Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Specialist (HER Roster)

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has established the Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster to support speedy recruitment of qualified and motivated UN Volunteers for potential emergency response assignments. Candidates will be pre-screened based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the specific thematic or functional areas described in this Description of Assignment (DoA). Shortlisted candidates may remain in the UNV HER Roster for up to 6 months and be contacted should an emergency arise. Inclusion in the UNV HER Roster does not guarantee recruitment as a UN Volunteer. Selection and recruitment timelines will depend on the emergency occurrence, availability of candidates, and final approval by the UN host entity in accordance with Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers.

This UN Volunteer assignment is part of the United Nations system’s efforts to strengthen Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), emergency preparedness, and resilience-building in countries vulnerable to natural hazards, climate-related risks, and public health emergencies. The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Specialist may be assigned to support a UN agency, programme, or country office working closely with national and local authorities, humanitarian and development partners, civil society organizations, and affected communities.

The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Specialist will contribute to initiatives aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness, risk assessment, early warning systems, emergency response planning, and capacity-building for disaster risk management. The assignment may support the implementation of national and local DRR strategies aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and relevant humanitarian and development priorities.

Key stakeholders may include government disaster management agencies, UN entities, humanitarian clusters, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, community-based organizations, donners, and development partners. Expected outcomes include strengthened preparedness and response capacities, improved coordination among stakeholders, enhanced resilience of vulnerable communities, and more effective integration of disaster risk reduction into development planning.

Under the direct supervision of the Technical Officer on Disaster Risk Management, the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Specialist will support disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, and resilience-building activities. The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Specialist will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the collection, analysis, and reporting of information related to disaster risks, hazards, vulnerabilities, and emergency preparedness.
• Assist in the assessment of health risks associated with natural hazards, climate-related events, and public health emergencies.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and monitoring of disaster risk reduction and resilience-building initiatives.
• Contribute to preparedness activities, including contingency planning, risk assessments, simulations, and training exercises.
• Support coordination and communication with government counterparts, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other partners.
• Facilitate health sector coordination through assisting WHO in organizing meetings, workshops, consultations, and capacity-building activities for stakeholders.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical documents, presentations, situation reports, briefing notes, and other project materials.
• Support monitoring, evaluation, and documentation of project activities, lessons learned, and good practices.
• Assist in awareness-raising and community engagement activities related to disaster preparedness and risk reduction.
• Perform other related tasks as required to support effective implementation of disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness activities.