• Office/Unit/Project: Yemen Country Office/Climate Change, Water, Energy & Environment Unit/ Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture (ERA) and Food Security
• Duty Station (City/Country): Home Based 
• Job Title: Water and Sustainability Expert    
• Type (Regular or Short term): Short-Term 
• Number of Working days: 75 Days over 5 Months
• Office- or Home-based: Home-based with travel to governorates within the designated catchment area
• TYPE OF CONTRACT:   CTG

CTG overview

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CTG recruits, deploys and manages the right people with the right skills to implement humanitarian and development projects, from cleaners to obstetricians, and mechanics to infection specialists, we’re skilled in emergency response to crises such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Key to successful project delivery is the ability to mobilise at speed; CTG can source and deploy anyone, anywhere, in less than 2 weeks and have done so in 48 hours on a number of occasions.

Through our efficient and agile HR, logistical and operational services, CTG saves multilateral organisations time and money. We handle all our clients’ HR related issues, so they are free to focus on their core services. Visit www.ctg.org to find out more

Water resources management is a pressing issue in Yemen due to its arid climate and limited water availability. Yemen faces significant challenges in this regard, including limited agricultural productivity, high levels of malnutrition, and vulnerability to natural disasters.
With BMZ funding through the German Development Bank (KfW), KfW has established a partnership focused on enhancing water resources management and food security in the country. This collaboration aims to address the critical challenges faced by Yemen in these areas and contribute to sustainable development. KfW acknowledges the importance of addressing food security concerns in the country. To tackle these issues, the partnership focuses on promoting sustainable agricultural practices, supporting small-scale farmers, and strengthening local food systems. By enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring access to nutritious food, these initiatives contribute to reducing hunger and poverty in Yemen.
Recognizing the urgent need to address these challenges, KfW has implemented an integrated water resources management project that aims to enhance the resilience of agriculture and food security in Yemen. The project, titled Integrated Water Resources Management to Enhance Resilience of Agriculture and Food Security (IWRM-ERA), includes the construction and rehabilitation of water infrastructure to increase agricultural production, promoting access to markets, and empowering women in the agricultural value chain in Yemen. The first outcome of this 3-year project will be achieved by investing in new water harvesting infrastructure aimed at augmenting existing supplies to efficiently capture surface water as well as sustainable groundwater. It will also contribute to the overall development of the agricultural value chain and market accessibility by rehabilitating farm-market roads. The second outcome aims to improve water governance by strengthening and supporting Water User Associations (WUAs) and the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) in both Taiz and Lahj to ensure ownership, operation, maintenance of infrastructure, and accountability. This is achieved through analyzing their institutional capabilities based on a needs analysis to fulfill their mandate, and through specific support to ensure sustainable infrastructure, identifying gaps, and addressing those gaps.
KfW aims to achieve the project's primary objective by engaging a national consultant to support the international consultant in developing a comprehensive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan for the Tuban catchment and a Sustainability Plan for the IWRM-ERA project. The plan will cover the entire catchment area, focusing on the four targeted districts within the project scope. The national consultant will lead the in-country processes, including stakeholder consultations, workshops, and meetings. The consultant will provide technical and contextual support to the international consultant in developing a comprehensive IWRM Plan for the Tuban catchment, ensuring alignment with national policies, frameworks, and priorities while addressing water resource challenges. The IWRM plan will encompass the entire catchment area, particularly the four targeted districts. The sustainability plan will ensure long-term functionality and impact of water infrastructure, agricultural value chains, and local water management institutions.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this assignment is to lead the in-country processes needed for the development of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) plan for the Tuban catchment, incorporating the Dublin Principles into water resources management. The geographic scope of the IWRM plan will be the Tuban catchment, focusing on the districts of Tuban and Al-Mosaymer in Lahj governorate, and Al-Mawaset and Al-Selw in Taiz governorate.
This plan will align with national development priorities, existing strategies, and plans, as well as the recent hydrological study of the Tuban Catchment, infrastructure assessments, and institutional needs assessments of key institutions and community structures in the targeted governorates and districts. The anticipated IWRM plan will prioritize interventions to address current challenges in water resources management, including those exacerbated by climate change and unsustainable practices, and establish an implementation framework for these interventions. Key stakeholders for the IWRM plan will include the Ministry of Water and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Fisheries, alongside their affiliated authorities in the governorates and districts within the catchment area. Additional stakeholders will include the Water Basin Committees in the Tuban Catchment and community organizations (WUAs, cooperatives, women's associations, etc.). The IWRM plan will focus on agricultural water use while also considering other water uses. Expected challenges include:
1.    Technical: Imbalanced utilization of surface water and groundwater in the Tuban catchment, driven by climate change and unsustainable practices, compounded by weak water governance.
2.    Operational: Reduced effectiveness of institutions and community structures in implementing IWRM principles.
3.    Financial: Lack of financial resources within institutions and community structures to support IWRM principles.
Additionally, the consultant will support the international consultant in developing a detailed Sustainability Plan for the IWRM-ERA project, ensuring the continued functionality and impact of water infrastructure, agricultural value-add initiatives, and local water governance mechanisms beyond the project’s lifespan. The sustainability plan will outline strategies for the project's longevity, demonstrating to donors that the investment will have a long-term impact.
The consultant will focus on all project components, outputs, and key activities, including but not limited to:
1.    Technical Sustainability: Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of rehabilitated irrigation infrastructure, water monitoring systems, and functionality, utilization, and maintenance of in-kind support provided by the project to WUAs and government water-related institutions.
2.    Institutional Sustainability: Viability of WUAs, water committees, and government water-related institutions, their capacity to establish coordination mechanisms on water resource management, continue operating and managing water resources and infrastructure independently, and develop long-term plans based on the capacity building and in-kind support provided by the project.
3.    Financial Sustainability: Mechanisms for long-term funding of WUAs and long-term profitability of value-add food processing initiatives supported by the project.
4.    Social & Environmental Sustainability: Community ownership, gender inclusion, conflict mitigation over water resources, environmental impact of project interventions.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Development of the IWRM Plan (50 days)

The national consultant will support the international consultant in developing the IWRM plan through the following tasks:
1.    Leading stakeholder consultation workshops and meetings during the preparation of the IWRM plan and preparing reports and meeting minutes.
2.    Collecting and analyzing relevant national and local data on water resources, hydrology, socio-economic conditions, and environmental concerns in the Tuban catchment.
3.    Assisting in developing technical components of the IWRM plan, including water allocation strategies, resource management interventions, and climate resilience measures.
4.    Providing input on integrating local knowledge and practices into the plan.
5.    Identifying and evaluating priority water resource challenges in the Tuban catchment regarding severity, interdependencies, and frequency.
6.    Determining priority integrated water resource management interventions at the catchment and sub-catchment levels.
7.    Assessing institutional capacities at national, basin, and local levels to implement the IWRM plan, considering the institutional needs assessment conducted under the IWRM-ERA project and evaluating opportunities and constraints in water resources management.
8.    Collaborating with the communication team to translate and publish the IWRM plan.
9.    Addressing additional requirements requested by the international consultant to support the development of the IWRM plan.

2. Development of Sustainability Plan for IWRM-ERA Project (25 days)

The national consultant will support the international consultant in developing a Sustainability Plan for the IWRM-ERA project, encompassing the following tasks:
1.    Conduct a comprehensive desk review of ERA project documents, including the Theory of Change, Results Framework, Implementation Plan, and relevant assessments.
2.    Conduct consultations with stakeholders, including NWRA, MoAIF, WUAs, and others.
3.    Identify sustainability risks and opportunities across the three project outcomes: 

• Water infrastructure and agricultural production.
• Agricultural value chains and market access.
• Water governance and institutional capacity.

4.    Review the mid-term evaluation report prepared during the project's midterm phase.
5.    Review ongoing practices that contribute to project sustainability.
6.    Develop sustainability strategies for: 

• Operation and maintenance (O&M) of infrastructure.
• Institutional strengthening of WUAs, NWRA, and offices of agriculture.
• Community ownership and cost-sharing mechanisms.
• Women’s participation and empowerment.
• Climate resilience and environmental safeguards.

7.    Recommend monitoring mechanisms and indicators to track sustainability.
8.    Facilitate stakeholder consultations and validation workshops.
9.    Review ongoing capacity-building activities and suggest ways to mainstream sustainable business plans for community and government structures involved in the training.
10.    Support in developing sustainability strategies for ongoing value-add and food processing initiatives at the four targeted districts in Taiz and Lahj.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The national consultant will report to the Project Manager and work closely with project staff and other consultants, including:

1.    Hydrology consultant.
2.    Environmental and Social Safeguards consultant.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

1.    At least a bachelor’s degree (BSc) or higher in Environmental/Water Sciences, sociology, international development, or a related field.
2.    A minimum of seven years of proven experience in stakeholder engagement and participatory approaches in the water sector.
3.    Proven experience in similar assignments, encompassing technical, policy, or institutional aspects.
4.    Proven knowledge and practical experience in developing and implementing sustainability strategies for development projects, preferably in water, agriculture, and livelihood sectors.
5.    Demonstrated ability to navigate complex project environments with a strong understanding of water laws, national policies, and strategies in Yemen.
6.    Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
7.    Proficiency in both English and Arabic.