space Plan: Using the UN-Habitat City-Wide Public Space Assessment toolkit, existing public spaces; including streets, rooftops of public buildings, vacant lands, and residual plots; will be mapped and evaluated, identifying gaps and opportunities for urban greening. Accordingly, based on these findings, a Green Public Space Plan will be co-developed with Sahab Municipality and community representatives to comprehensively guide future greening initiatives. Pilot Public Space Interventions: UN-Habitat Site-Specific Public Space assessment(s) will be conducted for the high-priority location(s) selected to identify needed interventions, integrating recycled materials, grey water systems, urban agriculture, and composting practices to maximize environmental benefits. Capacity Building, knowledge transfer, and Awareness Campaigns: Throughout the project phases, municipal authorities and communities will gain knowledge and tools for sustainable urban practices through workshops, training, and knowledge exchange missions in Jordan and Basel, and public outreach. The project introduces a holistic, community-driven approach, integrating the principles of green infrastructure, circularity and regenerative energy into urban greening. Participatory tools will serve as a crosscutting framework, ensuring inclusivity and fostering ownership among the residents of Sahab. The pilot public space project(s) will serve as catalysts, inspiring future greening initiatives across Sahab and attracting additional funding. Background to the Smart Urban Water Management Project: The project “Smart Urban Water Management: Enhancing the Adaptive Capacity and Urban Resilience of Amman through Urban Green Infrastructure” aims to enhance an enabling environment to address water challenges through the development and implementation of smart urban water management systems in Amman city, with a focus on strengthening adaptive capacities and promoting sustainable water management measures. It builds on the lessons learned and best practices of the above project the findings of the ‘Flood Risk Assessment and Flood Hazard Mapping of Downtown Amman,’ whereby interventions will be implemented in selected locations from the identified 120 flood hotspots. This targeted approach ensures that efforts are concentrated in areas with the highest need, maximizing impact and efficiency. Additionally, the project interventions will build on insights gained from “Al Zohour Green Triangle Pilot Project” which was implemented in one of the 120 locations and aims to replicate it in other selected locations and implement several flood mitigation measures. The project seeks to deliver two main outcomes: Outcome 1: Enhanced resilience of Amman to water-related challenges, including flash floods and water insecurity, through piloting short-term sustainable urban water management systems and flood mitigation measures. Outcome 2: Increased capacities and knowledge-exchange on sustainable urban drainage and stormwater management in the context of flash floods and water insecurity. Background on “GHAITH: Green Hydrology and Adaptive Infrastructure for Thriving Urban Habitats in North Jordan” Project By focusing on the intertwined and urgent issues of flash floods and water scarcity and building on the above project, this project aims to enhance an enabling environment to address water challenges through developing and implementing smart water urban management systems in Irbid and Mafraq, with a focus on strengthening adaptive capacities and promoting sustainable water measures. The project additionally builds on and draws on lessons from the integrated approach being implemented in the “Smart Urban Water Management” project in Amman with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is structured around four interlocking components that, from evidence to pilot, create an enabling system for water resilience in Irbid and Mafraq. The first component is evidence-based planning, whereby the priority hotspots are refined and validated through a multi-criteria and multi-stakeholder approach, grounded in vulnerabilities. That evidence basis drives the second component, networked leadership by convening the “Mayors for Urban Resilience” and technical working groups to catalyse collaboration among city leaders, planners, and civil society, forging a shared vision and the institutional coordination needed for sustained action. The third component empowers youth and innovation as the Environmental Legacy Makers Award is scaled up to promote environmental consciousness and proactive engagement of university teams alike to propose nature-based, flood-resilient solutions, while building public awareness through targeted campaigns. Finally, the fourth component translates knowledge into practice through on-the-ground implementation of smart water-management systems and green infrastructure typologies to mitigate the impact of water challenges facing vulnerable districts in Irbid and Mafraq. Together, these components reinforce one another: evidence-based planning ensures pilots target the highly vulnerable and high-priority areas; political buy-in from networked leaders accelerates adoption and upscaling; youth engagement generates fresh ideas and community ownership; and visible pilot successes strengthen the case for green infrastructure for further investment. By synchronizing these gears, the project adopts a holistic, adaptive, and systematic approach that not only reduces flood and water-scarcity risks today but also builds the capacities and frameworks for continual, locally led urban resilience. Accordingly, these components have been translated into the following outcomes and outputs: Outcome 1: Enhanced resilience of Irbid and Mafraq to water-related challenges, including flash floods and water insecurity, through piloting sustainable urban water management systems and flood mitigation measures. Outcome 2: Strengthened capacities and knowledge-exchange among city leaders, technical experts, and stakeholders on innovative, sustainable green infrastructure solutions to address flash floods and water insecurity. Accordingly, UN-Habitat is seeking to recruit a qualified Junior Landscape Architect to assist the project team in successfully implementing the activities required in Phase 1: Citywide Assessment and Green Public Space Plan under the "Rethinking Sahab" project, and the delivery of Outcome 1 and 2 under the “Smart Urban Water Management” project. Reporting Line: The consultant will be hired and work under the overall supervision of the UN-Habitat Jordan Head of Country office, and project coordinators. Duties and responsibilities: As per the ToR, the consultant will support the UN-Habitat Jordan head of Country office, and Project managers. They will interact with certain stakeholders of the Programme on behalf of UN-Habitat and therefore he/she will be appointed on the basis of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. As a UN representative, he/she is expected to exhibit and adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct. The consultant will be responsible for providing technical advice for effective coordination and implementation of the projects’ activities including: • Support project coordinators in the effective and timely execution of UN-Habitat programme by providing the appropriate technical support. • Conduct desktop research and collect available relevant data. • Provide technical support for the development and finalization of assessment reports, including the formulation of evidence-based recommendations. • Draft narrative sections and map development, as requested, for inclusion in reports, including, but not limited to, introductions, optimal urban greening practices, hydrological recommendations, and public space development. • Provide logistical support in the preparations and organization of capacity building workshops and meetings, including preparing agendas and invitations, and developing presentations. • Prepare reports and meeting minutes to facilitate the dissemination of project information to the network of stakeholders engaged in project-related meetings and workshops. • Provide technical support in translating documents and assessments. • Provide technical support for the planning and implementation of the second phase of the Environmental Legacy Makers Award. • Review and provide feedback for urban greening and climate change reports, guidelines, and designs developed under relevant projects, including of the ‘Typologies of Urban Green Infrastructure’ planning and design toolkit and green infrastructure designs. • Provide additional technical support as required within the scope of the related projects.
