Nature-Based Solutions Secure Guinea’s Water at the Source

While nature-based solutions are a defining feature of the project, the broader PEAG program addresses the persistent challenges of limited water access, intermittent services, and the resulting gender inequities across Greater Conakry. Nationally, only 23 percent of households have piped water connections, and many communities rely on informal sources of water. Women and girls shoulder a disproportionate burden, spending up to 2.6 hours per week fetching water, compared to less than one hour for men, with direct consequences for their education and employment.

By expanding production capacity, stabilizing pressure, and extending service hours, the project will bring safe drinking water to over 570,000 people for the first time and improve service quality for two million existing customers. Investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities for 400 secondary schools will aim to further reduce gender‑related barriers by ensuring that adolescent girls have access to hygienic sanitation facilities.

Importantly, nature-based solutions themselves create pathways for women and youth to participate as agents of change through community-based restoration activities, income-generating programs, and participatory decision‑making forums, reflecting the Water Forward emphasis on participatory systems that strengthen governance as well as infrastructure.