GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst
Organizational Context
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a United Nations agency dedicated to defeating hunger and promoting food security worldwide. Operating in over 130 countries, FAO has been active in Viet Nam since 1978. The organization is currently undertaking a rapid drought assessment in Viet Nam, drawing on international best practices in drought monitoring, forecasting, and management. This initiative aims to analyze drought risks in the Central Highlands, particularly under forecasted El Niño conditions, and provide evidence-based recommendations for resilient water resource management and climate adaptation.
Job Purpose
The GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst will play a crucial role in processing, analyzing, and integrating diverse spatial data, including meteorological, hydrological, water resources, and agricultural information. This analysis will be fundamental to assessing the spatial distribution and severity of drought and its subsequent impacts on agricultural production. A key responsibility will be the development of comprehensive maps and spatial products. These outputs will be essential for effectively analyzing, visualizing, and communicating the findings of the drought assessment to various stakeholders, thereby supporting informed decision-making and strategic planning.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and in close collaboration with the Team Leader, the GIS/Remote Sensing Analyst will review existing FAO drought assessments and relevant spatial datasets for the Central Highlands. Responsibilities include collecting, organizing, and quality-controlling spatial data on meteorology, hydrology, water resources, agriculture, and historical drought events. The analyst will integrate this data to characterize drought impacts, compile information on key agricultural production areas and irrigation infrastructure, and support experts in identifying drought-prone areas linked to water availability and irrigation constraints. The role involves spatially linking agricultural water demand with crop distribution and vulnerable areas, and representing climate outlooks. The analyst will develop detailed GIS maps illustrating historical drought events, agricultural areas, irrigation systems, and potential drought exposure under future conditions. Utilizing remote sensing data, the analyst will assess agricultural conditions and water stress, and create spatial overlays to identify priority areas for drought preparedness. Establishing and maintaining a structured GIS database, preparing spatial products for reports and presentations, and contributing technical inputs to validation workshops and the final report are also key duties. Additional GIS and spatial analysis tasks as requested, and contributing to the final assessment report and recommendations are expected.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in GIS, remote sensing, and spatial analysis is required. Experience in developing and managing GIS databases for water resources, agriculture, drought, climate, or disaster risk assessment is essential. Demonstrated experience in spatial analysis and mapping of drought extent, severity, agricultural production, and irrigation systems is also necessary. Familiarity with GIS and remote sensing datasets pertinent to Viet Nam is highly desirable.
Skills
Proficiency in GIS software and tools for data collection, management, processing, analysis, and visualization is essential. Demonstrated experience in integrating diverse spatial information sources and ensuring data quality control is required. Strong skills in spatial analysis and mapping of drought extent, severity, agricultural exposure, and affected areas are necessary. Experience using remote sensing data for agricultural conditions, vegetation dynamics, and water stress assessment is crucial. The ability to integrate GIS data with meteorological, hydrological, water resources, irrigation, and agricultural datasets is vital. Experience in developing GIS-based decision-support products for water management or disaster risk reduction is advantageous. Strong analytical and visualization skills, with the capacity to communicate complex spatial information effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, are required. Experience working within multidisciplinary teams and with local government agencies and research institutions in Viet Nam is beneficial. The ability to deliver high-quality spatial outputs under tight deadlines is important.