Hydrogeology Expert, Seconded to UNICEF, Afghanistan  

Background

Delivering sustainable and reliable water in Afghanistan is increasingly challenging due to rising demand and declining availability. Population growth, unsustainable use, weak protection of water sources, and climate change are straining resources and increasing water insecurity for millions. Kabul's water crisis is one of the most striking cases.

Currently 31.8% of Afghans lack access to basic drinking water. Erratic rainfall due to shifting climate patterns are reducing availability of surface water used for irrigation, pushing communities to rely more heavily on groundwater. This, combined with unregulated deep well drilling, is leading to widespread groundwater depletion, making monitoring a critical priority.

Effective water management depends on reliable data. Yet , for the past 20–30 years, water monitoring has been limited due to insecurity and lack of access. Strengthening water data systems is essential for managing resources, reducing disaster risks, and supporting sustainable development.

Since late 2022, UNICEF-Afghanistan has been actively working to strengthen groundwater monitoring. In April 2023, SDC began supporting this effort through a secondment of a hydrogeology expert. This collaboration has led to significant achievements:

1. National assessment of Afghanistan's groundwater monitoring system;

2. Development of the first national groundwater potential and vulnerability maps;

3. Design and delivery of online and in-person training for UNICEF staff and sector stakeholders in GIS, remote sensing, and water resource mapping;

4. Formulation of a National Strategy and Action Plan to strengthen water monitoring;

5. Successful drilling of 49 new monitoring wells in the Helmand, Harirud-Murghab and Kabul River Basins, including capacity-building in drilling supervision;

6. Installation of 100 dataloggers across six provinces and capacity-building for the related technicians in data collection, analysis and management ;

7. Development of a methodology to identify areas suitable for Managed Aquifer Recharge and piloting of integrated climate-resilient water supply systems at the community level;

8. Creation of a sector-wide Roadmap based on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles.

Purpose

Given the recognized need to continue supporting Afghanistan's water sector and to build on the progress achieved, UNICEF seeks to extend the collaboration through a new secondment. The secondee will provide technical expertise on water resource management and WASH linkages, with a particular focus on groundwater monitoring and related issues, to the UNICEF Afghanistan Country Office.

Main responsibilities and tasks

For this assignment, key actions were identified to strengthen water resources management and address water scarcity driven by climate change in order to ensure adequate drinking water for households and communities. The UNICEF Afghanistan Country Office has prioritized the following thematic areas:

Task 1: Strengthening Data Collection, Analysis and Management Systems

Offer technical guidance to enhance data collection and management protocols, including standards for data acquisition, transfer, and integration into a central database.

Task 2: Capacity Building on Water Resources Management

Support capacity development within UNICEF and key partners on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and WASH linkages, including training in water resources assessment and monitoring, managed aquifer recharge, and water balance methodologies and use of monitoring data for planning and water resources development for drinking water services.

Task 3: Data Analysis and Reporting

Provide technical guidance for improving data analysis and the development of periodic analytical reports, including water availability assessments, to support evidence-based decision-making by water management authorities.

Task 4: Climate-Resilient Water Supply Planning

Provide technical input on the integration of climate resilience into water supply planning within UNICEF's water resources programming. Support the development of funding proposals.

Task 5: Support for Managed Aquifer Recharge Initiatives

Provide technical expertise for the design and implementation of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) initiatives and assist in documenting their impacts and lessons learned.

Task 6: Development of Water Security Plan – Kandahar Province and other project plan development

Offer technical guidance to support the development of a Water Security Plan for Kandahar Province, in coordination with relevant stakeholders and in alignment with national priorities.

Task 7. Support Afghanistan Water Platform (AWAP) coordination:

Provide technical support for addressing impact of climate change on water resources utilizing AWAP platform and facilitate enhanced coordination between chairs and co-chairs of sub sectors under AWAP with related authorities

Task 8: Strengthen WASH Sub Sector coordination under AWAP

Develop a calendar of periodic meetings of WASH Sub sector members; develop minutes of the meeting; ensure agreed follow up action and coordinate with authorities under guidance of Supervisor.

Key deliverables

The following is a summary of the key deliverables:

Enhanced Data Management Protocols and Analytical Frameworks

• Protocols for standardised data collection, transfer, and integration into a central database.

• Recommendations on the use of digital tools, including AI, for data processing and analysis.

• Templates and guidance for periodic analytical reporting (e.g. water availability reports).

Capacity Building Materials and Training Delivery

• Design and delivery of capacity-building sessions for UNICEF staff and key partners on IWRM, including water resources assessment, managed aquifer recharge (MAR), and water balance.

• Climate-Resilient Planning and Community Engagement Toolkit

• Technical guidance for integrating climate resilience into water supply planning.

• Contribution to proposal development for climate-resilient water interventions.

• Recommendations for community-based monitoring and documentation approaches.

• Development of technical guidelines and standards for water security planning with an integrated water resources management approach.

Strategic Planning and Project Design Support

• Water Security Plan for Kandahar, developed in consultation with stakeholders.

• Design and initial implementation of a joint SDC–UNICEF project on water resources management.

Provide technical support to Chief WASH and Climate for strengthening AWAP coordination (including working with UNAMA)

• Minutes of meetings under AWAP

• Action Taken report of agreed action

• Directory of key strategic interventions by various pillars under AWAP

• Periodic status report on key issues and actions by partners and annual water sector status report encompassing various pillars under AWAP

Minimum qualifications and competencies

• MSc in Hydrogeology and/or related field, with 10 to 15 years of relevant professional experience.

• Proven experience in handling, analysing, and presenting hydrological and hydrogeological data using GIS.

• Experience in data management and analysis of groundwater monitoring data (e.g. from data loggers) is considered an asset.

• Familiarity with AI-based tools for data processing and analysis is an advantage.

• Experience with community-based monitoring approaches is desirable.

• Strong programme/project management skills, with the ability to communicate and present effectively, both verbally and in writing, to a wide range of stakeholders.

• Ability to work effectively in a transdisciplinary team environment; strong collaboration and teamwork skills are essential.

• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required. Proficiency in the language of the humanitarian operation and knowledge of another UN language are considered assets.

Working modality arrangements

• The person will work full-time, and Kabul based. The cost of R&R related expenses and in country travel expenses as per prevalent UN norms would be met by SDC.

• A work plan with estimated deliverables, milestones, field missions, and time allocation for each task will be discussed between the Hydrogeology expert and his supervisor. The plan will be prepared within the first month and revised every quarter and as needed.

Duty station

Kabul, Afghanistan

P-Level / Salary scale: P3 / LK23 (tbc)

Starting date and duration

Asap (after mutual agreement) for 1 year

Please note that the COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory for SHA-Secondments UNICEF!

Swiss citizenship or a 'C' residence permit for Switzerland is mandatory.

Miscellaneous

For reasons of duty of care (increased risks due to other privileges and immunities) and to avoid conflicts of interest and potential bias, employees and their accompanying persons who hold dual or multiple citizenships shall, as a matter of principle, not be assigned to countries of which they are nationals.

Contact/Application:

Please send your application by e-mail to Ms. Odette Mauron, odette.mauron@eda.admin.ch