Environmental Economist

CIM (Centre for International Migration and Development);http://www.cimonline.de/de/bewerber/76.asp the human resources placement organisation for German Development Cooperation is supporting an Environmental Economist Researcher to be hosted at CIAT (www.ciat.cgiar.org). CIAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium (www.cgiar.org), a global research partnership working with many partners for a food secure future. The Center’s research focuses on improving key crops (cassava, common bean, rice, and tropical forages); reversing soil and land degradation; and using information to foster better decisions about issues such as climate change and environmental management. Headquartered near Cali, Colombia, CIAT has regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Hanoi, Vietnam, with staff posted in other developing countries as well.

CIAT Soils has a strong track record of work on land degradation and sustainable land management, including innovation in advanced soil and land degradation assessment and applied research in the field of integrated soil fertility management. We are now looking to apply this research in new ways, and bring economic perspectives to our on-going work on land degradation and ecosystem services, including engaging with international initiatives such as Economics of Land Degradation (ELD).

Responsibilities

The CIM expert will work with an interdisciplinary team that tackle multiple aspects of land degradation and decision making, with a range of actors at various scales. While contributing primarily to the CGIAR Water, Land and Ecosystems Program, the research will link as well to projects of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Program (CCAFS).

• Explore, conceptualize and then develop approaches for economic analysis of land degradation, including costs associated with degradation and rehabilitation or mitigation, within the context of existing land degradation assessment, and ELD approaches
• Work closely with other researchers at CIAT who will be modelling land degradation processes and institutional causes to develop strategies and scenarios for improvement, including economic mechanisms
• Engage with National and NGO partners in case study countries to generate new data and interact with key partners in the ELD initiative to bring results to the global engagement and policy arenas of that initiative, ensuring existing and new knowledge is widely disseminated and appreciated
• Engage with donors to promote the lessons learned from the above, and based on this, to explore new resource mobilization opportunities
• Contribute to publishing of results and international science dialog
• Contribute to development and implementation of the research program on soil degradation and soil conservation
• Construction and maintenance of trans-regional network of experts, especially including those of the ELD-initiative

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Environmental Economics or Agricultural Economics with background in agriculture or Environmental Management
• Ability to conceptualize, lead and implement work in resource economics relevant to land degradation and/or ecosystem services
• Demonstrated ability to identify research problems and apply a range of economics tools to address them
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with estimating in situ and ex situ economic costs for land degradation and calculating economic value of renewable natural resources and the costs of depletion or rehabilitation
• Experience in studying the relationships among environmental problems and patterns of economic production, and assessing the environmental costs and benefits of various economic activities, policies or regulations
• Ability to develop economic models, forecasts or scenarios to predict future economic and environmental outcomes
• A demonstrated writing / publication record on resource economics research related to development/environment issues
• Work in developing country agricultural contexts, particularly sub-Saharan Africa
• Excellent networking capabilities with a range of different stakeholders
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and oral, and the ability to work in multicultural teams and across organizational boundaries

Terms of employment

The expert will work under the supervision of the Director of the Soil Research Area. S/he will work very closely with the team working on the Water, Land and Ecosystem Program, including land degradation and landscape assessment specialists, anthropologists, and ecosystem services and landscape modelling researchers. The expert will also have opportunity to engage with other economists housed in Cali, Colombia working at CIAT economic analysis for benefit sharing mechanisms, including opportunity costs of watershed services, and economic benefits of cost sharing mechanisms. The position will be based at CIAT’s Africa Regional office, Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for two years, subject to a probation period and is renewable depending on performance, availability of resources and approval from CIM.Only candidates with German citizenship or citizenship from another EU member country are eligible to apply.

Applications

Applicants are invited to send a cover letter illustrating their suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and addresses of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All correspondence should be addressed to the CIAT Human Resources Office to Isabella Botero (i.botero@cgiar.org) and should clearly indicate “CIM- Environmental Economist” on their application letters or email submissions.

The position is open until filled