Deadline: 24-Apr-2026
UNICEF has issued a Call for Expression of Interest for national NGOs in Guinea-Bissau to implement integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) interventions. The programme aims to strengthen community resilience to climate change through hygiene promotion, sanitation improvement, and climate risk awareness. It focuses on schools and communities as key entry points for sustainable behavioral change and early warning systems.
Programme Overview
This initiative is a climate adaptation and public health programme led by UNICEF in Guinea-Bissau.
It targets climate-vulnerable communities affected by:
- Rising sea levels
- Saltwater intrusion
- Floods and droughts
- Limited access to safe water and sanitation
The programme integrates:
- WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) interventions
- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) systems
- Community-based climate adaptation strategies
Why This Programme Matters
Climate change in Guinea-Bissau is worsening public health and infrastructure challenges.
Key impacts include:
- Reduced access to clean drinking water
- Damage to sanitation infrastructure
- Increased waterborne diseases
- Higher child health risks
- Disrupted school attendance
Children are disproportionately affected due to poor WASH conditions and weak resilience systems.
This programme addresses both immediate service gaps and long-term behavioral change.
Core Objectives
The initiative focuses on building resilient systems through community-led interventions.
Main Objectives
- Improve access to safe water and sanitation
- Reduce open defecation through Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
- Strengthen hygiene behaviors in households and schools
- Improve awareness of climate-related disaster risks
- Build local disaster preparedness and response capacity
- Strengthen community health surveillance systems
Key Activities
Selected NGOs will implement integrated WASH and DRR activities across targeted regions.
1. Risk and Vulnerability Assessments
- Conduct community-level vulnerability assessments
- Assess school-based climate and WASH risks
- Identify high-risk populations and infrastructure gaps
2. Climate and Disaster Risk Education
- Deliver awareness sessions in schools
- Train community members on climate risk reduction
- Promote understanding of floods, droughts, and sanitation risks
3. Hygiene and Behavioral Change Promotion
- Promote safe hygiene practices
- Encourage handwashing and sanitation behavior change
- Reduce risky water and sanitation behaviors
4. Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
- Facilitate elimination of open defecation
- Support community-driven sanitation mapping
- Mobilize collective behavioral change
5. Community Leadership Engagement
- Engage local leaders and authorities
- Strengthen school committees and governance structures
- Ensure community ownership and sustainability
6. Disease Surveillance Strengthening
- Improve community-based monitoring systems
- Support early detection of waterborne diseases
- Strengthen reporting and response mechanisms
Target Groups
The programme primarily focuses on:
- Children in vulnerable communities
- School-going populations
- Rural and climate-affected households
- Community leaders and local authorities
- School committees and education stakeholders
Who Can Apply? (Eligibility Criteria)
Eligible applicants include:
- National non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Guinea-Bissau
Preferred characteristics:
- Experience in WASH programming
- Experience in community health or DRR initiatives
- Capacity to work with schools and local governments
- Strong community engagement and mobilization experience
- Ability to implement CLTS methodologies
Implementation Approach
The programme uses an integrated and participatory model.
Key Principles
- Community-led decision-making
- School-based awareness and education
- Integration of WASH and climate resilience
- Collaboration with local authorities
- Sustainability through local capacity building
Implementation Flow
- Selection of national NGO partner
- Community and school assessments
- Awareness and behavior change campaigns
- CLTS implementation to eliminate open defecation
- Strengthening surveillance and response systems
- Continuous monitoring and adaptation
Common Challenges Addressed
This initiative directly responds to:
- Weak sanitation infrastructure
- Limited hygiene awareness
- High incidence of waterborne diseases
- Climate vulnerability in coastal and rural areas
- Poor disaster preparedness systems
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to achieve:
- Improved access to safe sanitation and hygiene services
- Reduced open defecation rates
- Increased climate risk awareness in communities
- Stronger early warning and disease surveillance systems
- Improved resilience of schools and communities
- Better child health and school attendance outcomes
Why It Matters for Climate Resilience
This initiative connects climate adaptation with public health systems.
Key impacts include:
- Reducing climate-driven disease outbreaks
- Improving water security under climate stress
- Strengthening community-level preparedness
- Building long-term behavioral change in sanitation practices
FAQs
What is this UNICEF initiative about?
It is a climate resilience programme integrating WASH and Disaster Risk Reduction to improve health and sanitation in vulnerable communities in Guinea-Bissau.
Who is leading this programme?
UNICEF is leading the initiative in partnership with national NGOs.
Who can apply for this opportunity?
Only national NGOs in Guinea-Bissau with experience in WASH, community health, or disaster risk reduction can apply.
What is CLTS in this programme?
Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is a participatory approach that helps communities eliminate open defecation through collective behavior change.
What are the main activities involved?
Key activities include vulnerability assessments, hygiene promotion, CLTS implementation, school awareness sessions, and disease surveillance strengthening.
Why is this programme important?
It addresses the combined impact of climate change and poor sanitation, which significantly affects child health and community resilience.
What outcomes are expected?
The programme aims to improve hygiene practices, reduce disease risk, strengthen climate resilience, and enhance access to safe sanitation services.
Conclusion
This UNICEF-led initiative in Guinea-Bissau is a climate-resilience and public health intervention designed to strengthen WASH systems and disaster preparedness.
By combining community-led sanitation, climate education, and disease surveillance, the programme aims to create sustainable behavioral change and protect vulnerable children from the impacts of climate change and poor sanitation conditions.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.