Consultant on Data Analysis and Application for the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems in Haiti

Result of ServiceStrengthening the capacities of Haiti on disaster risk data and information management for MHEWS. Work LocationHome based Expected duration6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with U.N. Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. A key priority of the Sendai Framework is promoting Risk Understanding to support enhanced risk reduction. In the context of a changing climate, more intense and frequent hazard events, and other global challenges, better understanding risk requires taking a comprehensive approach to risk assessment which is both multi-hazard and requires consideration of cascading and systemic impacts of disasters. UNDRR’s Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean (ROAC) assists the region’s countries through their national focal points to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 to meet the Sendai Framework’s Global Target (g) of Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to the people by 2030; and specifically its globally agreed indicator G5 regarding the number of countries that have accessible, understandable, usable and relevant disaster risk information and assessment available to the people at the national and local levels. In this regard, UNDRR-ROAC supports countries through the development of national disaster risk data and information management platforms, to inform decision-making, national investment and the design of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS). Multi-Hazard Early warning systems (MHEWS) are key components of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, as they help reduce or avoid the detrimental impacts of hazardous events. To be effective, early warning systems need to be risk-informed, multi-hazard, multi-sectorial, target communities most at risk, disseminate messages and warnings efficiently, ensure preparedness, and support early action. Multi-Hazard Early warning systems include four pillars: 1) disaster risk knowledge; 2) observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting; 3) warning dissemination and communication; 4) preparedness and response capabilities. The four pillars of an MHEWS (Multi-hazard early warning systems) need a governance architecture enabling interactions among those responsible for each of the components, framing their implementation within the overall disaster risk management (DRM) governance mechanisms (Interpillar). Multi-sector and multi-stakeholder coordination, involvement of communities at risk, having an enabling institutional and legislative environment, clear roles and responsibilities, and adequate operational capacities, are essential for effective and consistent Early Warning Systems. The Early Warnings for All (EW4All) is a special initiative of the UN Secretary General, which aims to spearheading action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027. The initiative was formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh. The Initiative calls for the whole world to be covered by early warning systems by the end of 2027. EW4All is co-led by WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and UNDRR and supported by pillar leads ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). EW4All aims to promote collaboration and synergies across all partners working on the promotion, design, implementation, development and monitoring of single, cluster and multi-hazard early warning systems. The small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean region are highly exposed to multiple hazards. Combined with existing exposure and vulnerability to multiple hazards, the context is one of potentially great losses, even to the extent of exceeding many of the countries’ GDPs (gross domestic products), thus challenging the overall sustainable development of the region. Moreover, climate change increases the frequency, intensity and unpredictability of impacts, making it even more important for all countries across the Caribbean region to possess strong capacities to manage the existing and emerging risks and to avoid the creation of new ones. Structural poverty is multidimensional and hinders Haiti’s ability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from hazards . The country’s high levels of poverty correspond to a long-lasting inability to meet basic needs and to its low purchasing power to procure essential goods and services. Thus, poverty-stricken households in Haiti are usually forced to occupy sub-standard living areas and conditions, including hazard-prone areas. Disasters have historically disrupted Haiti’s society and hinder the trajectory to sustainable development and climate change adaptation, in conjunction with other challenges, including socio-political instability and violence. The country’s limited capacities that are characteristic of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can further the social impacts of hazardous occurrences. The 2010 earthquake that ravaged Port-au-Prince, killed approximately 222,000 and left millions homeless. This 7.0 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale caused considerable damage to housing and economic sectors in an already impoverished and vulnerable country. Similarly, the 2016 category 4 Hurricane Matthew struck the country and triggered the largest humanitarian emergency since the 2010 earthquake. Hurricane Matthew generated losses and damages estimated at 32% of Haiti’s 2015 GDP. Five years after Hurricane Matthew, an earthquake killed 2,246 people and caused critical damage to infrastructure, systems, and services, as well as impeded humanitarian access (News). The World Bank estimated the economic damage from the earthquake to be US$1.11 billion, which is equivalent to 7.8% of Haiti’s 2019 GDP. Haiti is highly exposed to tropical cyclones, coastal flooding, urban & fluvial flood, lightning strikes, storm surges, droughts, and heatwaves. The capital city, Port-au-Prince, is particularly vulnerable to flooding, with a large portion of its inhabitants residing on flood plains in informal, urban, poorly constructed housing settlements. Moreover, rain-induced landslides are common along all river valleys where years of deforestation have left the upper reaches of the wester basins bare. On the other extreme of the hydrological spectrum, the North-West, Artibonite, North-East, and Central departments frequently experience repeated droughts, brought about by a combination of erratic rainfall patterns coupled with limited water management infrastructure. The Hydrometeorological Unit of Haiti (UHM) offers forecasting and warning services for severe weather-related events and drought, which are relayed to the public, aviators, and marine operators. The warnings typically include information on the probability of hazards events impacting the island. The Office of Mines & Energy (BME) has established a Seismology Technical Unit which manages a total of 15 seismic stations currently operating in Haiti. For any earthquake large enough to be felt, the NetQuakes instruments transmit triggered data via the Internet to the BME as well as several international data centers, providing rapid-assessment capacity that was absent at the time of the 2010 earthquake. As a result, Haiti is the only CDEMA PS (Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Participating State) with the national capacity to detect, monitor, provide warning and assess earthquakes . Tsunami risks are present and are projected to increase as global mean sea levels rise. There is an EWS (Early Warning System) mechanism for disseminating & communicating actionable warnings to the public regarding tsunami hazards. There is no early warning system capacity for the management of wildfires, despite an increasing probability of climate change exerting an impact on more frequent wildfire occurrences in the country. In the areas already affected by wildfire hazard, the fire season is likely to increase in duration and severity and include a greater number of days with prevailing weather conditions that support fire spread because of longer periods without rain during fire seasons. There is an urgent need to ensure, and strength the capacities of major stakeholders and institutions engaged in the design, development, implementation and monitoring of multi-hazard early warning systems in the country, notably the Civil Protection Directorate (DGPC) of Haiti. Following an in-depth review of previous hazard-related shocks and impacts of the recent disasters in the country, and after consultations among partners from the United Nations System and EW4All Pillar Leads, particular needs and priority actions were identified, to support the Roll-out of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems in Haiti as follows: - Development of National Risk Knowledge Plan as the strategy to scale-up risk knowledge for EWS. - Develop risk assessments and strengthen disaster risk information management platforms - Strengthen national disaster damages and losses databases and reporting on the Sendai Framework Monitoring (SFM) mechanism. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will have the responsibility to support: 1) the strengthening of the disaster risk management data and information platform; 2) the strengthening of the national disaster loss databases and SFM monitoring and reporting; and, 3) the development of National Risk Knowledge Plan as the strategy to scale-up risk knowledge for MHEWS. The duties and responsibilities include: 1. Prepare a preliminary list of risk information, identifying possible sources of information. The list is categorized as follows: a. Hazards information (national and sub-national scale) b. Exposure of people and assets (grey and green) c. Vulnerabilities (social and physical) d. Structural information like administrative boundaries, topographic maps, satellite data, hydro-met data, macro-economic data and human development indicators disaggregated sub nationally if possible. e. Information related to damages and losses. f. Risk analysis developed in the country at the national and subnational level. The consultant must review platforms, such as the http://haitidata.org and provide a diagnosis of the information hosted on the platform, and propose a list of additional data and information that could be used to consolidate the national disaster risk data and information platform. 2. Compile information on existing damages and losses databases and develop or update it at the subnational level, with data disaggregated by sex, age, disability status, economic, geographic/administrative indicators, etc. if possible. 3. Guide the DGPC on the use of methodologies for updating damage and losses data. 4. Identify the source of information about damage and losses. Establish the type of information source. Update or develop the database for a period of 5 years. 5. Conduct trainings and capacity building activities on the SFM for the DGPC staff, both in the methodology of the indicators and in the use of the platform. 6. Validate with the SFM focal point in Haiti, the information collected on damages and losses. This information will be used to update the report in the SFM platform. 7. Use the damage and losses data collected to update the report in the SFM for targets A, B, C and D. 8. Present the results of the risk information diagnosis, the damage and loss database, as well as the SFM report. 9. Prepare a guiding document of the steps to follow in strengthening risk data and information management, as well as the consolidation of the damage and losses database, as well as the report to the SFM. 10. The consultant must carry out a review of national legislation, focused on data and information management so that recommendations are supported by law. 11. Develop a National Risk Knowledge Plan as the strategy to scale-up risk knowledge for MHEWS 12. Support UNDRR in the preparation of activities related to the development of disaster risk data and information platforms in other Caribbean countries 13. Participate in remote and in-person work meetings scheduled with country officials, including DGPC´s officials, UNDRR, and other stakeholders as necessary, to regularly report on the progress in the development of the different products and to receive technical and strategic guidance, to guarantee the quality of deliverables. Qualifications/special skillsMaster's degree in risk analysis, risk management, international relations, statistics, risk modelling (including hazard, vulnerability and exposure), financial management, economics, industrial engineering or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change or Social Studies may be accepted in lieu of the Master's Degree. - A minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience in information management, statistics, risk modelling, development, adaptation or resilience is required. - Experience in information analysis for decision is required. - Experience in data conversion, management of quantitative and qualitative data systems, integration and projection, or mapping/GIS software is required. - Experience with quantitative risk assessment, disaster risk metrics, or Sustainable Development Goal research is desirable. - Experience in managing data required for Sendai Framework reporting is desirable. LanguagesFluency in English is required. Additional InformationDue to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. *FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY*. UNDRR values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women, men, and people with disabilities. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.