Climate Impact Expert

Assignment Title: Individual Consultant – CS-INDV / Climate Impact Expert - Agriculture, Balochistan, Pakistan

Reference No. (TH-RIMES-378785-CS-INDV)

Objective

The objective of this consulting service is to support the CARE Component 1 Pakistan Team in customizing the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System, to respond to stakeholders’ requirements.

Scope of Work

The Climate Impact Expert - Agriculture, Balochistan will report to the CARE Component 1 Project Director, with technical supervision of the Digital Systems and Data Integrator and RIMES Climate Applications Specialist; and in coordination with RIMES Country Program Lead/CARE Country Coordinator for Pakistan and the CARE Component 1’s Systems Development Team for Pakistan. He/she shall have the following specific tasks:

• Provide a comprehensive analysis of potential impacts of weather/climate conditions, disaggregated parameter-wise, from short to long-term, on the different growing stages and yield of priority crops, for customizing the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• Identify and develop different climate service tools/products under Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System, corresponding to the requirements of stakeholders

• Analyze open-source weather/climate-crops models, to determine and finalize the most viable model(s) to be modified/adopted into the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System, and provide guidance to the rest of the members of the RIMES Systems Development Team for Pakistan in the required model modification/customization, analyses/modelling processes, and adoption of the said most viable model(s) into the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• Identify, confirm, and collect weather/climate and agricultural information requirements to refine the climate-informed products from, and/or fully operationalize, the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System for priority crops. These information requirements for priority crops may include, but are not limited to:

• historical weather/climate impacts to crops

• optimum, sub-optimum, and unconducive weather/climate thresholds for different growing stages

• Courses of remedial action, for various potential weather/climate conditions during the different growing stages of crops, while integrating other relevant on-ground conditions (irrigation, pests, markets, etc.)

• Provide guidance, to the RIMES System Development Team and the Balochistan Agriculture Department, in translating realised weather and weather forecast, at different temporal and spatial resolution, into agromet advisories for major crops in Balochistan

• Provide guidance in the integration of agricultural management system developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Balochistan with the Agro-Meteorological Advisory System, especially in generating advisories on application of irrigation, fertilizer and pesticides

• Assist the RIMES System Development Team and the Balochistan Agriculture Department in developing sensitivities ( algorithms/threshold level) of crops to the weather and climate of Balochistan, for generating weather/climate-informed tactical and strategic decisions

• Assist the RIMES System Development Team and the Balochistan Agriculture Department in developing weather/climate-informed forewarning models to manage pest and disease incidence on major crops

• Assist the RIMES System Development Team and the Balochistan Agriculture Department in preparing crop weather calendars, pests and diseases weather calendars for major crops, and create soil, pest, and disease panels

• As part of the inter-disciplinary Systems Development Team for Pakistan, collaborate with others in the team, and with government partners and experts, to evolve/refine location-specific actionable climate resilience strategies of different temporal scales for various agriculture stakeholders in Balochistan, for adoption into the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• Evaluate existing agricultural practices and systems, in Pakistan and globally, to identify vulnerabilities and opportunities for agricultural improvements/resilience in Balochistan

• As necessary, provide expert inputs/guidance to farmers, operational agriculture officers, policy makers, and other agriculture decision makers/stakeholders in Balochistan on climate-resilient/climate-informed agricultural practices, including, but not limited to:

• decision-making within a risk management framework

• resource-efficient farming technologies/techniques

• sustainable farming activities

• As necessary, provide inputs/guidance to the Systems Development Team for Pakistan on the latest research, technologies, and advancements in agriculture resilience, that could be prioritized/integrated into the development of the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• In coordination with the rest of the Systems Development Team for Pakistan, ensure that the information products from the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System are regularly tested, and feedbacks from stakeholders are integrated for tool/products refinement

• In coordination with the relevant members of the Systems Development Team for Pakistan, and partner government institutions, screen and prioritize stakeholders’ feedback/recommendations for phased refinement of the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System and its products

• Provide inputs, as relevant, in the Operations and Maintenance Manual of the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• As necessary, participate and provide inputs in discussions, meetings, trainings, workshops, and other project-relevant activities.

• Provide inputs to information/knowledge materials and develop outreach program(s) to popularize the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• Assist in developing a mechanism to understand users/stakeholders’ satisfaction level/ndex in regard to agromet advisories generated/to be generated under Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System.

• Provide guidance in use of open source remote sensing data in developing agromet advisories

• Provide guidance in the economic assessment of the Agromet Advisory Services.

• Provide relevant inputs in the technical documentation of   the Balochistan Agro-Meteorological Advisory System

• Others, may be required by CARE Component 1

Qualifications

Knowledge:

• At least Master’s Degree in Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Climate Science, or a related field

• Knowledge of modeling of weather/climate impacts on crops/agriculture/generation of agromet advisories

• Knowledge of different components of the Operational Agromet Advisory Services System

• Knowledge of agriculture in Balochistan, including climate sensitivities and risks, coping mechanisms vis-a-vis climate hazards/disasters, climate-resilient agriculture policies, and others relevant

Experience:

• At least 15 years of experience in research on weather/climate impacts on crops/agriculture; experience in modelling weather/climate impacts on crops/agriculture is preferred

• At least 15 years of experience in working with government and/or development institutions in Pakistan in providing operational/development planning guidance in

• Weather/climate-informed planning and decision-making in crops/agriculture

• Work experience with farmers and/or agriculture institutions of the Province of Balochistan is desired

• Publications on climate impacts on crops/agriculture is an advantage

Skills and abilities:

• Demonstrate ability to digest complex technical information and convey them in easy-to-understand forms to a variety of stakeholders

• Strong written and verbal command of Urdu and English languages

Personal qualities:

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Demonstrated ability to plan and organize work independently.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• High commitment to responsibility and work quality.

• Ability to work effectively and efficiently independently and/or within a multi-cultural team.

• Openness/receptiveness to critique for enhancing work and outputs.

 Contract Duration

The contract will be for 1 year subject to a 4-month probationary period, and annual performance review.