Climate resilience in education: strategies for more resilient systems

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The rapidly changing climate is a threat that sees no borders and its impact on the education sector is severe. Yet, often in the wake of climate disasters, the education sector is widely overlooked and underfunded. The purpose of this group panel presentation is thus to explore different examples of research and programming which aim to improve the education sector’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. The panel is comprised of stakeholders from USAID and international educational research and implementing organizations from around the globe which have experience with how education systems can become more resilient to such disasters. This panel will draw from new global frameworks and strategies on climate resilience, as well as research and implementation examples from the case study of Pakistan, where unprecedented 2022 flooding severely impacted an already beleaguered education system. Further, the panel will explore the intersection of climate change impact and marginalized communities.

It is well-established that Pakistan is among the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts. For over a decade, it has consistently ranked in the top ten countries in the Global Climate Risk Index and is considered the eighth most at risk country to the manifestations of climate extremes. This reality is very palpable today. Within the first three quarters of 2022, Pakistan faced raging wildfires, heatwaves, glacial melting and floods. Pakistan’s 2022 monsoon floods left one-third of the country submerged in floodwater and destroyed almost 26,000 schools, leaving the most vulnerable at risk of falling deeper into poverty and further behind in education (World Bank, 2022). This has become Pakistan’s new normal, however Pakistan has yet to develop an implementable action plan to prepare for and minimize the devastation caused by these and future impacts. Climate extremes leading to floods, drought, heat exposure, crop failure, livestock fatality, water quality degradation, and more are projected to increase in intensity and frequency in the coming years and decades. The need to create a more climate resilient education system in Pakistan is therefore urgent. In this panel, each will highlight work in Pakistan in response to the devastating floods of 2022 as a case study.

The panel discussion will explore the broader context of climate resilience in education, the latest data and efforts of Pakistan’s education sector in both basic and higher education to become more climate resilient; some promising new strategies that can be applied in a range of contexts, and advocacy for increased focus and funding on climate resilience in education. Each presentation will raise critical reflective questions to further apply research findings or explore implementation strategies, question assumptions, and invite audience participation.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Meredith McCormac, RTI International

Individual Presentations

• Pakistan education sector assessment - Meredith McCormac, RTI International

• Climate resilience in higher education, Pakistan’s case - Asima Rehman, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

• Leveraging human-centered design at local and global levels to advance quality education for all through climate action - ANDREW JAMES CHARLES CUNNINGHAM, Aga Khan Foundation