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Indian Express
29-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Opinion Climate change in the Asia-Pacific: Empty classrooms, stalled dreams, a generation falling behind
On the banks of Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, children in school uniforms wait patiently for a boat that may never come. Their parents have taken the family's only means of transport — the rowboat — to fish for their livelihoods. Only when they return, often late in the day, can the children hope to go to school. Lately, though, that plan has begun to fall apart. Climate change is transforming Cambodia's floating villages. Over the past decade, erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures have dwindled fish populations. This spells both an economic and educational crisis for a country where 12 per cent of the GDP depends on fish exports. For many children, the climate crisis begins not in the headlines but in the silence of an empty classroom. With fishing now taking longer and yielding less, children are often left stranded, missing up to 10–12 school days each month. It comes as no surprise that many eventually drop out. This is the human face of climate change — beyond the parched lands or rising seas, there are empty classrooms, stalled dreams, and a generation falling behind. Across the Asia-Pacific, home to more than half the world's youth, climate change is disrupting education at scale, especially for children in poverty, remote areas, or crisis-affected zones — those already least likely to access quality education. From floods in Bangladesh to typhoons in Vietnam, and heatwaves in India to landslides in the Philippines, extreme weather is upending education. UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Index estimates that over 1 billion children are at 'extremely high risk' from the impacts of climate change — education among them. Yet responses often fall short. Too many focus on short-term recovery rather than addressing deeper issues: Poverty, inequality, and fragile infrastructure. But around the world, communities are pioneering simple, scalable solutions. In the Philippines, after Typhoon Haiyan devastated Tacloban in 2013, local authorities rebuilt schools with elevated foundations and typhoon-resistant roofs. These climate-resilient structures allowed students to return to classrooms faster — and in some cases, provided shelter during future storms. In Cambodia, too, low-tech solutions such as providing dedicated school boats have reduced dropout rates and helped children transition to secondary education, proving that even modest investments can make a difference when rooted in local needs. But adaptation isn't enough. Education must also become a tool to fight climate change. In Vietnam, youth climate clubs supported by local and international partners are teaching nearly 20,000 students about renewable energy, climate science, and green entrepreneurship. These are not abstract lessons — they are practical tools to help youth lead sustainable initiatives in their own communities. Across Indonesia, a national green schools programme has been rolled out, integrating environmental education with hands-on activities such as composting, urban gardening, and waste management. Early data shows students not only retain this knowledge but also influence household behaviour, making schools catalysts for broader change. Between January 2022 and June 2024, climate-related disasters closed schools in 81 countries, affecting over 400 million students. In 2024 alone, extreme weather disrupted the education of at least 242 million children. But education is not only a casualty — it's a crucial part of the solution. Educated communities are more resilient, better prepared to adapt, and more likely to advocate for sustainable policies. Schools, therefore, must be reimagined as hubs of learning and resilience. That means integrating climate action into every curriculum and transforming school infrastructure — elevated buildings, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and renewable energy systems. Young people need more than awareness. They need agency. When children and youth understand how climate change affects their communities — and are empowered to act — they begin to see themselves not as victims, but as leaders. Asia-Pacific, with its vast youth population and acute climate risk, has a chance to lead. But it will require collective effort: Regional policy coordination, investments in climate-smart education, and platforms that elevate the voices of rural youth, indigenous groups, and girls — too often excluded from the conversation. The cost of inaction is staggering. Without meaningful intervention, climate change could keep an additional 12.5 million girls out of school each year. But we also know what works. A schoolboat. A typhoon-proof classroom. A youth-led campaign for solar energy. This month, as we celebrate Earth Day, let's affirm the right of every child not just to survive climate change — but to learn, adapt, and lead through it. Because education and climate action are not two separate challenges. They are one and the same.
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Heatwaves, floods, and smog: Unprepared education system is leading to learning losses
Climate extremes are increasingly disrupting education, forcing school closures, reducing attendance, and exacerbating learning losses, especially for the most vulnerable children. If we fail to protect their education, we are failing their future. As April begins, several states in India, including Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat already shift to morning school timings. Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have advanced their summer vacations to protect children from excessive heat. These regional responses highlight the growing impact of climate change on education, as climate disruptions continue to disrupt the learning routines of millions of children. According to UNICEF, climate extremities interrupted schooling for at least 242 million children globally in 2024. South Asia bore the brunt of this crisis with 128 million affected students. India emerged as one of the most vulnerable nations, where 54.8 million children were affected by heatwave alone. The country ranks 26th out of 163 countries in the UNICEF Children's Climate Risk Index - an alarming position that underscores the urgency of action. Frequency and intensity of extreme weather conditions—heatwaves, floods, cyclones, and air pollution—are increasingly forcing schools to close, shortening academic calendars, and exacerbating learning losses. Last year too, several states like Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha extended summer vacations due to prolonged heatwaves, while others like Assam and Meghalaya faced unprecedented school closures due to floods. In Delhi-NCR region, every winter severe smog and air pollution shuts down schools for several weeks. World Bank estimates that a 10-year-old in 2024 is likely to experience two times as many wildfires and tropical cyclones, three times more river floods, four times more crop failures, and five times more droughts over his lifespan, compared to a 10-year-old in 1970, if a 3°C global warming path continues. Even when schools are not officially closed, education is impacted by climate crisis in several ways. For example, in deluge days, students in flood-affected areas require much more time traveling from home to the school, which increases absenteeism by a high proportion. Hot days and days with poor air quality are known to impact cognition and academic performance of children. While India lacks specific data, studies from Brazil and China show direct association between higher particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with lower test scores. World Bank estimates that students living in the hottest 10 percent of Brazilian municipalities, loose nearly one per cent of learning every year due to heat exposure alone. Most affected children are often also the most vulnerable ones: Girls, children from disadvantaged socio-economic families and those residing in rural or remote areas. Besides learning loss, they also suffer due to disruption in other benefits like the school meals. Studies show that school meal programmes translate in academic achievement (like better maths or reading scores), only if children receive it continuously and for a prolonged period. Despite these substantial consequences, education remains a blind spot in climate policy agenda. India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008, does not include education as a focus area. Similarly, NEP 2020, while emphasising environmental education, shortchanges climate vulnerability of the education sector in pursuit of other urgent priorities. State-level action plans merely try to cope with extreme weather by extending school vacations or shifting to online classes - measures that are reactive rather than proactively building systematic resilience. There are five concrete steps governments can undertake to protect education systems from climate shocks. First is to measure and record trends to fully understand the impact of climate crisis on direct and indirect learning losses - much of which remains poorly understood, and highly context specific. · Better understanding, tracking and monitoring will contribute to better policy decisions and tailored implementation. · Second is to prioritise investments in climate-resilient infrastructure in education, such as disaster-proof school buildings, solar-powered classrooms, and proper ventilation systems. · Third is to ensure learning continuity during climate emergencies, through pre-planned flexible academic calendars, adjusted school timings, leveraging digital education, broadcast programmes and community-based learning hubs. · Fourth is mainstreaming climate into school curricula, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to become more resilient, become change agents and mitigate climate risks. · Finally, nothing can move without adequate funding for climate-resilient education and partnerships between diverse stakeholders like governments, civil society, and the private sector, both of which are crucial for scaling up innovative solutions. With one third of India's population under 18 years and high climate vulnerability, the time to act is now. Without urgent action, millions of students will face a future of lost opportunities. This article is authored by Arpan Tulsyan, senior fellow, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Centre for New Economic Diplomacy (CNED).
Rudaw Net
27-01-2025
- Climate
- Rudaw Net
Iraq records lower rainfall in January
Also in Iraq Gunmen shoot Kurdish man, destroy property in Kirkuk Iraq says to recruit more Christian police officers in Nineveh Iraq's poverty, unemployment rates dropped in 2023: Official PM Sudani, US-led coalition commander discuss joint cooperation A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi ministry of agriculture said on Monday most of Iraq's central and southern areas are suffering from drought and the whole country has seen less rainfall in January compared to the same period last year. "So far, the amount of rainfall in all central and southern Iraqi provinces is lower than the same period last year, especially in the southern provinces, where some areas received less than 30 millimeters," agriculture ministry spokesman Mohammed Khuzai told Rudaw, adding that as a result, there will be less wheat this year, compared to 2024. The provinces of Maysan, Dhi Qar, Basra, and Nasiriyah have seen the least amount of rainfall so far, said Amer Jabri, spokesman for the Iraqi meteorological and seismological agency. According to Jabri, plenty of rain is expected in February but it is not clear whether it will affect the agriculture sector. He also predicts that in any case, there will not be a general drought in the country this year. 'Drought is a natural phenomenon and it will be dealt with in accordance to its amount. In the Kurdistan Region so far, we have not declared drought in any area because this requires the coordination and opinion of all departments," Hiwa Ali, spokesperson for Kurdistan Region's ministry of agriculture and water resources told Rudaw. Besides Sulaimani - which had one millimeter of rainfall more than last year - all other three Kurdish provinces have seen less rain than the previous year, according to information obtained by Rudaw. Iraq is one of the world's most oil-rich countries that's grappling with climate effects which have impacted all aspects of life in the country. While climate change is a global problem, Iraq in particular is more vulnerable to its effects, as it was ranked fifth among countries most vulnerable to climate breakdown in a 2022 report by the International Organization of Migration (IOM). Additionally, it is ranked 61st out of 163 countries on UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Index. By 2050, water availability is expected to drop by 20 percent, which could lead to the loss of nearly one-third of Iraq's irrigated land.
