Annual Program Statement - Women and Youth Engagement in Water and Sanitation

Despite ample natural water sources, Lebanon is a country in a state of “water impoverishment”. Inefficient water resources management (WRM) and deficient Wastewater (WW) management capacity are jeopardizing the health of the Lebanese people and overwhelming the environment.

The Lebanon Water, Sanitation, and Conservation (WSC) USAID-funded Project engages citizens and the private sector to enhance their water stewardship, increasing efficiency in the protection of water resources, and improve water and wastewater services to around 600,000 people by expanding the capacity of public water utilities and local governments to treat- wastewater.

WSC is increasing the volumes of wastewater treated, reducing the pollution and water losses that harm water sources, improving service delivery to citizens, and facilitating partnerships between public water utilities, municipalities, the private sector, civil society organizations, and citizen groups to introduce innovative solutions and improve governance in the water and wastewater sector across Lebanon.

The Water Sanitation and Conservation (WSC) Project’s purpose is the enhanced conservation and protection of Lebanon’s water resources through achieving three objectives:

1) Capacity of wastewater (WW) and sanitation management expanded

2) Efficiency of public water utilities to manage water resources increased

3) Citizens’ water stewardship enhanced

The purpose of this Annual Program Statement (APS) is to solicit applications for funding.  DAI through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking concept papers first and full applications later from prospective partners to implement activities that provide women and/or youth with opportunities to engage in the water and sanitation sector.  These activities will contribute to the following objectives:

• Provide women and/or youth with innovative opportunities to participate in the management, protection, and conservation of water through civic engagement and grassroot advocacy initiatives

• Introduce women and/or youth to the various engagement opportunities in the water sector

• Develop the technical capacities of women and/or youth to engage in water