Hazardous Air Emissions Consultant

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority responsible for setting the global environmental agenda, promoting coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development across the UN system, and serving as an authoritative advocate for the environment worldwide.The UNEP West Asia Office provides advisory services and capacity-building support to countries to help them achieve their environmental and sustainable development goals.This consultancy is established within the West Asia Office under the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between UNEP and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Consultant will report to the Project Manager at the UNEP West Asia Office and will work under their direct supervision, in close coordination with the relevant department at MEWA.Duties and Responsibilities1. Air Quality Legislation Assessment(To be conducted at the beginning of the contract while in Riyadh)Assess the current legislation governing hazardous air emissions in Saudi Arabia.Review international guidelines and norms for setting hazardous air emission limits, including best practices from institutions such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This review will inform the development of a national guideline aligned with international standards.Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current hazardous air pollutant monitoring strategies and control practices, benchmarking them against international standards.Perform a gap analysis of the Kingdom’s existing legislation related to hazardous air emission limit values, identifying weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.2. Guideline DevelopmentDevelop national guidelines for setting hazardous air emission limits in Saudi Arabia, ensuring alignment with international best practices (e.g., U.S. EPA, California Air Resources Board—CARB). At a minimum, the guidelines should include:Control Measures: Preventive and corrective strategies for emission reduction, including best available technologies (BAT) and mitigation techniques.Health & Environmental Risk Assessment: Integration of emissions data with health risk assessments, environmental impact analysis, and dispersion modeling.Emission Limits & Standards: Recommendations for threshold values tailored to Saudi Arabia’s climatic conditions and pollution dispersion characteristics.Institutional Cooperation: Coordination mechanisms linking environmental and health assessments with industrial permitting processes managed by the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC).Implementation & Compliance: Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders (government agencies, industry, health practitioners, environmental consultants) involved in applying the guidelines.3. Training and Capacity BuildingTrain relevant staff from MEWA and NCEC on the developed guidelines, including scientific rationale, methodology, and implementation procedures.Ensure that training provides staff with the knowledge and tools required to apply and enforce the guidelines effectively.4. Finalization and Implementation PlanRefine and finalize the guidelines after the training phase.Develop an implementation plan outlining key steps for government enforcement and compliance monitoring.Provide recommendations for updating Saudi Arabia’s existing legislation on hazardous air emissions.QualificationsEducation:Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy and Law, Environmental or Public Health.A bachelor’s degree with two additional qualifying years of experience may be accepted in place of an advanced degree.Experience:Minimum 10 years of experience in air quality management, environmental policy and regulation, or air pollution control (required).Strong background in hazardous air emission monitoring, assessment, and control technologies (required).Experience in air dispersion modeling and conducting health risk assessments related to air pollution (required).Previous experience with similar environmental research tasks (desirable).Experience providing technical guidance and capacity-building to government agencies and stakeholders on air quality management (required).Knowledge of environmental issues in Saudi Arabia (an asset).LanguagesFluency in English (required)Fluency in Arabic (desirable)Deadline02/12