Resource Roundup: Seven Resources to Confront Climate Change Through Education

In 2022, USAID commemorated Earth Day by launching its Climate Strategy guiding the Agency’s humanitarian and development work over the next ten years. USAID’s education programming plays a critical role in addressing challenges posed by climate change. USAID’s Center for Education works to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities to adapt to and overcome climate challenges. USAID Education programming helps create strong education systems that can implement proactive measures to reduce climate shocks and stressors in the long-term. This roundup highlights resources from the Center for Education to advance the goals of the Agency’s Climate Strategy. 

1. Advancing Climate Action in and through Education
This interim guidance summarizes the challenges climate change poses to education infrastructure and learning outcomes. It outlines the various ways in which education can contribute to climate action and the six climate action strategies for USAID Education Programming. (Full technical guidance coming soon) 

2. Climate-relevant Education Programming Inventory Analysis
This analysis, published in October 2022, provides an overview of USAID’s climate and education-relevant programming. The analysis aims to elucidate how and where USAID is advancing climate action in and through education. The analysis answers the guiding question: “How is the education sector supporting climate action?”

3. Education for Climate Action Activities 
This analysis, published in October 2022, is an illustrative list of climate and education-relevant programming by themes derived from data in the FY2020 Performance Plan and Report.

4. Climate Change and Higher Ed: Education Outcomes and Roles of Universities
This webinar organized by USAID's YouthPower 2: Learning and Evaluation Activity’s Higher Education Engagement and Transformation Community of Practice (CoP) focuses on findings on how rising temperatures are affecting education outcomes and how universities are taking action. This presentation provides a quick overview of the webinar, speakers, and the resources shared. 

5. A gender aspect to climate change and education: Dimensions and examples of the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change, the role of women as agents of change and opportunities for women
Is there a gender aspect to the climate crisis and education? You can find out by exploring this research by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC Secretariat finds that “Child marriage, which is considered an act of gender-based violence, has been observed in various communities as a means of coping, to secure funds or assets, and recover losses experienced due to climate-related disasters. [These events] disproportionately affect women and girls and their ability to perform their everyday tasks, which partly explains why some girls are forced to drop out of school.”

6. Aiming Higher: Elevating Meaningful Youth Engagement for Climate Action
This guidance explores what meaningful youth engagement in climate action looks like, both conceptually and practically. It identifies dimensions and pathways that support meaningful youth participation and provides actionable recommendations for climate action.

7. Mind the Gap 2: Seeking Safe and Sustainable Solutions for Girls’ Education in Crises
This report builds on the findings of Mind the Gap: The State of Girls’ Education in Crisis and Conflict, first published by the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) in 2021. One of the  focus of the report is Girls’ education and climate change. It seeks to understand how girls’ education is impacted by climate change; how girls’ education can support resilience in the face of climate change and mitigate the effects of climate change; and how to enable girls to find their voices to address climate issues.

Are you interested in learning more about the Center for Education’s Earth Day Activities and Climate Change related efforts? Sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Twitter (@USAIDEducation) and Facebook.