Climate resilient 3-star WASH assessment of 100 schools in Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya

Highlights

Safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, functional handwashing facilities, and proper menstrual hygiene support are fundamental to protecting health, dignity, and learning outcomes in schools. However, in many rural areas of Uzbekistan, gaps in WASH infrastructure, service reliability, and maintenance systems continue to affect student attendance, well-being, and overall educational performance. Addressing these disparities is central to achieving Uzbekistan’s Vision 2030 goals on human capital development, equitable access to services, and climate resilience.

In response, the "Uzbekistan Vision 2030 Fund" has launched a USD 20 million “Modelling Climate Resilience and WASH in Schools” programme, implemented through the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) with UNDP and UNICEF. The programme focuses on renovating rural schools with climate-adapted WASH systems, energy upgrades, and strengthened governance, prioritising 47–50 schools in underserved areas of Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya.

To ensure that investments are evidence-based and targeted to the most critical gaps, a baseline assessment was conducted in February–March 2026 across 100 shortlisted schools identified by the project Steering Committee. Using the WinS 3-Star tool, the assessment systematically evaluated the availability, functionality, quality, and management of WASH services—including water supply, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, climate resilience, inclusion, and budgeting—generating star ratings to benchmark performance and guide prioritisation.