Posted on November, 30 2011

WWF is looking for a highly skilled and motivated sustainable finance professional for the position of Sustainable Finance Specialist for the Coral Triangle with a special focus on Indonesia and public finance and MPAs particular. It is important that the applicants have a sound understanding of both conservation and sustainable economic development and also have direct experience in assessing and designing sustainable finance strategies at site, national and international levels, utilizing a portfolio of government (public), market-based, and international donor sourced financing. Please contact lpet@wwf.or.id with a cover letter and CV before 31 December 2011.

Marine Conservation Sustainable Finance Coordinator

WWF is looking for a highly skilled and motivated sustainable finance professional for the position of Sustainable Finance Specialist for the Coral Triangle with a special focus on Indonesia and public finance and MPAs particular. It is important that the applicants have a sound understanding of both conservation and sustainable economic development and also have direct experience in assessing and designing sustainable finance strategies at site, national and international levels, utilizing a portfolio of government (public), market-based, and international donor sourced financing.

About WWF and Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI)

WWF-Indonesia is an independent member of WWF, the global conservation organization, a network of WWF organizations and affiliates operating in close to 100 countries worldwide. In total WWF-Indonesia has 28 Field Offices around Indonesia carrying out national policy advocacy as well as local conservation work, such as field conservation projects, scientific research, advocating local governments on environmental policy, promoting environmental education, motivating private sector to reduce their environmental footprint and transform towards sustainable practices, empowering communities, and raising awareness on environmental issues.

Since 1993, WWF-Indonesia’s Marine Programs has delivered significant contributions to goals set by the WWF Global Network. Marine and coastal ecosystems all over the world and the fisheries resources within are currently highly impacted by unsustainable harvest practices and climaet change. Overexploitation of fish and the deterioration in quality of marine and coastal habitats, often resulting from human activities, have threatened the biodiversity and livelihoods of the people who depends on marine resources.

The Coral Triangle. The 5.7 million km² of the Coral Triangle is home to the highest diversity of marine life on earth. This region stretches across six countries: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor L’ Este. The Coral Triangle is recognized as an area of global significance, blessed with over 75 % of known coral species, over 30 % of the world’s coral reefs, over 3,000 species of fish, and the greatest extent of mangrove forests of any region in the world.

These extraordinary marine biological resources directly sustain the lives of over 120 million people and benefit millions more worldwide. The primary human benefits include:

• Direct livelihood, income and food security benefits;
• Major spawning and nursery ground for commercially important tuna species, which support multi-billion dollar industry;
• Healthy marine ecosystems contribute to a growing nature-based tourism industry;
• Healthy reefs systems and mangroves help to protect coastal communities from storms and tsunamis, reducing casualties, injuries, and reconstruction costs;
• On many of the region’s islands, the marine and coastal realm is a foundation for traditional cultures and social fabric.

Unfortunately, the marine-based natural resources of the CT and the economic and social benefits they generate are at risk, threatened by a range of factors. These include over-fishing, destructive fishing practices such as cyanide and blast fishing, coral bleaching and ocean acidification due to global climate change, pollution, and sedimentation from coastal development. Individually, each of these threats can weaken the living ocean’s health; combined they are causing a situation of crisis that only a transformational approach can resolve.

The Coral Triangle Initiative

A Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food security, was launched in May 2009 at the Manado World Ocean Conference, which centersaround high-level political commitments and proactive implementation by governments of the Coral Triangle area, and is supported and carried forward by private sector, international agency and civil society (NGO) partners. This CTI could provide a major contribution toward safeguarding the region’s marine and coastal biological resources for the sustainable growth and prosperity of current and future generations. An important part of the work for this position is to support establishment of sustainable finance mechanisms that can help the governments, private sector and NGO’s achieve the goals and objectives of the CTI

Job Illustration

While primary efforts to fund programs at scale need to emphasize international public donor aid funds (GEF, multi and bi laterals) in the short to medium term, it is also important to work with partners to sustain initial investments and ensure the resilience of the natural resources. The job will focus on supporting the design and implementation of sustainable financing mechanisms to increase meaningful financing from domestic government sources (through tax revenues and entrance fees, and royalties, user fees, and special fund assessments on extractive industries, etc) as well as through the emerging array of market-based sources (biodiversity offsets, payments for ecosystem services - PES, carbon financing, etc).

This position is as much about mobilizing the international “public” funds as it is about designing the strategy and mechanisms to meet the MPA financing gaps. He/or she will be part of a larger WWF team that will affect policies and institutional decisions at sub-national and national levels to mobilize domestic government monies and to incentivize and ensure private investments.

Objective

The Sustainable Financing Coordinator will catalyze the design and implementation of sustainable financing mechanisms based on the WWF Coral Triangle sustainable financing strategy and in support of the work ongoing in the government-led Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food security, through contributing and taking a lead in the process that has been started. This includes securing government direct allocation (APBN/APBD), developing entrance fees, fisheries related revenues and other market driven along with investment related mechanisms for Indonesia and other countries in the Coral triangle as feasible.

Indication of Specific Tasks

Indonesia focus with respect to CTI/CFF strategy

• Recommend to MPA stakeholders a legitimate process to develop and implement a MPA sustainable financing strategy – following from the work already conducted to this stage and with the support of the WWF CT Program Sustainable Financing Adviser.
• Support the design and proto-type implementation of most promising sustainable financing mechanisms in collaboration with MPA stakeholders in specific priority locations and develop relevant studies (i.e. willingness to pay assessment, legal reports)
• Catalyze a process where high level members of the public and private sector, civil society and scientific community develop relevant mechanisms that will bring more sustainable and predictable revenues through public private financing mechanisms.
• Support the government of Indonesia to increase its contribution to MPAs based on the recognition of goods and services provide by marine and coastal habitats.

Regional focus

• Support design and implementation of a Coral triangle region-wide sustainable financing strategy and action plan in coordination with relevant CTI stakeholders and partners, particularly the chair of the CTI Financial Resources Working Group, currently hosted by Government of Indonesia and with the support of the WWF CT program Sustainable Financing Adviser..
• Organize meetings of sustainable finance stakeholders and partners, including the preparation and circulation of agendas, documents and minutes;
• Actively liaise with related initiatives and projects including, CTI FRWG, USAID national and regional plans, and others;
• Inform the sustainable finance stakeholders and partners on a regular basis regarding progress in implementing sustainable financing strategy;
• Develop communication materials and fundraising proposals for submission to relevant audiences.

Strong candidates will possess the following qualifications in particular:

• Advanced Degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Law or, Public Administration with at least five years experience in natural resources management, community development, nature conservation or related fieldOR Advanced Degree in Natural Resource management or related field with at least five years experience in natural resource economics, community based development, nature conservation financing, sustainable financing or private sector finance
• Experience with design and/or implementation of a range of sustainable financing mechanisms and strong interest in nature conservation and sustainable financing
• Understanding of government budgetary processes and policies and how these impact funding flows for conservation;
• Excellent communication, negotiation and social skills and ability to manage complex partner interactions;
• Strong English language communications/writing skills;
• Experience in region and willingness to travel

Work Relations

• Internal: the coordinator will be supervised by Deputy Director for Economic Instrument, WWF-Indonesia and the WWF Coral Triangle Network Initiative Leader.
• External: A multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder steering committee will be formed to oversee the development of sustainable financing options. Frequent interaction with members of the steering committee, MPA members, government, donors, private sector and any other relevant stakeholders will be required.