According to a World Bank report titled “Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action,” no fewer than 404 million students globally have been affected by climate-related school closures between January 2022 and June 2024.
The report attributes this figure to the temporary shutdown of schools in at least 81 countries due to floods, storms, and heatwaves.
The report highlights that climate change, including flooding, is causing significant school closures. It notes that these disruptions remain largely invisible because they are not systematically tracked by relevant authorities.
Flooding has been a persistent issue, with recent examples including the overflow of the Alau Dam in Borno State, Nigeria, which displaced nearly two million people in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
The National Bureau of Statistics recently reported that students in some parts of Nigeria missed 53 school days due to flooding.
The World Bank report, “Nigeria Flood Impact Recovery Mitigation Assessment Report 2022-2023,” indicated that approximately 1.3 million Nigerians were affected by flooding between July and October 2022, with severely impacted states including Bayelsa, Delta, Anambra, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Jigawa.
The report emphasizes that while education can drive climate action, climate change itself is impeding education.
“Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires, as well as the probability of co-occurring events. These extreme weather events are increasingly disrupting schooling and causing learning losses and dropouts.”
The analysis reveals that over the past 20 years, schools were closed in at least 75 percent of climate-related extreme weather events impacting five million people or more. The frequency and severity of school closures are growing due to climate change, with an estimated 404 million students experiencing closures due to extreme weather events between January 2022 and June 2024.
For less than $20 per student, schools can adapt to minimize learning losses. “Climate-related school closures mean students are losing days of learning. Even when schools are open, rising temperatures continue to affect learning,” the report states.
It suggests that governments can harness education for climate action by improving foundational and STEM skills, mainstreaming climate education, and building teacher capacity. Prioritizing green skills and innovation in tertiary education is also recommended to support the transition to more sustainable practices.
Despite the prevalence of climate-related school closures, the report notes that these disruptions remain largely untracked and invisible. It calls for greater focus on education in climate agendas, highlighting that education reshapes behaviors, develops skills, and drives innovation critical to combating climate change. “Education is a key asset for climate action. Better educated people are more resilient, adaptable, and equipped to work in green jobs, which are essential for driving climate solutions.”
The report underscores that education is often overlooked in climate finance, yet it plays a crucial role in addressing information, skills, and knowledge gaps necessary for effective climate action. An additional year of education, it notes, increases climate awareness by 8.6 percent.
The report also emphasizes the need for a broad range of green skills, including technical, STEM, sector-specific, socio-emotional, and cross-sectoral skills. These skills are essential not only for new jobs but also for enhancing existing roles.
