National Expert on Soil Science and Soil Surveying

Organizational Setting and Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide and has started working in Sri Lanka since 1979 with its Representation (Country Office) opened in Colombo.  

The FAO contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, and through four Betters (Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better life) - leaving no one behind.

Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is increasingly affected by climate variability, land degradation, water scarcity, and inefficient land use, which have contributed to low productivity, wider yield gaps, and inappropriate crop selection in some areas. Existing agro-ecological zoning and crop suitability information require updating to reflect changing agro-climatic conditions, while soil profile information remains incomplete for several areas, limiting the availability of science-based information for land evaluation, crop planning, and climate-resilient agricultural decision-making.

Under TCP/SRL/4105, FAO is supporting the Department of Agriculture (DOA), through the Natural Resources Management Centre (NRMC), to update Sri Lanka’s Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) map and database, develop a Soil Profile Information System, and prepare digital crop suitability maps and advisories for major agricultural crops. The project will integrate climate, soil, vegetation, land-use, topographic, and crop-related data to strengthen evidence-based agricultural planning and support location-specific, climate-responsive crop recommendations.

To deliver the soil-related components of the project, particularly the development of the Soil Profile Information System and its integration into AEZ updating and crop suitability mapping, FAO requires a qualified National Expert on Soil Science and Soil Surveying. The consultant will provide technical leadership towards achievement of project outputs as outlined below;

The consultant will deliver the following key activities:

• Support the development and updating of the national soil profile information system through field soil profiling, interpretation of laboratory data, database development, and integration of validated soil information into the national soil map.
• Support the updating of AEZ maps and crop suitability assessments through the integration and field validation of soil, climate, terrain, and land-use information.
• Capacity-building activities and the development of knowledge products.

Reporting Lines

The National Expert on Soil Science and Soil Surveying will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer of the project.

Technical/Functional Skills

The objective of this assignment is to provide technical support and expertise for the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and validation of soil science and soil surveying activities. This includes supporting soil profile identification, field surveys, soil pit description, soil sampling, soil data interpretation, and development of soil profile information, contributing to the updating of the Agro-Ecological Zone map, Soil Profile Information System, and digital crop suitability maps under TCP/SRL/4105.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical support to develop the agro-ecological region map and the agro-ecological database of Sri Lanka.
• Provide technical support to update the soil profile information system, including the soil profile database, for the dry, Intermediate and the wet zone of Sri Lanka.
• Provide technical support to classify the soil series map and database of Sri Lanka.
• Provide technical support to explore and map potential areas for the cultivation of annual Field Crops, vegetables, root & tuber crops, perennial fruit crops. Plantation crops and spices including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pepper.
• Support to compile and submit the final deliverables, including crop suitability maps, soil profile information, agro-ecological maps and related databases.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements 
 

The candidate should meet the following minimum requirements:

• A Postgraduate diploma in Soil Surveying or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in soil surveying, land suitability assessment, soil mapping, agro-ecological zoning, crop zoning, or natural resources management.
• Working knowledge of English (C1). Working knowledge of Sinhala and/or Tamil is required.
• National of Sri Lanka or resident of the country with a valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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