The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center is seeking a dynamic and innovative researcher to join its office in Lahore, Pakistan, as a Researcher – Natural Resources Integration Systems Specialist.
This is an internationally recruited position; therefore, individuals with relevant abilities from diverse locations around the world are encouraged to apply.
The incumbent will be responsible for performing a variety of natural resources assessment (land, climate, and water resources) tasks under FCDO’s funded Water Resources Accountability Programme (WRAP): Component 1 (Climate Resilient Solutions for Improving Water Governance (CRS-IWaG)) in Punjab and KP provinces.
This position involves integrating data and geospatial techniques to conduct research for development related to agricultural water management and irrigated agriculture using approaches that combine methodologies and technical knowledge of irrigation, land suitability, water management, farming systems, data management, and spatial analysis.
The incumbent will lead in conceptualizing and leading Integration Research for Development (R4D) portfolios on the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) nexus and IWMI’s Strategic Programs by building and managing partnerships needed to achieve outcomes and impacts that could be applied in the field. The person will contribute to the development of innovative solutions, strategies, and technologies aimed at better management of natural resources (land and water resources) in which multinational and interdisciplinary teams are engaged to achieve the organizational mission.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: - Strategize, develop, and manage the research for development portfolios on the integration of natural resources (land and water) and geospatial modeling in the context of climate-resilient agriculture and irrigation systems.
- Lead in developing geospatial methodologies to assess the impacts of climate change, land use/land cover changes, and other factors (such as floods and droughts) on water resources and agriculture that enhance resilience at the local and basin scales.
- Lead in developing and implementing novel methodologies for extracting and analyzing water-related information from spatial data sources to address water-related challenges such as water scarcity, governance, and climate resilience.
- Perform geospatial mapping of irrigated areas in Punjab and KP provinces to assess the current state and changes in the irrigated areas and potential land suitability for the future expansion of irrigation water.
- Lead the development and validation of remote sensing-based models to assess crop water demand and utilization across various landscapes and timescales.
- Act as a focal point for the coordination of all technical activities relevant to natural resources management and report to the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader of the WRAP project.
- Develop approaches to assess the current state of irrigation systems in Pakistan and propose improvements to meet irrigated agriculture requirements.
- Engage in relevant scientific, policy, and development practitioner networks, and communities of practice of water professionals to foster the uptake of research results and knowledge for improving water productivity.
- Lead stakeholder engagements with relevant government departments and partners, promoting strategies, policies, and technological solutions aimed at optimizing water usage and improving agricultural water productivity.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives with policymakers, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations on best practices for water modeling, irrigation efficiency, and integrated water resource management.
- Contribute to the overall direction of IWMI's research agenda under One CGIAR and provide support in project development and implementation, and information dissemination activities to programs and partner organizations within the new One CGIAR structure.
- Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams comprising IWMI staff, consultants, partner organizations, and government representatives to deliver actionable recommendations for enhancing the performance of key water institutions.
