Advancing Climate Risk Governance and Education Through UNESCO

As climate change and disasters increasingly threaten education systems globally, there is an urgent need for improved governance from the local school level to international frameworks to enhance resilience across this vital sector. UNESCO, the leading UN agency on education, science, and culture, plays an active role in supporting governments, educational institutions, and communities in reducing risks and adapting to intensifying geo-hazards and climate-exacerbated hazards such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and wildfires that endanger school infrastructure and disrupt learning. Key strategies focus on protecting school facilities, learners, and education personnel while also building longer-term resilience through strengthened climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, implementation of disaster preparedness programs, and promotion of sustainable environmental practices within the education process. Central to its approach, UNESCO engages in multi-stakeholder collaboration, involving education officials, school administrators, teachers, parents, communities, and crucially, learners themselves. By engaging all education stakeholders in a transformative process and actively collaborating with partners, UNESCO is working toward achieving these agendas at a global level through initiatives aimed at promoting disaster risk reduction and education. This collaborative effort aims to transform teaching and learning methods to equip future generations with the skills to navigate escalating risks and build a more sustainable and equitable future. UNESCO collaborates closely with partners to advance risk governance and climate education, including the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES) and the Greening Education Partnership (GEP), launched in 2022 in the aftermath of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit. Furthermore, UNESCO has developed and implemented various projects and activities to advance climate disaster risk reduction and education, focusing on providing quality education to all, from schoolchildren to professionals in the field, to strengthen their capacity in the built environment.