Adaptation Specialist Consultant – PAF Paraguay

## Adaptation Specialist Consultant – PAF Paraguay - Organization:UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme Result of Service:The Consultant’s ultimate results of services will be to provide specialized technical and coordination support to strengthen the adaptation component of Paraguay’s NDC 3.0 and advance the integration of adaptation priorities into the national technology planning process. This will include reviewing and updating adaptation action lines across priority sectors, strengthening their alignment with the Belém indicators of the Paris Agreement, and incorporating technical inputs and feedback from relevant national stakeholders. The Consultant will also support follow-up with sectoral institutions responsible for adaptation actions, identifying key gaps, challenges, and needs for advancing implementation, and contributing to the preparation and follow-up of the AFOLU Technology Action Plan. This will include supporting the organization of technical meetings, workshops, consultations, and validation processes, as well as the consolidation and documentation of their results. The Consultant will coordinate closely with the Technical Advisor on NDCs and Transversal Facilitator, Mitigation Specialist Consultant, Technology Needs Specialist Consultant, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, relevant sectoral institutions and stakeholders, and UNEP’s technical team to ensure that technical inputs are coherent, coordinated, and responsive to national priorities. The Consultant will ultimately contribute to strengthening Paraguay’s capacity to monitor, advance, and prioritize adaptation actions and technological solutions, supporting the implementation of NDC 3.0 and the country’s climate resilience objectives. Specific tasks and responsibilitiesReview existing technical inputs, documents, and sectoral information.Support inputs and feedback from relevant sectoral focal points and stakeholders.Update and consolidate adaptation action-line “fichas”.Ensure consistency and alignment with Belém indicators.Identify and track key gaps, challenges, and technical needs.Coordinate meetings, workshops, consultations, and validation sessions.Support in the preparation of agendas, presentations, technical inputs, and other meeting materials.Systematize feedback, agreements, recommendations, and follow-up actions.Maintain records, including minutes, attendance lists, supporting materials, and other means of verification.Support the development and follow-up of the AFOLU Technology Action Plan.Prepare consolidated reports, tracking matrices, and supporting documentation, according to Section 3 “Work Plan”. Timely delivery of outputs as outlined in the Terms of Reference. Quality of design work, materials, and reports produced, as well as the approval of products/ deliverables/ outputs by the consultant’s reporting officer, Jérôme Malavelle, Project Management Officer, UNEP. - Review existing technical inputs, documents, and sectoral information. - Support inputs and feedback from relevant sectoral focal points and stakeholders. - Update and consolidate adaptation action-line “fichas”. - Ensure consistency and alignment with Belém indicators. - Identify and track key gaps, challenges, and technical needs. - Coordinate meetings, workshops, consultations, and validation sessions. - Support in the preparation of agendas, presentations, technical inputs, and other meeting materials. - Systematize feedback, agreements, recommendations, and follow-up actions. - Maintain records, including minutes, attendance lists, supporting materials, and other means of verification. - Support the development and follow-up of the AFOLU Technology Action Plan. - Prepare consolidated reports, tracking matrices, and supporting documentation, according to Section 3 “Work Plan”. Timely delivery of outputs as outlined in the Terms of Reference. Quality of design work, materials, and reports produced, as well as the approval of products/ deliverables/ outputs by the consultant’s reporting officer, Jérôme Malavelle, Project Management Officer, UNEP. Work Location:Home-based in Asunción, Paraguay and MADES Offices (Hybrid format) Expected duration:3 months from October 2026 to January 2027 Duties and Responsibilities:The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the international environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The NDC Act & Invest Initiative is a global programme led by UNEP and currently funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF) multi-donor trust fund. It is designed to help countries raise their climate ambition and translate their new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2025 into actionable, investable plans. The Paris Agreement represents a landmark global commitment to address climate change through strengthened mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts. As a country highly dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, forestry, water resources, and energy, Paraguay faces increasing challenges associated with climate variability and extreme weather events. Droughts, floods, land degradation, and ecosystem pressures threaten livelihoods, economic productivity, food security, and the resilience of vulnerable communities and territories. These challenges highlight the urgent need to strengthen institutional capacities, improve climate governance, and accelerate the implementation of coordinated climate action across sectors and levels of government. In November 2025, the Republic of Paraguay submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reaffirming its commitment to the Paris Agreement through an integrated approach to mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development. Paraguay’s NDC 3.0 establishes an unconditional target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10%, with an additional 10% reduction contingent on international support. The updated NDC also strengthens adaptation priorities in key sectors including agriculture, land-use and forests, water management, and territorial resilience, while promoting environmental governance, inclusivity, and the integration of scientific, technical, traditional, and ancestral knowledge into climate action. Despite this progress, the effective operationalization of NDC 3.0 requires enhanced technical, institutional, and financial capacities. The implementation of sectoral measures demands stronger inter-institutional coordination, improved information and data systems, broader stakeholder participation, and increased access to climate finance opportunities. In particular, there is a need to strengthen communication and outreach strategies that facilitate the dissemination of climate-related information, support stakeholder engagement processes, and promote greater understanding of climate priorities and implementation pathways among public institutions, local actors, academia, the private sector, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society. In this context, the support provided through the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF), implemented by UNEP, represents a strategic opportunity to support Paraguay in translating its climate commitments into concrete and implementable actions. The project seeks to reinforce institutional capacities, strengthen multisectoral coordination, improve climate data and information systems, and support the integration of evidence-based and technological solutions across mitigation and adaptation priorities. The intervention will also contribute to strengthening national communication and engagement efforts to ensure that climate action proces