The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS II) project in Katsina State to strengthen 24 primary healthcare facilities and schools to withstand the growing impacts of climate change.
With funding support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the project is being implemented by UNICEF in Charanchi, Mai’adua, Mani and Dutsi Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking at the CRIBS II state-level inception meeting in Katsina on Tuesday, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, UNICEF Kano Field Office, Uba Lawal, said the project is designed to retrofit the facilities to tackle climate change.
He said the initial implementation phase of the project in Katsina will only cover the four local government areas where the selected 24 schools and primary healthcare facilities are located.
He explained that the UNICEF climate resilience intervention would ensure that essential health and educational services continue uninterrupted even during climate-related emergencies in the selected local governments.
He noted that the project focuses on upgrading water and sanitation facilities in selected schools and primary healthcare centres to make them more resilient to climate hazards while safeguarding children’s education and access to healthcare.
Lawal further disclosed that the project had already been implemented in Kano and Jigawa states where 84 facilities benefited during the first phase, including 55 in Kano and 29 in Jigawa.
He added that while additional works would continue in Jigawa State, Katsina is now joining the programme as part of its expansion strategy to accommodate more healthcare and educational facilities.
He said, “This project is about retrofitting and rehabilitating water and sanitation facilities so that schools can continue to provide learning opportunities and healthcare facilities can continue to deliver essential services, even in the event of floods, heat stress, drought or windstorms.
“As part of the implementation strategy, contractors and supervisors will work closely with government officials, while detailed renovation plans will be displayed in every participating school and healthcare facility to facilitate effective monitoring and accountability.”
The WASH specialist stressed the need for communities and governments to embrace adaptation measures and innovative solutions to build resilience against the realities of climate change.
