Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert

UN Development Programme

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MoMaH), are leading the redrafting of Saudi Arabia s National Spatial Strategy (NSS). The NSS defines the spatial framework for achieving Vision 2030 and beyond, integrating spatial, economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable national development. The updated NSS will align with two complementary initiatives carried out:

• The Spatial Planning Act (SPA) establishing the statutory spatial planning hierarchy.
• The National Urban Policy (NUP) defining policy priorities for urban development and governance.

The updated NSS aims to integrate climate adaptation, resilience, and environmental sustainability into the national territorial framework. Within this context, the Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will provide technical leadership in environmental systems analysis, risk assessment, and resilience-oriented spatial planning to ensure that sustainability and adaptation principles are embedded throughout the NSS process. He/ She will contribute to the environmental and climate components of the NSS by providing analytical, strategic, and policy input. The Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will work closely with the Chief Technical Advisor (UNDP), Chief National Advisor, Analytics Team, GIS Team, relevant MoMaH and DASC departments, the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI), and other ministries and national and regional level bodies.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Environmental Systems and Natural Assets Assessment Output: Environmental Baseline Report with geospatial layers on ecosystems, hazards, and resources
• Conduct a comprehensive environmental baseline assessment, mapping ecosystems, land cover, protected areas, biodiversity corridors, and sensitive zones based on existing data. No field work is intended for this.
• Analyze water resources, soil quality, and natural hazards using geospatial data.
• Identify critical environmental assets and ecosystem services relevant to national and regional development.
• Evaluate trends in land degradation, desertification, and urban expansion impacts.
• Climate and Resilience Risk Analysis Output: Climate and Urban Resilience Analysis Report with vulnerability maps and adaptation recommendations
• Assess climate vulnerability and urban resilience to heat, drought, flooding, and extreme weather events.
• Identify priority adaptation areas and resilience gaps in urban and regional systems.
• Integrate climate risk mapping and projections (temperature, precipitation, hazard exposure) into the NSS geodatabase.
• Develop a resilience index or framework for use in spatial scenario testing.
• Provide guidance for low-carbon and resource-efficient spatial models.
• Integration into Spatial Scenarios and Strategy Output: Inputs to NSS Scenario Reports and NSS Draft Document (environmental and resilience sections, maps, and policy proposals)
• Contribute to the formulation of spatial development scenarios by integrating environmental and resilience considerations.
• Define ecological corridors, conservation zones, and protected landscapes within the NSS spatial structure.
• Recommend spatial strategies to support climate mitigation, nature-based solutions, and sustainable resource use.
• Ensure alignment with the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and related national programs (National Environment Strategy, Water Strategy, and Circular Carbon Economy).
• Support drafting of environmental and resilience chapters of the NSS and integration into final policy recommendations.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Coordination Output: Technical presentations, stakeholder feedback reports, and updated resilience analyses as needed
• Participate in technical meetings, workshops, and consultations with ministries, regional authorities, and Royal Commissions.
• Present findings and recommendations to the NSS Technical and Steering Committees.

Institutional Arrangement

The Environmental and Urban Resilience Expert will report directly to the Chief Technical Advisor (UNDP) and liaise on a daily basis with the NSS technical team and relevant MoMaH departments. Collaboration with the GIS, Spatial Planning, Environmental, and Infrastructure Experts will be continuous throughout the NSS project.

Duty Station

The assignment will be office-based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.