UNICEF WASH in Schools Project

UNICEF, with support from USAID and in partnership with the Liberian Ministry of Education, has developed plans to implement a comprehensive package of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in 120 schools in five counties that were hugely affected by the recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak.

Planned interventions include constructing and rehabilitating WASH facilities (wells, boreholes, handpumps, latrine facilities, handwashing stations); and, training and behaviour change.

CARES Group was commissioned by UNICEF to carry out an EIA of the planned interventions in order to:

• Assess the presence and appropriateness of environmental protection mechanisms at the national and local levels, and help build local institutional capacity;
• Identify and assess key adverse environmental impacts that may result from the proposed activities under the WASH in schools project; and,
• Recommend appropriate measures to avoid, mitigate and compensate such impacts where possible and provide instruments for their implementation in the form of environmental management and monitoring plans.