Blue Schools Programme
Multi country programme implemented across Africa, Asia, and Latin America
Countries include Nepal, Senegal, Ghana, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and others
Blue Schools – Rainwater for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
2005 · Ongoing
Landscape & Rainfall Context
In many low and middle income countries, schools face limited or unreliable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. Climate change is intensifying water stress through longer dry seasons, erratic rainfall, floods, and contamination of water sources. According to WHO and UNICEF, more than half of schools worldwide lack soap for basic hygiene, while nearly two billion people depend on health and education facilities without basic water services. These conditions directly affect children’s health, school attendance, and learning outcomes, particularly for girls.
Project Focus
Improve health, education, and long term resilience in schools by combining rainwater harvesting, sanitation, hygiene, and environmental education through a holistic, school based approach.
Key Solutions Implemented
Rainwater harvesting systems capturing rooftop rainfall | Ferrocement cisterns, tap stations, and child friendly sanitation facilities | Hygiene promotion and menstrual health support | School gardens, tree nurseries, and reforestation activities | Waste separation, composting, and waste management practices | Environmental education linking water, soil, trees, food, and ecosystems | Participatory tools such as rainfall observation, mapping, and practical experiments | Educational materials including games, posters, and activity books
Impact snapshot / Direct beneficiaries
+ 64
schools supported directly by IRHA across 14 countries
Thousands
of students benefiting from improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene
Improved
school attendance and learning conditions, particularly for girls
Strengthened
environmental awareness among students, teachers, and surrounding communities
Blue School
concept replicated and scaled by NGOs, donors, and institutions worldwide
UNC-2017-Blue-School-Poster_Han…
Local implementation partners
Kanchan Nepal | Caritas Kaolack | Additional local partners depending on country context
Donors and supporters
Various public and private donors | Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and partners | National and local authorities depending on country context
Sustainable Development Goals
Safe, dignified learning through blue Schools
Women-led farming & decision-making
Rain for WASH
Mitigation + adaptation at the grassroots level
Networks and global-local cooperation
Blue Schools Looking Back Monitoring reports
Senegal
Ghana
Nepal