World Bank Report Highlights Dire Impact of Climate Change on Education

Washington, D.C., July 23, 2024 – A new report from the World Bank reveals the profound impact of climate change on education systems globally. As the climate crisis intensifies, extreme weather conditions are significantly disrupting educational environments and learning outcomes, especially in vulnerable regions (click here to download the World Bank report).

For instance, A 10-year-old in 2024 will experience 3 times more river floods, 5 times more droughts, and 36 times more heat waves compared to 1970. Moreover, extreme heat can reduce students’ ability to learn by up to 10%, underscoring the urgent need for adaptive measures in schools.

Recent school closures due to extreme heat in countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and South Sudan highlight the immediate risks of climate change to education. Despite this, there is a lack of official data tracking the frequency of heat-related school closures.

Key Findings:

Heatwaves and School Closures: Extreme heat is causing frequent school closures worldwide, leading to significant learning losses. In the hottest 10 percent of Brazilian municipalities, students lose about 1 percent of learning per year due to heat exposure, potentially resulting in a loss of 0.66-1.5 years of learning over time.

Vulnerability of Low-Income Regions: These areas often lack the necessary infrastructure to cope with extreme weather, exacerbating educational inequalities. Poorer regions, typically hotter, face increased learning disparities due to rising temperatures.

Health Implications: High temperatures and poor air quality are linked to respiratory problems and heat-related illnesses among students, further impeding their ability to attend and perform well in school.

Economic Impact: Reduced educational attainment leads to lower lifetime earnings and diminished economic productivity, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. Each additional year of schooling generates a 10 percent increase in annual earnings on average.

Urgent Call to Action:

The report calls for immediate and coordinated action, recommending:

Investing in Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Measures such as air conditioning, solar-reflective white paint, increased tree coverage, and modified school schedules can help control temperatures. In Costa Rica, reducing classroom temperatures increased cognitive test speeds by up to 7.5 percent.

Enhancing Curriculum and Awareness: Integrating climate education into school curricula is essential to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and the importance of sustainable practices.

Supporting Vulnerable Populations: Special attention should be given to supporting the most vulnerable populations, including girls, children with disabilities, and those living in poverty.

Ensuring Learning Continuity: Strengthening remote learning mechanisms, conducting re-enrollment campaigns, and implementing remedial learning programs are crucial to maintaining educational continuity.

Enhanced Financing Mechanisms: less than 1.3 percent of climate-related official development assistance in 2020 went to education. Innovative financing mechanisms, such as parametric insurance, and loss and damage funds, are crucial to ensuring resilience and coping with climate shocks.

Improved Government Data: to better manage climate-related risks, governments should maintain a comprehensive database of weather-related school closures and assess which schools are at heightened risk of events like extreme heat. 

Download the Full Report:

To read the full World Bank report and explore new data, interesting findings, and recommendations, visit The Impact of Climate Change on Education and What to Do about It.