Climate change's impact on education

It is well known that our country has been identified as among the countries most at risk from climate change. Nowadays even a passing weather disturbance within our area of responsibility is enough to create havoc, which was what happened with the recent flooding by Severe Tropical Storm Trami/Kristine which devastated the Bicol region, Batangas and Cagayan.

- MARIANNE GO

Just last July, Metro Manila once again experienced Ondoy-level flooding that brought the metropolis to a standstill due to the passage of Super Typhoon Gaemi/Carina.

Aside from the physical damage to infrastructure and agriculture, the devastating effect of climate change is clearly affecting the education and future ability of the youth to get proper education, which in turn also impacts our economic ability to grow.

According to a recent World Bank report, a staggering 400 million students globally have experienced school closures from extreme weather since 2022. The report examines the detrimental impacts of climate change on education in low- and middle-income countries and offers solutions to harness education to spur climate action. It also estimates that a one-time investment of $18.51 per child can mitigate the impact from climate shocks.

New analysis in the report “Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action,” shows that the climate crisis is hitting education the hardest in low-income countries, with 18 school days lost annually on average, compared to 2.4 days in wealthier nations.

According to the World Bank report, a 10-year-old in 2024 will experience three times more oods, five times more droughts and 36 times more heatwaves over their lifetime compared to a 10-year-old in 1970. And even when schools are open, students are losing learning due to the climate. In Brazil, students in the poorest 50 percent of municipalities could lose half a year’s learning due to heat alone.