*Climate change a threat to education, lifetime earnings*
Climate change has emerged as a multifaceted global challenge impacting not only the environment but also various dimensions of human well-being, including education and lifetime earnings. As experts continue to analyse its long-term consequences, evidence highlights that the worsening effects of climate phenomena—ranging from natural disasters to resource scarcity—pose significant challenges to education systems, students, and economic opportunities worldwide.
Studies have found a strong correlation between climate-related disruptions—such as floods, droughts, and extreme weather events—and disruptions in schooling. The United Nations estimates that millions of students globally have their education interrupted annually due to climate disasters. These include forced displacements, destroyed schools, and unsafe travel conditions due to environmental hazards. According to data from UNESCO, as of 2021, at least 40 million children a year across low and middle-income countries experienced severe interruptions to schooling due to climate-linked emergencies. These figures are expected to climb as climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
Countries particularly vulnerable to climate change—such as those in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific—face the greatest risks. Several detailed case studies identify regions where education infrastructure is repeatedly destroyed or severely disrupted as a result of climate-related disasters. For instance, in Mozambique, Cyclone Idai in 2019 destroyed more than 3,400 classrooms, temporarily halting the education of over 300,000 students. Similarly, drought conditions in parts of East Africa have fueled food insecurity, with children in these regions often dropping out of school to assist their families or due to malnutrition-related challenges that hinder learning.
Climate disasters do not merely disrupt the present; they also have cascading effects on students’ future earnings and economic opportunities. A report by the Brookings Institution underlines that incomplete schooling due to climate-related interruptions directly impacts lifetime income potential. Children who drop out of school are less likely to acquire essential skills and qualifications, potentially reducing future earning by as much as 10–20% depending on the severity and duration of their educational gap. The long-term economic costs to families, communities, and even national economies are substantial. This is particularly severe in developing nations, where there is often limited capacity to implement mitigation measures or provide alternative educational opportunities during crises.
Another pivotal challenge posed by climate change stems from its strain on household incomes in affected areas. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and natural resource depletion have negatively impacted agricultural yields, a primary source of income in many low-income regions. As family incomes shrink, households often resort to pulling children out of school to offset financial deficits or to reallocate limited resources toward more immediate needs such as food, water, or shelter. Children from these vulnerable households, especially girls, are disproportionately affected, lowering overall school attendance rates and widening gender disparities in education.
Globally, increasing awareness of these challenges has spurred calls for action, with several international organisations advocating for climate-resilient educational infrastructure and policies. Governments and NGOs have undertaken initiatives to integrate climate adaptation into education planning, focusing on building resilient schools that can withstand climatic shocks. For example, after severe flooding in Bangladesh, reconstruction efforts included elevated classrooms and flood-proof building designs to reduce learning interruptions. Meanwhile, multi-sector interventions in marginalised areas, such as providing financial incentives for continued schooling or implementing school meal programmes, have had moderate degrees of success in mitigating dropout rates.
Critics, however, note the significant funding gaps for scaling these interventions. While the Paris Agreement emphasised climate adaptation financing, a disproportionate share of international climate funding continues to target mitigation (such as renewable energy projects) rather than adaptation, including systems that protect vulnerable education structures. According to the Overseas Development Institute, only 10% of climate finance in 2020 was allocated to adaptation-focused programmes, leaving resource-limited countries struggling to build resilient educational systems. Experts stress that without scaled-up investment, climate-induced disruptions to education will continue to escalate, threatening the futures of many young people globally.
Data gaps remain another challenge for fully understanding the global scope of the issue. While robust research highlights general trends linking climate change to education and long-term economic opportunities, many low-income regions lack comprehensive data on school dropout rates, infrastructure damage, and interrupted attendance due to natural disasters. Additionally, relatively less attention has been afforded to urban areas in high-income contexts. Although poorer nations face disproportionate risks, experts warn that climate stress could also affect education pathways for vulnerable populations even in more developed nations, such as through heatwaves or wildfire evacuations.
Some experts argue that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to quality education and climate action, can offer a pathway toward integrated solutions. SDG 4 (Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) aim to intersect justice-oriented climate adaptation strategies with investments in education equity worldwide. Still, achieving these targets by their intended deadlines has proven challenging amidst competing global priorities.
Broader socio-economic inequalities also compound challenges at the intersection of climate and education. For children from wealthier households, in many cases, climate disruptions are cushioned by access to alternate resources, private tutoring, or relocation to safer educational institutions. In contrast, those from marginalised communities often face compounded risks without the safety nets to recover quickly. Many children displaced by disasters find themselves in camps or shelters where access to schooling remains inconsistent or unavailable for extended periods.
While the need for urgent action is obvious, experts have emphasised the complexity of translating research findings into actionable policies. Strengthening climate resilience in the education sector involves multi-stakeholder collaboration, including national governments, international donors, educators, local communities, and climate scientists. Equally important is the empowerment of students and young people as active participants in these interventions, fostering awareness of environmental risks and sustainable practices within educational curricula.
What remains unequivocal is that climate change is a growing threat to equitable education systems and long-term prosperity. Without more aggressive, well-funded, and globally coordinated responses, the ability of future generations to meet their economic potential could be at risk. While concrete data exists to link climate phenomena to disruptions in schooling and earning potential, some aspects, such as the effectiveness of large-scale adaptation strategies or the full long-term economic costs, remain uncertain and subject to further research.
The intersection of climate change, education, and economic outcomes continues to be a critical area of global concern. Addressing this challenge requires not only robust technical and financial interventions but also a systemic realignment that prioritises resilience and equity across all strata of society.
References:
Original article: https://www.insurancenews.com.au/local/climate-change-a-threat-to-education-lifetime-earnings
Other sources referenced:
– UNESCO reports on education disruption: https://en.unesco.org
– Brookings Institution research on climate disruptions and income: https://www.brookings.edu
– United Nations SDG data: https://sdgs.un.org
– Overseas Development Institute climate finance reports: https://odi.org