UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.

Zambia is a land locked lower middle-income country in southern Africa home to approximately 18 million people. Of that population, 45% are urban. A 2018 survey of households revealed that 15% of children under the age of 5 years in Zambia had diarrhoea within the two weeks prior to the survey. In addition, 34.6% of children in Zambia under the age of 5 years are stunted. Globally, research has shown that consumption of poor-quality water can cause diarrhoea and waterborne diseases and may contribute to child stunting. While there is not currently a comprehensive dataset of water quality results in Zambia, various studies have published water quality results revealing contamination. Globally, climate change may increase the consumption of contaminated water. This is especially true in drought-prone areas of Africa where climate variability is likely to increase in the future. It is anticipated that Climate change will make sustaining WASH infrastructure and governing structures in Zambia more difficult. Data indicates that parts of Zambia where UNICEF works will have increased temperatures and less precipitation, yet significantly more water discharge and runoff. Increased flooding has already been observed in some of parts of Zambia. In addition, some parts of Zambia where UNICEF focuses its WASH work has been identified as locations for potential high winds and Flash Floods. To improve the sustainability of existing system and climate resilience, UNICEF would like to request a UN Volunteer to support the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section focusing on Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction/Response (CEED).

Under the direct supervision of the WASH Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support WASH related climate financing initiatives, i.e., assist the Ministry of Green Economy to finalize the Green Climate Fund application where appropriate, explore opportunities to support the Ministry of Health to get Climate financing for Cholera activities, and examine interest in
climate appropriate urban sanitation initiatives with commercial utilities);
• Contribute to Emergency Preparedness and Response, i.e, assist to review emergency preparedness plans, order prepositioned supplies, and create disaster response contingency agreements with partners);
• Support Water Quality Treatment trial, i.e, assist to order water treatment materials to be tested and coordinate UNICEF’s support for hired contractors;
• As part of a team, monitor Water, Sanitation and Hygiene field activities; conduct field visits and write trip reports on the work of implementing partners including progress and challenges;
• Contribute to Knowledge Management; Document WASH and CEED lessons learned using UNICEF internal knowledge product or international peer-reviewed journals format.