Agriculture Sector Risk Assessment Specialist

A. About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
ADPC is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reduce disaster and
climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with
governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society,
private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.
Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified
its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk
reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different
nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to
social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a
competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy,
Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management,
Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by
Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In
addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and
Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through
permanent working committees.
ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction
support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the
importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty
reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and
regional cooperation.
For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

B. Background
Disasters take a huge toll on the development agenda of SAR countries. Between 2000 and
2017, disasters in South Asia incurred estimated damages of US$ 149.27 billion. Public
expenditure is under stress by the repeated need to reallocate capital budgets away from
long term development planning and towards reconstruction activities in post-disaster
environments. For example, since 2005, Pakistan has suffered losses on the order of US$ 16
billion due to natural disasters. In Bangladesh, 2007 Cyclone Sidr resulted in damages and
losses of US$1.7 billion, or 2.6 per cent of GDP.

To increase resilience and achieve climate commitments, there is a need for a
transformational shift towards policies and institutions that enable climate resilient
investments. Investing in more resilient infrastructure is both profitable and urgent as
disruptions are extremely costly for governments, households and private sector and large
ongoing investments in infrastructure assets will have long-lasting repercussions as poor
maintenance and natural disasters result in a vulnerable stock.
With the financial support from the World Bank Group, ADPC will be implementing a five
years’ project, titled “Climate Adaptation and Resilience Project for South Asia” (CARE). The
project aims to create an enabling environment for climate resilience policies and
investments across South Asia. This objective will be achieved through enhanced regional
cooperation and knowledge exchange for climate resilience and adaptation and
mainstreaming of resilience and adaptation in national policies, plans and investments.
Scaling up the climate-resilient strategy for climate smart agriculture and agro-climatic zones
plays a vital role in satisfactorily implement all the required components of the project. It
would involve development of standardized geospatial databases and other data for climate-
related risk assessments for the agriculture sector. It would also involve development of
strategies and frameworks to comply with World Bank regulations.
Accordingly, through the Geospatial Information Department, a highly qualified and
experienced Risk Assessment Specialist will conduct risk assessments for the agriculture
sector in the 3 countries of the CARE project (Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan). S/he will be
selected on a competitive basis following the World Bank Procurement Regulations. We are
expecting consultants who have hands-on work experience in conducting disaster risk
assessment. Demonstrated experience conducting risk assessment for the agriculture
sector will be considered very favorably. In addition, the candidates with educational
backgrounds in agriculture, hydrology, geology, geography, meteorology, or water resource
management will be sought.

C. Statement of Intent
The Agriculture Sector Risk Assessment Specialist will provide technical leadership as well
as subject-matter-expert inputs to related project activities of the World Bank CARE South
Asia project. The specialist will take a leading role in all the agriculture sector risk
assessment related tasks for Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, which include the
data needed to characterize climate change exposure and vulnerability, climate
inclusive hazard and risk mapping.
This position is located in Bangkok, Thailand.
Note: It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position
requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint
responsibilities.

D. Duties and Responsibilities
• Reviewing existing climate-related hazard & risk assessment studies/approaches for the agriculture sector, conducting interviews of relevant stakeholders, and conducting need assessments for the agricultural sector in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan;

• In close collaboration with the GIS Specialist, collecting and evaluating existing
geospatial data and other data needed for climate-related hazard, exposure,
vulnerability, risk assessment for the agricultural sector across the three focus
countries;
• Leading consultations, meetings and workshops to finalize the climate-related
hazard and risk assessment methodologies for the agricultural sector in the three
focus countries;
• Supporting hazard experts to analyze relevant science-based information to
create hazard zonation maps, including but not limited to floods, drought, cyclone
& storm surge, and salinity intrusion hazards;
• Provide technical supports in the development of climate inclusive hazards (e.g.
flood, drought, cyclone, storm surge, salinity intrusion etc) assessment as a basis
to update/revisit agro-climatic zoning;
• Conducting climate inclusive vulnerability & risk assessment of element-at-risk
(agriculture assets) to multiple hazards;
• Analyzing potential impacts from the estimated hazard and vulnerability for
agriculture sectors, considering the various multi-hazard approaches;
• Providing technical inputs in the development of climate smart agriculture
guidelines for the three focus countries;
• Developing modules and conducting trainings and Training of Trainers (TOR) for
national and sub-national agencies;
• Strengthening the development of Climate Smart Agriculture Strategic
Framework, and for scaling up the existing climate smart agriculture strategic
framework for the relevant ministries in the three focus countries;
• Supporting the development of a detailed policy actions to reform Agriculture
sector in three focus countries to be climate-informed;
• Facilitating the development of a handbook on climate resilience and
adaptation for the Ministry of Agriculture in Nepal.

E. Qualifications
The candidate should at least have:
 Six (6) years of professional experience where three (3) of which must be hands-on
experience conducting quantitative disaster risk assessments at national or sub-
national scales.
 Demonstrated experience in risk assessment of the agriculture sector strongly
desired.
 At least a Master’s degree in one or more subjects such as Disaster Risk Assessment,
agriculture, hydrology, geology, geography, meteorology, water resource
management, or other relevant subjects.

 Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of how climate-related hazards such as
floods, drought, and saltwater intrusion impact agricultural lands, yields, and
production.
 Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a
demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate
technical matters effectively to a general audience.

F. Reporting Relationships
The Agriculture Sector Risk Assessment Specialist will report to the Project Director and work
in close coordination with Director, Geospatial Department, ADPC. The specialist will also
coordinate with the other CARE project specialists at the regional and national level to carry
out different activities under the project.

G. Contract Duration
The contract duration will be for 1 year. The consultant’s performance will be reviewed on a
quarterly basis.

H. Selection Method
The consultant will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment process and in
compliance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations.