Climate-Induced Educational Disruptions: Impact on Crisis-Affected Children – A Summary of Disturbing Findings

Impact on Crisis-Affected Children (Source-ECW)(Image Source-freepik.com)

Climate-related shocks have disrupted the education of approximately 62 million crisis-affected children and adolescents in 27 countries since 2020, triggering 13 million displacements among school-aged children. These crises, such as floods, droughts, and storms, significantly impact nearly one-third of the 224 million crisis-affected children globally who require educational support. These events are further exacerbated by climate change, affecting around 31 million children in countries ill-equipped to handle severe climate-related crises. Droughts, followed closely by floods, rank as the most frequently encountered climate-related shocks.

Over the past decade, more than 91 million school-aged children affected by crises have faced climate shocks, particularly impacting Sub-Saharan Africa (42 million children) and South Asia (31 million children). Droughts stand out as the most severe hazard, disproportionately affecting children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Children impacted by climate-related hazards face significant risks of educational disruption due to forced displacement. In the 27 crisis-affected countries where 62 million children faced climate shocks since 2020, there were 13 million forced movements of school-aged children due to floods, droughts, and storms. Looking back over the past decade, a staggering 31 million forced movements disrupted children’s education, with floods being the primary cause of these displacements.

Displacement triggered by climate-induced hazards exacerbates educational inequities, particularly impacting girls and the most economically vulnerable households. Children already at risk of dropping out face even higher risks when exposed to crises intensified by climate change and environmental degradation. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where climate-related crises prevail, internally displaced children are 1.7 times more likely to be out of primary school compared to their non-displaced peers. Girls are disproportionately affected by these impacts, facing higher risks of dropping out of school and being pushed into early marriages.

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