National Remote Sensing and Mapping Expert/Consultant at Food and Agriculture Organization Of the United Nations

Job Type: Service Contract - NPP
Duration: 6-7 Months

General Description Of Task(s) And Objectives To Be Achieved

• The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria to develop her REDD+ readiness process by expanding the process initiated at Cross River State (through UN REDO Programme) to Nassarwa and Ondo States; and by upscaling the sub-National FREL initiated at CR5 to the entire Nigeria. Part of the Readiness funds have been allocated to undertake forest land cover/land use mapping and change detection for the entire country; and FAO will be supporting the implementation of this activity through a Technical Assistance (TA) Agreement signed with the Federal Government of Nigeria. More specifically, Output 1 of the TA Agreement is concerned with forest cover change analysis to generate activity data and to build capacity of government technical staff for periodical monitoring of REDO+ activities.
• Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR), in Nigeria, the technical guidance of the International Remote Sensing/GIS Expert in FAO (HQ), and Regional Technical Forestry Officer at the FAO Regional Office for Africa (FAORAF), and in close collaboration with the National REDO+ Coordination Unit for Nigeria, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks;the work should be implemented closely with FDF GIS and remote-sensing experts

Scope of Services

• Contribute to the selection, procurement and installation of supplementary Remote Sensing/GIS equipment for the mapping/image analysis component of the project;
• Examine and assess existing thematic maps on forestiy, and other land uses for quality and suitability for use to generate activity data (AD);
• Work with Federal Department of Forestry (FDF)personnel to harmonize the existing land use classification schemes with the internationally known classifications systems;
• Provide regular and on-the-job technical training to the FOE team in charge of mapping on remote sensing techniques/analysis using appropriate open-source or other software;
• Coordinate selection, interpretation and analysis of satellite images in the office and undertake field verifications/ground truthing in line with IPCC good practice;
• Validate the interpretation of results by undertaking accuracy assessments as necessary, produce the final maps based on the harmonized legend and generate the statistical results on areas of the different map units;
• Work in close in close collaboration with FAO experts to develop a geospatial storage and RS/GlS data management system;
• Develop specifications and methods for producing, land use change maps suitable for generating estimates required for REDD+ base on interpretation of satellite imagery, preferably using FAO open source tools (Open Eons, FAO-SE PAL, etc);
• Work with International Remote Sensing Consultant to develop and validate a methodology and operational procedures to produce forest cover change assessment for a number of time series, including land use change analysis, and accuracy assessment, in order to generate REDD+ activity data for deforestation and forest degradation.
• Prepare and submit the final consultancy report describing the planned activities, the method followed for the land use mapping, the training programme.
• Lead national consultation process on the change detection methodology and validation of results
• Lead the production of a final change detection reports and maps, including statistics on areas changes/accuracy assessment for dissemination thin the government;

Deliverables:

• Periodical updates of the work
• Improved procurement plan
• Historical time series for the maps
• Report detailing methodology and available results
• Production of Terminal Reports

Qualification and Experience Criteria
The National Remote Sensing & Mapping Expert shall meet the following minimum requirements in qualifications and experience:

• He should be conversant with the knowledge of GIS, mapping and remote sensing,
• At least M.Sc. (but preferably PhD) in Remote Sensing and GIS.
• At least 5 years experience of forest/land use mapping and spatial data analysis using remote sensing techniques and tools especially for change detection and time-series mapping;
• Excellent oral and written communication and managerial skills
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to deliver results within deadlines.
• Good Knowledge of REDD+, MRV procedures and IPCC Guidelines and Guidance on GHG Inventories for LULUCF sector.

Work Relationship:

• Frequent contact with internal and external officials of whom manyareat the senior level.