Economist – Air Quality

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

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Summary

• Vacancy: —
• Location: Nepal
• Experience: At least 10 years
• Published: 23 Sep 2024

Requirements

Education

A postgraduate degree (MSc or PhD) in a relevant field, such as Environmental Economics, Energy Economics, and other relevant subjects with at least 10 years of experience or a PhD in those subjects, with at least five years’ experience in the South Asian region.

Experience

• At least 10 years

Responsibilities & Context

Position overview

This position will be housed within Action Area (AA) – Stimulating Action for Clean Air under Strategic Group 1 – Reducing Climate and Environmental Risks. This Action Area focuses its attention on the significant impacts of air pollution on human health, economic development, climate change, and the environment. Air pollution levels are high across the HKH and air pollutants travel without respecting borders. At the same time, there are huge gaps between the actual air quality outcomes being currently achieved in the HKH region and regional and international goals and targets. This is partly due to the lack of cost-effective and implementable solutions, as well due to a lack of understanding on which solutions to prioritise. Improving air quality may impose costs on society due to the implementation of measures, but it brings considerable benefits in terms of avoided costs related to health, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Numerous studies demonstrate that the benefits, particularly in relation to health, far exceed the costs involved.

This role involves assessing investment baselines and developing approaches and strategies to increase investment in air quality across ICIMOD’s Regional Member Countries (RMCs). The Economist will conduct economic analyses and provide recommendations for integrating mitigation actions into policies and budgets, supporting broader adoption and implementation. Aligned with the ICIMOD’s Strategy 2030 and the Medium-Term Action Plan (MTAP) V (2023-2026), the role also includes facilitating dialogues and capacity-building programmes aimed at enhancing the RMCs’ capacity to understand and effectively engage with climate finance related to air quality.

This Action Area has been collaborating with the World Bank and government representatives from 24 institutions in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan to create a ‘road map’ for joint action on air pollution mitigation. The first meeting to advance this imitative took place from 14–15 December 2022, with a science–policy dialogue (SPD) in Kathmandu. The dialogue focused on the urgent need to apply localised and region-specific air quality monitoring mechanisms, management measures, and policy tools to address the critical issue of transboundary air pollution. A second SPD was held in Thimphu, Bhutan, from 26–27 June 2024, where representatives from the Indo-Gangetic Plains and the Himalayan Foothills agreed to establish a coordinated framework, drawing on international initiatives and regional frameworks. These are positive steps towards creating an enabling environment and mobilising the necessary investments to implement effective air pollution mitigation policies and practices.

ICIMOD aims to take a leading role in promoting evidence-based policy and practices on clean air in the HKH region, increasingly focusing on air pollution mitigation. This effort involves identifying relevant technologies and practices, and designing initiatives and projects to implement cost-effective solutions. The Economist will closely work with the Air Pollution Mitigation Specialist to analyse the economics, and cost effectiveness of these solutions, considering both the implementation costs and the avoided costs in terms of human health, agricultural yields, and infrastructure.

This Action Area is organised around two interrelated work areas, known in ICIMOD as interventions:

• Strengthening institutional capacities for policymaking, air pollution monitoring, and targeting the most polluting sectors to improve air quality.

• Promoting the adoption of cleaner, socially responsible solutions and investments for the effective reduction of air pollutants, including short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and greenhouse gases.

View Detail: https://hotjobs.bdjobs.com/jobs/icimod/icimod19.html

Employment Status

Contractual

Job Location

Nepal

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