International Plastic Container Consultant

Organizational Setting

FAO Bangladesh assists the Government to formulate policies, programmes and projects to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition, develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and utilize environmental and natural resources in a sustainable way. It contributes to the development of FAO’s field programme projects in the country and implements them in the sectors of food security, agriculture and rural development.

Bangladesh has prioritised the elimination of its DDT stockpiles in the national implementation plan (NIP) for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPSs) management ratified by Stockholm Convention and entered into force in the year 2007. Among the POPSs present in Bangladesh the POPS pesticides, and obsolete pesticides and their wastes are major concern in Bangladesh. Pesticides are mainly used for protection of crops from pest and insect attacks and diseases while of them DDT was used for the vector control of malaria. A huge stockpile of DDT in Chittagong and some significant quantities in other places and obsolete pesticides and their wastes were reported to endanger the human health, aquatic and the environment as a whole. FAO thus with the Government of Bangladesh took the initiative undertake a project for elimination of those pesticides and promote safer alternatives. Farmers use significant amounts of pesticides without proper information about their impacts and use. While some of these pesticides have been banned worldwide including in Bangladesh, DDT could still be in use for some purposes such as for the preservation of dried fish, protection of crops and control of mosquitoes.

This project addresses the elimination of stockpiles of POPSs pesticides and wastes in Bangladesh and the reduction of risks from on-going illegal uses of POPSs pesticides in crop production, food processing and public health protection which pose immediate threats to human health, biodiversity and the environment, including inland and coastal waters. One of the outputs to this CPF objective is to develop the capacity for policy, strategy and programme formulation on sustainable natural resources management and environmental protection through identification and promotion of proper and safer alternative methods. Proper management and monitoring of pesticides contamination directly contributes to the Sixth Five Year Plan of Bangladesh.

Under the overall managerial administrative leadership of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh, direct supervision of the Senior Technical Adviser, guidance provided by the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) at FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and FAO experts at HQ, in coordination with the National Project Director (NPD), in coordination with STA the International Plastic Container Consultant will be responsible for\:

Tasks and responsibilities

• Establish a linkage with BCPA through DAE Focal Point and hold a meeting for planning the empty pesticide container agricultural plastics management;
• Organize and implement a survey on empty containers and other agricultural plastics in Bangladesh;
• In consultation with the International Legal Expert organize through DAE making recommendations for recycling, energy recovery or environmentally sound disposal of agricultural plastics developed and organize one pilot in place
• Develop a container collection system, assess the quantity of empty pesticide containers collected and stored in preparation for recycle;
• Find-out a plastic recycling facility and establish system of contract and put in pilot 100 tonnes for recycling;
• Organize a farmers’ awareness programme through DAE and BCPA and assess the level of awareness of farmer on triple rinsing as measured by questionnaire survey before and after the implementation of the awareness raising campaign;
• Demonstrate triple rinsing of empty pesticide containers, repeat it batch-wise and finally evaluate effectiveness;
• Prepare report on container management programme.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Chemical engineering, agricultural engineering, polymer engineering/science and related discipline;
• 10 years of relevant experience in container management including plastic recycling and/or energy recovery in international project or international organization;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other official FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering Others

• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Highly conversant with FAO Guidelines on empty pesticide container management;
• Excellent analytical and communication skills (written and spoken) in English;
• Adaptable to multicultural and multidisciplinary team of experts and ability to produce high quality work under pressure and in stressful situations including interruptions and setbacks;
• Ability to work under pressure in an independent manner within an inter-disciplinary team of personnel with different educational backgrounds and cultural orientations; and demonstrated skills in managing and working with people at all levels; and
• Proven ability to communicate in a credible and effective manner and non-government organizations and establish working relationships with government and non-government representatives.