Result of Service

The consultant shall, within the relevant time-frame, provide to the ECA SRO-NA a literature and desk review on climate change, employment challenges and policies in North Africa and a database

Work Location

NORTH AFRICA

Expected duration

3 MONTHS

Duties and Responsibilities

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The mission will be guided by ECA’s five strategic directions which are: Advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent’s problems and take local solution to the continent. The Sub-regional Office for North Africa of the ECA (ECA SRO-NA) is located in Rabat (Morocco), and serves seven member states: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. Its core functions are: Strengthening the capacity of member states in the sub-region to design and implement national policies and strategies for sustainable employment creation; Contributing to the implementation of sub-regional development priorities in line with the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 with due consideration for youth and gender perspectives; Improving macroeconomic and fiscal policies, and to ensure sustainable growth; Providing relevant technical assistance to member states and to regional economic communities and intergovernmental organizations in building their capacities to sustain economic, social and political transformation, with a particular focus on employment, skills and balanced development, with the aim of ensuring inclusive growth, taking into consideration access to equal opportunities for women and young people. Background and rationale for support The ECA SRO-NA is implementing a study on climate change and employment in North Africa. North Africa is at a critical crossroad, dealing with the severe impacts of climate change while striving to provide sustainable jobs for its growing population. The region is experiencing harsher climate conditions, including rising temperatures, extreme water scarcity, and increased vulnerability to climatic extremes, as seen with the disastrous flood in Libya in 2023. These changes threaten water resources, agriculture, and lead to desertification and biodiversity loss, notably in the Nile Valley, Atlas Mountains, and coastal areas. Additionally, rising sea levels pose a threat to the Mediterranean coastlines. The prevailing economic development strategies in North Africa rely heavily on sectors like tourism, agriculture, and natural resource extraction, which deplete natural capital and are susceptible to climate change. These models are proving unsustainable in the face of the required transitions towards green growth. Despite a focus on renewable energy and adapting agriculture to climate change, broader transformations remain limited and costly. Moreover, economic growth has been slow in the sub-region, exacerbating unemployment among young and increasing population. The employment challenges are intensified by climate change, which complicates the creation of climate-proof jobs. Even though adaptation and combating climate change can offer opportunities for job growth, they are by no means guaranteed given the profound impacts of climate change in all areas, whether economic or social. For instance, the promotion of renewable energy sectors has shown potential for job creation, with solar and wind energy projects in countries like Morocco and Egypt expected to create over 250,000 jobs by 2030. However, these economies are also losing thousands of jobs due to climate change. In this context, understanding the current mechanisms of job creation and how climate change impacts them is critical to guide both investment choices to be made and appropriate public policies to ensure that the employment situation improves compared to a “business as usual” scenario. The study aims to address the employment challenges precipitated by climate change in North Africa. Its aim is to identify the drivers and levers for creating climate change-proof jobs. Building on the region’s specific socioeconomic and environmental challenges, it aims to identify key policy shifts to enhance the capacity of North African economies to engage in a sustainability transition that can create climate-change proof – jobs. By providing a comprehensive analysis tailored to the North African context, the study aims to contribute to regional debate on sustainable development, offering concrete ideas to align climate action with economic and employment goals. Scope and tasks of work Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Section and of the Director of SRO-NA Office, and the direct supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer and, the consultant will undertake the following tasks: – Literature and desk review – Data collection to analyse and to estimate potential impact of climate change on employment; Anticipated Deliverables and Implementation schedule The following deliverables are expected from the consultant: – Literature review on: (i) employment challenges and divers in North Africa, (ii) Impact of climate change on North African economies and on employment, (iii) adaptation strategies and their job content (green industrialization, circular economy, clean energy etc.) at macro and sectoral level. – Stata Database on selected North African countries, including climate change impact on employment and employment impact of adaptation strategies (green industrialization, circular economy, clean energy etc.) at macro and sectoral level. – Stata database with data to estimate climate change impact on GDP, employment: aggregate and sectoral data (employment, value added etc.), climate variables, and other variables identified during the analysis by the economic affairs officer. The plan and deadlines for the deliverables will be discussed and decided in consultation between the consultant and SRO-NA

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in economics or related area is required. A first level university degree in a combination of additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree A minimum of three years of experience in data analysis or/and economics is required Expertise on employment and labour market economics is desirable

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this consultancy, Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat is required

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.