The competition is organized by the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) and the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) – joint programmes of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Global Water Partnership (GWP) in partnership with the Water Youth Network (WYN).

The competition for youth-led projects aims to:

Empower young people to design and lead practical solutions for disaster risk reduction, preparedness, and response.

Strengthen community resilience through projects rooted in local needs.

Encourage youth engagement and show the impacts youth can make in building flood and drought resilience. 

ELIGIBILITY:

The proposed projects must: 

Be youth-led (students/young professionals aged 18 – 35) and demonstrate the active participation and engagement of youth of all ages below 35 in the proposed project activities.

Be practical and results-oriented; have clearly identified objectives, a timeline, and scope. 

Demonstrate a concrete contribution to enhancing resilience to floods and drought with tangible outputs. 

Be implemented within a maximum of 9 months. 

Be scalable and sustainable in time. 

Include a feasible innovative element (e.g., combining Indigenous and scientific approaches, a new community engagement model, low-cost adaptation methods, strong women’s engagement, etc.) 

To submit your proposal:

Before submitting your proposal, please read the submission guidelines carefully. 

Submission Guidelines – English

Submission Guidelines – Spanish
Proposals can be submitted in English or Spanish. To submit your proposal, please complete the following submission form:

Submission Form – English

Submission Form – Spanish

A proposal can only be submitted once, in one language. Proposals submitted multiple times will not be considered. Only proposals submitted through the submission forms will be taken into account.

Deadline for Submissions: 31st August 2026

For questions related to the competition or submission process, please contact droughtmanagement@wmo.int.

BENEFIT:

Following the success of the previous editions, the Competition for Youth-Led Projects 2026-27 aims to finance two initiatives that enhance resilience in communities that are vulnerable to floods and droughts.

Two prizes consisting of 3000 CHF each will be awarded to selected projects that are in line with the objectives and selection criteria of the competition. Awarded project leaders will implement their initiatives over 9 months, with guidance and support from experts on floods and drought.