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Climate Hazards, Vulnerabilities and Capacities in Schools: Testing a Localised Participatory Risk Assessment Approach
Tue, March 31, 4:30 to 5:45pm, Hilton, Floor: Ballroom Level - Tower 3, Continental 9Proposal
Abstract
Pakistan’s education sector is increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change, yet remains underrepresented in national climate resilience and adaptation planning. Although the Pakistan School Safety Framework (PSSF) provides strategic guidance for disaster preparedness and resilience, there is currently no localised, participatory tool to assess school-level climate risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities. This study was actually to pilot the adaptation of UNESCO and Viet Nam’s Assessment and Preparedness Toolkit into a Pakistan-specific Climate Risk School Assessment Tool (CRSAT), designed to systematically identify hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities within school communities.
Using an implementation science framework and participatory action research, the study engaged learners, educators, parents, local authorities, and community representatives across 16 schools in Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh province, spanning urban and rural contexts. Research objectives were contextualise the CRSAT for Pakistan, examining how hazards and vulnerabilities vary across settings and social groups (with attention to disability and marginalisation), and generating evidence on the feasibility, accessibility, and scalability of the tool.
The mixed-method approach was used and involved three phases: (1) desk research and tool contextualisation; (2) piloting and data collection using CRSAT, participatory workshops, and GIS/photovoice methods; and (3) validation, analysis, and refinement of the tool. Outcomes helped to revisit and redraft national and provincial education policies, strengthen the school disaster management committees, and enhance child and community participation in resilience-building. By embedding participatory assessment within schools, this research recommended to fill up the policy-practice gap and contribute to climate-compatible development in Pakistan’s education sector.