The changing climate is threatening children’s right to quality education and their achievement of essential learning and well-being outcomes. Climate-related extreme events disrupt education through school closures for millions of children each year. According to Save the Children’s, Born into the Climate Crisis Report climate and environmental threats, including disasters and disease outbreaks, are responsible for disruptions in the education of over 37 million children each year – this accounts for nearly half of the 75 million children and youth who will have their education disrupted due to an emergency or crisis. The recent flooding in Pakistan, which has already destroyed approx. 19,000 schools, demonstrates the scale of the catastrophic impact of climate change on education systems and that urgent action is required.
The Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES) with members including Save the Children, UNESCO and UNICEF are responding to this major challenge with global policy, the revised Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF), to strengthen education systems, so children’s learning is protected from all-hazards including the impact of climate change.
In the framework of C O P 27, GADRRRES organised a side event that highlighted the CSSF 2022-2030 as an effective climate adaptation solution to protecting education systems and that aimed to encourage further support from global actors to increase its implementation.
Speakers:
- Inger Ashing, CEO, Save the Children International
- Mayson, Youth Representative, Save the Children International
- David Knaute, Climate Change and Education Consultant, UNESCO
- Christa Joy Burton, Department of Environment, Antigua and Barbuda
- Marc Fancy, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation
- Charles North, Acting CEO, Global Partnership for Education
- Jerry Velasquez, Director for Mitigation and Adaptation, Green Climate Fund
Additional information:
- Event summary
- Video of Maria Marshall, a Youth Environmental Advocate from Barbados
Video of Maria Marshall
