Leveraging Education in Emergencies for Climate Action

A recent report by the Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies, referred to us by IEF member Friedrich Affolter, shows how emergencies that disrupt children's education are being made worse by climate change, and makes recommendations to respond to these interlocked crises. The following excerpt from the foreword of the report summarizes it.

Climate-induced disasters are increasing and frequently compound other crisis drivers, resulting in complex emergencies changing the face of humanitarian response. They come on top of conflict, violence and disasters, and exacerbate existing risks and inequalities, including gender, ethnicity, disability, age and income. They are known to disproportionately impact those already in crisis and vulnerable groups, girls and young women in particular.

Children and youth are most affected by these challenges. Local, national, and international actors must ensure continuous, safe, and quality education, especially at times when a crisis threatens to interrupt it. While education services are increasingly threatened by droughts, floods, heat waves and climate disasters, education itself has never been as crucial as an enabler for adapting to and mitigating climate change.

The report demonstrates the need for new ways of thinking and behavioural change as climate breakdown increases risks to the continuity, safety, and equity of education for children and young people. Furthermore, as extreme temperatures make existing classroom environments increasingly untenable in many regions, greater foresight will be needed when learning spaces are being re-established or rebuilt in the wake of a disaster or crisis.

The report also gives a voice to practitioners, teachers and students, and their concrete ideas for better educational responses to climate change and to climate-induced crises. They know what is needed most and where — in towns, communities, neighbourhoods, and schools impacted by the complex interplay of climate change, emergencies, and protracted crises.

If we want to see a future in which the rights and wellbeing of children and young people living in emergency contexts are protected, both education and climate change interventions must be integrated into humanitarian preparedness and throughout the response.

The report can be downloaded at https://eiehub.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Leveraging-EiE-for-Climat…