Project Associate [Open to internal and external applicants], Chisinau, Moldova

## Project Associate [Open to internal and external applicants], Chisinau, Moldova - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. Climate change is projected to increase the occurrence of intense rainfall events in Moldova with potential consequences for damaging flooding, given the country's rolling topography and current land use patterns. The majority of Moldova's rural population lives in small towns located in these watersheds, which are often found in low lying areas and other areas at risk of flooding as a result of heavy rains. On average, under climate change, rainfall will become (with 66% probability) more frequent, either in absolute terms or as a proportion of total precipitation, that is, less precipitation with a higher proportion of heavy rain events. Potentially damaging and life-threatening river floods are expected to intensify. Given that over 4,000 small and medium reservoirs and ponds have been constructed, the structural integrity of dams and weirs is therefore critically important in any long-term national climate change adaptation strategy. Most dams were designed in the former Soviet republic using empirical formulas based on the hydrological and climatological conditions of more than 30-40 years ago. As such, no climate change allowances were made during the design of these dams. As well, an unknown number of dams have been built ad hoc by individuals or communities without any proper design and/or permit.[1] At the same time, the State Hydro-meteorological Service (SHS) monitoring capacities are insufficient to assess local-level hazards and vulnerabilities with sufficient precision, and the current early warning system for flooding is weak. SHS monitoring stations are unevenly distributed, with the vast majority found on the two largest border rivers (Prut and Dniester), leaving the interior under-served. The network of stations cannot adequately detect fluvial and flash flood risk, and hazard maps are out of date. The state institutions - the State Hydro-meteorological Service (SHS) and the Agency “Apele Moldovei”(AAM) - charged with hazard analysis and risk assessments currently lack the technical capacities to carry them out effectively, and they have no hydrological or hydraulic modelling capacities which is limiting the efficient flood forecasting. Compounding vulnerability from the threat of flooding, local governance institutions have insufficient capacities for effective flood risk and water resources planning and management at the sub-basin level. Local governance institutions and community stakeholders lack the organizational and technical capacities to carry out participatory integrated water resource management and flood risk assessment and management. Under the provisions of Water Law No. 272 of 2011, some elements of integrated water resources management at local level have been delegated to sub-basin committees. While sub-basin committees have been established, they meet irregularly, have no long-term strategy for engaging local land users in analysis and planning, and their links with local water users' groups and other land use regulatory institutions are weak or non-existent. Water users' groups lack the support they need to ensure adequate capacities for appropriate maintenance of private and public hydro-infrastructure. Against this background, the project is proposing a set of measures aimed at strengthening the country's adaptation to climate-driven flood risk through a two-pronged approach. The first will build the essential national hydro-meteorological monitoring and early warning systems, including the institutional capacities to manage and operate them countrywide. The second one, will apply an integrated water resources management (IWRM) approach to 5 key watersheds that will produce knowledge and institutional capacities for rehabilitation of high-risk hydrotechnical infrastructure, as well as increased participation by local stakeholders in water governance. With these measures the project will put in place knowledge, capacity, infrastructure, policy and regulatory frameworks to enable a long-term impact of country's enhanced capabilities to manage the run-off from extreme climate-driven rainfall events to prevent flooding that causes loss of life and property damage. The following are the project outcomes and outputs of the project: Outcome 1:Increased capacities of the relevant national and local authorities to respond effectively to extreme water-related events - Output 1.1:Strengthened hydro-meteorological monitoring network for effective river basin management - Output 1.2:Flash-flood/flood forecasting and early warning system established and operational Outcome 2:Enhanced security of the vulnerable rural population in key watersheds from potential failure of flood control infrastructure - Output 2.1.Methodology, protocol and standards for safe operation of hydro-technical infrastructure developed - Output 2.2:High risk dams identified in 5 pilot sites, conditions analyzed, and remedial measures identified with priority high risk dams rehabilitated Outcome 3:Enhanced capacity of the local authorities and empowered community stakeholders to participate actively in governance of integrated water resources management for flood control - Output 3.1:Flood risk and water resources planning, and management instruments are available and put at use at the local level The project will have several categories of target groups such as, firstly, the local population from the pilot areas who are directly exposed to the flood-related hazards, namely, those living in floodplain areas or having agricultural land and/or economic activities in these areas. Another target group is the Local Public Authorities from the selected pilot regions. As the custodians of the hydro-technical infrastructure, they bear the responsibility to ensure their proper operation and maintenance in order to mitigate the flood risks. The next target group of the project is the central public authorities such as the Ministry of Environment with its subordinated institutions, that is, the Agency “Apele Moldovei” and the State Hydro-meteorological Service who will benefit from instruments and knowledge to better understand the flood-related risks, prevent and prepare for these. The last target group of the project is the private sector who rent the hydra-technical infrastructure form the LPAs and who have the role of water users. This is a 4-year project with an allocated budget from the Austrian Development Agency totalling 4 mln EUR. Additional funding would have to be mobilized from the LPAs for the rehabilitation of the identified hydro-infrastructure in the 5 pilot areas. Duties and Responsibilities The specific duties and responsibilities of the Project Associate during the assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following:Assist in efficient delivery of the joint project, focusing on achievement of the following results: - Undertake administrative, logistical, travel, procurement, financial and asset management tasks in full compliance with UN