Getting Ahead of Climate Hazards: Education Cannot Wait and Strategic Partners Accelerate Anticipatory Action

As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly and Summit of the Future, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced two ground-breaking anticipatory action pilots in Pakistan and Somalia.   

The US$5 million package includes a US$2.5 million grant in Somalia and a US$2.5 million grant in Pakistan. These grants will support communities to proactively reduce the devastating impact of future climate hazards on children’s education by putting in place anticipatory measures that will keep children learning.

Both countries are highly vulnerable to climate hazards, specifically flooding. Last year in Somalia, a Super El Niño event caused flooding that affected 905,000 boys and girls. Floods this September in the Sindh Province of Pakistan put education on hold for 230,000 children and damaged over 1,300 schools, according to UNICEF. 

Anticipatory Action is acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold. Modern day climate modelling means that many climate shocks like floods and cyclones can now be predicted – and prepared for – in advance. Sadly, this is not happening with regularity. This means that many millions of children are deprived of access to learning for months on end after a climate hazard hits their community. 

“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 and other humanitarian sectors. They are an essential component in our global efforts to deliver on the goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. We urge donors to join us – Right Here, Right Now – to accelerate, scale-up and replicate these innovative investments to sustain and support the direct link between climate change and education. That means to prevent disruption in education, while improving the quality, impact and sustainability of our global investments in education,” said Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations. 

The Pakistan grant, delivered by UNICEF, will pilot anticipatory actions over 18 months across six districts in Pakistan that are highly vulnerable to flooding. The investment seeks to reduce disruption to learning for children and their communities during riverine floods, reduce drop-out rates, and minimize damage to schools by investing in resilient infrastructure and proactive risk management strategies. 

“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, UNICEF Pakistan. “This year’s heatwave and monsoon rains have further disrupted education and exacerbated the challenges faced by children.”

Corkum underscored that ECW's funding is crucial for investing in climate-resilient schools and anticipatory measures to help communities proactively reduce the impact of future climate hazards on children's education. “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.

Cutting-edge analysis will monitor water levels and enable preventative action through established in-country humanitarian coordination structures. Affected communities will themselves help choose the most suitable form of anticipatory action to safeguard their children’s education. Some of these activities may include pre-positioning emergency educational supplies in safe locations, creating early warning systems, flood-proofing school buildings, finding alternative buildings for use as public shelters, or mobilizing short-term learning opportunities when climate hazards strike. 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. 

The Somalia grant  will be delivered by the Norwegian Refugee Council. It will provide life-saving access to education for girls and boys impacted by massive floods, enhance preparedness to respond to sudden onset emergencies, and create an anticipatory action framework to protect schoolchildren from future climate hazards.

Worldwide, ECW estimates that approximately 62 million crisis-impacted children have been adversely impacted by climate hazards since 2020. Without access to quality education, these children face grave risks including gender-based violence, forced recruitment into armed groups, and other violations of their human rights. 

ECW’s climate appeal was launched at COP28 in Dubai. The appeal calls for world leaders, the private sector and other key stakeholders to urgently mobilize US$150 million in additional funding for ECW’s climate and education programmes. At COP28, Denmark announced approximately US$6.5 million in additional funding to Education Cannot Wait to scale-up access to quality educational opportunities for girls and boys living on the frontlines of the climate crisis.