Flora Specialist

Result of Service - The Flora Specialist reports to the Head of Brazil Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Terms of Reference. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams. - Work Location - Home based - Expected duration - Seventy-Five (75) days**Responsibilities**: - Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean - ROLAC - is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. Through a partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Municipality of Belo Horizonte, UN-Habitat is working as Implementing Agency to implement the project named “Urban Qualification in a Key Neighborhood of Belo Horizonte”. UN-Habitat will focus on the outcome "Improved Belo Horizonte Municipal infrastructure and tools to develop effective options for social housing and urban planning in Izidora”, which aims to enable Izidora´s population to have safe and sustainable access to community infrastructure and affordable housing. The region of Izidora corresponds to an area of about 9.5 km², in the northern vector of the city, next to the southern border of the city of Santa Luzia. This area is located in the largest green area of the city, counting around 280 water sources and 64 creeks, including part of the watershed that is Belo Horizonte’s main source of water. Part of Izidora has been squatted and is divided into four urban informal settlements - Esperança, Vitória, Helena Greco and Rosa Leão - totalizing approximately 1.5 km² and hosting about 4,200 precarious homes (which could be up to 7,000 families, given that there are no precise numbers since 2010), with families in situations of extreme poverty and without any available public infrastructure and relative services, as many Brazilian cities. During the Habitat III Conference in 2016, Izidora was highlighted as one of the most serious urban land conflicts in Latin America. Therefore, the new efforts of the municipality are a recognition of the issues, as well as the urgency of acting. The interest of the Municipal Administration is to implement works and actions so that Izidora becomes a model under the principles of sustainability and resilience. This is a chance to promote an innovative experience in using the precepts of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at local level to reverse a situation of socioeconomic and territorial vulnerability. To properly implement this project, a Flora Specialist is required to ensure the good execution of the work programme. The contract shall expire no later than December 31 of 2025, and there is a renewal possibility with products and payment additions covering the year of 2026. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Flora Specialist reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Flora Specialist will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Analyze, review and, when necessary, suggest adjustments in tree inventories, restoration of degraded areas plans, environmental degradation analysis and characterization, nature-based solutions, vegetal sowing and landscaping projects. b) Prepare reports and technical opinions about flora specifications on Izidora neighborhood's urbanization projects. c) Analyze, review and propose changes to the technical drawings of graphic projects to ensure quality standards. d) Provide technical guidance to designers, planners and engineers. e) Collaborate with other team members to prepare the necessary technical documents corresponding to the project. f) Participate in meetings with other members of the technical team. g) Perform any other technical support tasks to supp