Our Projects · Rainwater for WASH

Blue SchoolsCambodia

Écoles bleues – Cambodge

IRHA and Rainwater Cambodia are preparing a Blue Schools project to bring rainwater, sanitation and hygiene education to Cambodian schools.

Under developmentRainwater for WASHplanned for June 2026 to May 2029 to verify: Blue Schools in Cambodia – planned from 2026 or already set up (Annual Report 2025)

WhereCambodia to verify: provinces and schools

Whenplanned for June 2026 to May 2029 to verify: Blue Schools in Cambodia – planned from 2026 or already set up (Annual Report 2025)

WithRainwater Cambodia (RWC)

Rainfall≈ 1,904 mm a year in Cambodianational average, World Bank; local figure to add

The Challenge

In Cambodia, climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and are making water stress worse. Droughts deplete water resources and floods pollute them. Water scarcity harms health and hygiene and deepens inequalities, and children are among the most affected. Schools need a reliable source of water for drinking, handwashing and clean toilets, so that children can learn in healthy conditions.

Rain in Cambodia: about 1,904 mm a year, mostly May to October. Source: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (observed 1991–2020) and World Bank average precipitation.

What We Plan to Do

A Blue School is more than a school with water. It is a place where rainwater becomes a catalyst for sustainable change. The project is expected to draw on the Blue School model to verify: final components for Cambodia: – rooftop rainwater harvesting, with tanks and tap stations; – toilets, handwashing stations and facilities for menstrual health; – hygiene promotion with pupils and teachers; – school gardens, tree nurseries and composting; – environmental education through rainfall observation, 3D mapping, games and activity books.

rooftop rainwater harvesting, with tanks and tap stations;
toilets, handwashing stations and facilities for menstrual health;
hygiene promotion with pupils and teachers;
school gardens, tree nurseries and composting;
environmental education through rainfall observation, 3D mapping, games and activity books.

Expected Results

to verify: expected results and targets from the project document
Rainwater Cambodia is also IRHA's partner in Rain Communities Cambodia (2025–2028), which includes rainwater systems for schools and health centres.

About Blue Schools

IRHA created the Blue School concept in 2007. Since then, IRHA has supported 72 Blue Schools directly. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and its partners later took up the approach and applied it in many more schools.