UNESCO Reports on the Impact of Climate Change on the Right to Education

UNESCO has recently released (April 21, 2023) three regional Reports on the impact of climate change on the right to education. (https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unescos-new-regional-studies-reveal-impact-climate-change-right-education). The policy guidelines for climate displaced persons (CDP) accessing education are as important today as they will be for future generations. Member states must commit to policy recommendations and implement in unison for SDGs to be achieved and for future generations to be saved from lost generations.

I personally have seen plenty of internally displaced persons due to conflict and natural disasters in Pakistan who have been subjected to camp living; be they because of 2005 Earthquake, Super floods of 2010/2022, GLOFS, or drought etc. The immediate response to the education of IDPs was camp schools. As Minister and civil-military coordinator I had the opportunity to visit these schools in camps in Bannu Pakistan. Assisted by local government, military, UN agencies they were a good way of keeping children off the camp loitering and in productive activity inside makeshift classrooms getting an education. It was refreshing.

However, the global challenge is larger, because entire generations can be lost if states don’t implement rights-based approaches to the CDPs education needs systematically.

What follows is my reading of the reports and some of their recommendations summarized for current leaders and future generations:

1. Availability of schools/education: whether it is schools or teachers or programs, they must be made available to CDPs on the move.
2. Acceptability:  the curriculum must be in tune with the specific customers (CDPs), their needs, their cultural differences promoting intercultural dialogue.
3. Accountability: Transparency mechanisms must be built into these education systems so there is a possibility for reforms and fix its.
4. The existing rural schools networks need beefing up because they are first line of defense for accepting CDPs in their midst when disasters strike. Their capacity to deliver must be monitored pre and post.
5. Facilitation of enrolment of CDP children in such schools with administrative and financial assistance must be ensured.
6. Cash assistance to stakeholders to incentivize through SSNs or directly is required so that all education related expenses are covered.
7. Awareness on the link between climate change risks, education and the way to access education in a crisis must be made clear to all stakeholders.
8. Ensure drop outs and out of school children (OOS) statistics are reduced by creating SSNs which give incentives for enrolment in a climate crisis.
9. Create livelihood activities close to relocation for CDPs so that education and livelihood can coexist.
10. Link education to skills and livelihoods for CDPs so that it is a natural transition to reducing poverty and affecting SDG1.
11. Target adult learning, as well as children schooling for CDPs by taking advantage of communities in camps.
12. Train teachers and staff on the psychosocial needs of CDPs.
13. Ensure inclusive approach: include minorities, women, disabled, indigenous, ethnic minorities, linguistic minorities into the system. Gender responsive approach to redressing inequities must be managed.
14. Mainstream education for climate change and sustainable development so as to equip all stakeholders into better response when disaster strikes versus being passive victims.
15. Linguistically correct curriculum pre preparation is key for when disaster strikes. Borders and geographies of neighbors don’t change. It is known where the spills of CDPs might take place and from where; thus linguistic needs can be pre-handled.
16. Build linkages with international, national, regional organizations to ensure CDPs are part of existing systems.
17. Coordinators to exist intra (key) Ministries like Climate change, Education, Disaster Risk Reduction.
18. Local government is frontline and their capacities to deal with such climate crisis need to be beefed up.
19. Ensure a Climate change fund for CDP right to education exists through SSNs using resources of IFIs and other donors.
20. Implement remote learning educational tools to prepare for school closures; tools which are holistic and inclusive.
21. In case of school closures dedicate temporary shelters in advance for smooth operation and continuation of education.
22. In case of cross border CDPs simplification of cross border administrative requirements for continuation of education by creating concept of climate refugee with a rights based approach with a legally binding framework. Including accreditation of such an education for its recognition internationally.
23. Digitalization of academic records so that in case of climate disasters systems can be recovered with cross country MIS to monitor displacement.
24. Free Movement Agreements between neighbors in case of climate disasters. Status of CDPs whether stateless or whether fully recognized to be better managed.
25. Regional dialogue on the above through collaboration of regional countries’ academia, and sharing of good practices, in collaboration with UNICEF, UNESCO, UNHCR nescessary.
26. CDPs also shift seasonally. As such their movements back and forth need charting.
27. Trapped CDPs have a more limited access to education due to geographical constraints, thus plans for their revival are more problematic and require more resources which need to be pre-planned.
28. Communication strategy needs to be clear when directing all stakeholders for onwards educational substitutes.
29. Create bilateral agreements with donor countries on principles of equitable responsibility; minus strict quotas on restrictive clauses disadvantageously impacting the vulnerable.
30. There are some key areas to address adverse impacts of climate change. An education policy for CDPs needs to work in tandem with these issues: Food security, comprehensive disaster management, coastal zone management including salinity intrusion control, flood control and erosion protection, building climate resilient infrastructure, increased rural electrification, enhanced urban resilience, ecosystem based adaptation, community based conservation of wetlands, policy and institutional capacity building.