International Expert on Water Governance and Water Law

Organizational Context

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an Executing Agency for the project "Enhancing sustainability of the Transboundary Cambodia-Mekong River Delta Aquifer", funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). This project addresses challenges in the Cambodia-Mekong River Delta Aquifer (CMDA), a transboundary aquifer system shared by Cambodia and Viet Nam. The CMDA is vital for ecosystems and livelihoods, supporting around 35 million people. Groundwater management is threatened by over-extraction, pollution, and climate change, necessitating transboundary solutions.

Job Purpose

The Consultant will provide technical support for Output 1.1: Assessment of current state of groundwater resources, recharge and extraction dynamics, within the CMDA Component 1. This involves a joint science-based diagnostic of groundwater dynamics, including recharge, extraction, and their effects on ecosystems and livelihoods. Working under the Regional Director of UNESCO Bangkok and the Regional Coordinator for Groundwater Cooperation, the incumbent will collaborate closely with national experts and institutions in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as international partners. The role is crucial for developing a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) by contributing to the assessment of hydrological states and dynamics of the shared aquifer.

Responsibilities

The Consultant will coordinate interfaces with national teams and partners, facilitating meetings, documenting outcomes, and tracking progress. Responsibilities include engaging national PMUs, the Joint Technical Committee, and relevant institutions for evidence sharing and capacity support, ensuring alignment with the Annual Work Plan. The role involves providing methodological guidance and hands-on support to national experts in Cambodia and Viet Nam for analyzing governance arrangements and legal frameworks related to groundwater. This includes developing common templates, harmonisation rules, and a QA checklist for a joint governance-and-law assessment. The Consultant will consolidate national inputs, perform a harmonisation and gap analysis, and align deliverables with TDA stages. A key output will be a concise TDA-ready synthesis of the combined governance and law findings, integrating a gender perspective throughout all activities.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in water governance and law is necessary, encompassing institutional and legal analysis, policy review, and preparing governance inputs for technical assessments. Additionally, at least 3 years of experience within the Asia-Pacific region focusing on groundwater or water resources governance and legal frameworks is required. Experience working with government institutions in the sub-region is considered an asset.

Skills

Essential skills include strong conceptual and analytical abilities in groundwater governance and water law, institutional mapping, legal review, and policy analysis. The candidate must demonstrate proven ability to plan effectively, manage multiple deadlines, and work efficiently in a multicultural team environment. Excellent coordination and interpersonal skills are vital. The capacity to work independently and deliver harmonised evidence products, gap analyses, and TDA-formatted text within agreed timelines is also crucial.

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