In a bid to protect children’s education from climate hazards, the UN’s Education Cannot Wait (ECW) has announced a $2.5 million grant for Pakistan.
The initiative was launched at the United Nations General Assembly and is part of a broader $5 million package, with the remaining funds allocated to Somalia. The project seeks to mitigate the impact of climate disasters on education, especially in flood-prone areas.
This announcement comes as Pakistan faces recurring climate-induced challenges. In 2022, devastating floods submerged large parts of the country, causing severe damage to infrastructure, schools, and homes. This year alone, floods in Sindh disrupted the education of 230,000 children and damaged more than 1,300 schools, according to UNICEF.
ECW’s grant, to be administered by UNICEF, aims to ensure such disasters do not derail children’s education in the future.
$2.5 million Pakistan grant
The project will span 18 months and will focus on six districts that are particularly vulnerable to flooding. Anticipatory actions will be put in place to prevent major disruptions to education.
“Children in Pakistan are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and are still recovering from the learning losses from the devastating floods of 2022,” said Melissa Corkum, Representative/O.I.C. at UNICEF Pakistan. “This year’s heatwave and monsoon rains have further disrupted education and exacerbated the challenges faced by children.”
One of the key elements of the program is improving the resilience of schools. Corkum emphasized that the funding will be critical in creating climate-resilient educational infrastructure. “By ensuring that schools can continue to operate even in the face of increasing climate shocks and challenges, we can help protect children’s right to education and build a more resilient future,” she said.
The initiative will utilize modern climate forecasting tools to take preemptive actions. In collaboration with local communities and humanitarian agencies, the program aims to build flood-resistant schools, set up early warning systems, and identify alternative spaces that can be used as temporary learning centers. The goal is to ensure that even in the face of severe weather events, children will not be forced to drop out of school. “The exact activities and financing for them will be pre-approved and ready to be activated urgently to stop children from dropping out of school,” ECW stated.
Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable to climate change
Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. The 2022 floods, which affected 33 million people and displaced over 8 million, showcased the urgent need for climate resilience in the country’s education sector. The ECW grant aims to address this by proactively planning for future climate disasters rather than reacting once the damage is done. Anticipatory action, as outlined by ECW, involves using climate modeling to predict floods and other natural disasters and taking steps to minimize their impact on children’s education.
Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, highlighted the broader significance of these anticipatory action pilots.
“The climate crisis is disrupting the education of every girl and boy on Planet Earth. Nowhere are the challenges more severe than on the frontlines of armed conflict, forced displacement and other protracted crises in places like Pakistan and Somalia. These vital pilot investments will allow for fast, dignified and cost-effective actions that protect investments in education,” Sherif said.
Pakistan’s education sector has long been vulnerable to natural disasters, and climate change is exacerbating the problem. By investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and preemptive measures, this initiative hopes to safeguard the future of Pakistan’s children, ensuring that education can continue despite the mounting challenges posed by climate change.