Water And Land Resources Officer

Job : 85991
Job Title: WATER AND LAND RESOURCES OFFICER
Organisation
:
Self Help Africa
Contract Type: Full time, Fixed Contract
Location: Thyolo
Reports to: WASH AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT MANAGER

Established in 1984, Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri‑enterprise development to address hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impacts of climate change. We believe that equitable economic development is key to lifting communities out of long‑term poverty, empowering them to take control of their futures and improving their quality of life.

In early 2023 we launched a new five‑year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community‑led, market‑based and enterprise‑focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.

Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro‑finance provider.

Our three core values are:
▪ Impact:
We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.

▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever‑changing world.
▪ Community:
We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

Self Help Africa (SHA) has been implementing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programming in Thyolo District for the past 10 years, with a strategic focus on increasing and sustaining equitable access to safe water and sanitation services in the context of climate change. With funding from The One Foundation, the WASH programme in Thyolo will deliver two projects: a WASH and Climate Resilience project and a general WASH project.

In addition to support from The One Foundation, the programme also receives funding from Co‑op UK to implement WASH interventions in collaboration with tea estates. SHA’s work in Thyolo is implemented in close coordination with district councils, relevant government line ministries, Thuchila Tea Association, MAFECO, and other WASH stakeholders, ensuring alignment with district priorities and national WASH strategies. Key interventions include provision of access to safe water, improved sanitation, hygiene promotion, water resource and catchment management and systems strengthening aimed at improving service delivery, accountability, and long‑term sustainability.

The project will adopt a district‑wide WASH systems approach that integrates climate resilience, water resources management, health, agriculture, and food and nutrition security.

The Water Resources Officer will report to the WASH and Climate Resilience Project Manager. He will work hand in hand with the field facilitators and civil technician by providing technical support in implementation, monitoring and reporting of all sustainable nature resource management. The officer will support and build capacity of team members internally and external stakeholders in water catchment, water resources and WASH and climate resilience.

The role will work closely with various district sectors and departments like forest, agriculture, environment, irrigation, water, community and health.

• Provide technical support for climate‑resilient WASH interventions, including water resource and catchment management activities.
• Support and lead district‑level assessments on catchment mapping, groundwater availability, water demand–supply balance, and catchment protection.
• Guide the co‑design and implementation of catchment and watershed restoration interventions linked to sustainable WASH service delivery.
• Support the identification of sustainable financing and management options for water source protection and WASH infrastructure operation and maintenance.
• Coordinate afforestation, soil and water conservation, and erosion‑control interventions
• Support implementation of land rehabilitation…