The Impact of Climate Change on Education

Climate change, a pressing global challenge, is increasingly influencing various facets of human life, including education. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, their impact on educational outcomes is becoming more apparent. This blog explores the multifaceted ways climate change affects education and what policymakers can do to mitigate these impacts, ensuring that education remains a catalyst for economic development and social cohesion.

Climate Change and Education: An Overview

The World Bank report highlights that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires. These events disrupt schooling, leading to significant learning losses, increased dropout rates, and long-term educational and economic consequences. A 10-year-old today will experience multiple times more climate-related events over their lifetime compared to a 10-year-old in 1970, underscoring the urgent need to address this issue.

School Closures and Learning Losses

One of the most direct impacts of climate change on education is the increased occurrence of school closures. For example, during Cyclone Freddy in 2023, nearly 5% of students in Malawi faced school closures. In the Philippines, over 21% of schools are flooded at least once every school year. These closures lead to significant learning losses; during the COVID-19 pandemic, each month of school closures equated to a month of lost learning. Prolonged closures, often due to the use of school infrastructure as emergency shelters, exacerbate these losses.

Rising Temperatures and Learning Outcomes

Rising temperatures also negatively impact learning. Extreme heat days lead to reduced cognitive performance and lower learning outcomes. In Brazil, students in the hottest municipalities lose about 1% of learning per year due to heat exposure. Over time, these small annual losses accumulate, resulting in significant educational deficits. The compounding effect of rising temperatures on learning is particularly concerning for regions already experiencing high temperatures.

Indirect Impacts on Education

Climate change also affects education through indirect channels such as economic shocks, food insecurity, health crises, and increased conflict and displacement. These factors reduce students' readiness to learn and diminish household demand for schooling. For instance, in flood-affected areas, children spend more time commuting to school, leading to lower attendance and engagement. In some cases, students do not return to school after closures, significantly impacting their educational trajectory.

Economic Consequences

The educational impacts of climate change translate into economic losses. Learning losses lead to lower productivity and income, increased inequality, and potentially greater social unrest. The World Bank report warns that the education sector's vulnerability to climate change is an economic time bomb that could undermine decades of progress in poverty alleviation and economic development.

Policy Recommendations

To protect education from the adverse effects of climate change, policymakers must take proactive steps:

1. Education Management for Resilience: Developing robust education management systems that can withstand and quickly recover from climate shocks is crucial. This includes better planning, resource allocation, and crisis management.

2. Resilient School Infrastructure: Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure can reduce the vulnerability of schools to extreme weather events. This includes constructing buildings that can withstand natural disasters and ensuring that schools are not used as emergency shelters, prolonging closures.

3. Ensuring Learning Continuity: Implementing strategies to ensure learning continuity during climate shocks is essential. This could involve remote learning solutions, flexible school calendars, and community-based education programs.

4. Leveraging Students and Teachers as Change Agents: Educating students and training teachers about climate change can empower them to become advocates for climate action and resilience in their communities.

Conclusion

Education is a critical tool for ending poverty and achieving sustainable development. However, to fulfill this potential, it must be protected from the impacts of climate change. By implementing the recommended policies, governments can safeguard educational outcomes and ensure that education systems contribute to building a resilient and equitable future.

Call to Action

Governments, educators, and communities must recognize the urgency of protecting education from climate change. Collective action is needed to adapt education systems, build resilient infrastructure, and empower the next generation to tackle climate challenges head-on. Only through concerted efforts can we ensure that education remains a cornerstone of development in a climate-affected world.

Reference

Marin, S. V., Schwarz, L., & Sabarwal, S. (2024). The Impact of Climate Change on Education and what to Do about it. World Bank.