Climate Finance Development Consultant

Project Context and Scope

IOM recognizes climate finance as a key enabler for developing countries to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacities to avert and minimize climate-induced adverse mobility drivers while helping them leverage the benefits of regular migration for climate adaptation and just and green transitions. Increased access to climate finance for human mobility in the context of climate change is one of IOM’s key political messages for its engagement with the upcoming 30 th Conference of Parties (COP30) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Brazil.

This consultancy will contribute directly to IOM’s institutional positioning in climate finance, particularly in the context of COP30, the Climate Mobility Investment Framework (led by Climate Adaptation and Vertical Funds Unit at the Climate Action Division (CAD) at its headquarters), IOM’s ongoing accreditation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the operationalization of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD).

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change due to its mostly arid climate, high water stress level, varying adaptive capacities, combined with rapid urbanization and high dependency on the primary industries. The MENA region is also characterized by highly dynamic mobility patterns, hosting a significant number of international migrants, Internally Displaced Persons and refugees. Being one of the most volatile regions in the world, climate risks intersect with ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises in MENA, resulting in the compounded vulnerabilities of people and communities. Despite the significant and urgent need for climate action in the region, MENA remains among the lowest destinations of climate finance; the region received only USD 21 billion in 2021/2022, compared to USD 584 billion for East Asia & Pacific for the same year (Climate Policy Initiative, 2024).

The Climate Finance Development Consultant will support IOM Member States in the MENA region to identify viable opportunities to access climate finance, especially the vertical funds such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and FRLD, and provide technical support to develop a pipeline of projects through drafting concept notes, proposals and associated technical documents. This will include **a regional scoping and strategy exercise on climate finance opportunities for human mobility**, aligned with the forthcoming UNFCCC Technical Guide on “Accessing financial resources aiming to avert, minimize, and address the impacts of displacement associated with the adverse effects of climate change”; **Direct support to three country-level pipeline projects**, with priority given to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and conflict-affected/fragile contexts; and, **Capacity-strengthening for IOM Country Missions**to engage with national governments and climate finance processes.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

Climate Action Regional Thematic Unit (CAD RTU), IOM Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (RO MENA), in close coordination with the Climate Adaptation and Vertical Funds Unit at the Climate Action Division at IOM HQ.

Responsibilities: Tasks to be performed under this contractThe consultant will be hired to provide technical support to IOM Country Missions in the MENA region by delivering the following tangible outputs. First deliverable : Submission of a scoping document of relevant financing actors for climate mobility in the MENA region (e.g. national funds, donors, finance mechanisms) divided under relevant human mobility dimensions and relevant sectors to be agreed such as: i) migration, displacement, and planned relocation; and, iii) water, agriculture, urban resilience, disaster risk reduction, and health, based on thorough desk review and interviews with IOM Country Missions, Member States and stakeholders such as local government representatives. T he document will also include a recommended IOM positioning strategy and a work plan for developing a regional pipeline of projects. Timeline: by 10 December 2025 (25%) to be paid within 15 days of receipt and approval of the required deliverable. Second deliverable : Submission of a package of documents for GCF’s Project-specific Assessment Approach for the first target country (all target countries to be selected through consultations with IOM). Timeline: by 20 December 2025 (25%) to be paid within 15 days of receipt and approval of the required deliverable. Third deliverable : Submission of project Concept Notes as pipeline project documents for the second target country. Timeline: by 20 January 2026 (25%) to be paid within 15 days of receipt and approval of the required deliverable Fourth deliverable : Submission of project Concept Notes as pipeline project d