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Climate Disasters Hit Girls' Education Hardest
10 Sep
Summary
- Girls face higher dropout risks due to climate-linked school disruptions.
- Over 171 million students in 106 countries had education affected.
- Lost learning could cause lifetime income losses exceeding $200 billion.
Climate change is significantly impacting girls' access to education, with UNICEF reporting that extreme weather events pose a greater risk of dropout for female students. Last year, disruptions caused by heatwaves, storms, and wildfires affected over 171 million students in 106 countries.
Girls are particularly vulnerable when schools are damaged or closed, facing increased domestic responsibilities and a higher likelihood of child marriage, which hinders their return to education. Storms were the most frequent cause of disruption, impacting 109 million students globally.
UNICEF estimates that approximately half of the world's children live in areas at very high risk of climate shocks. The cumulative effect of lost learning could result in lifetime income losses of at least $200 billion, exacerbating global inequalities, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries.
The agency urges governments to invest in climate-resilient educational facilities to protect learning environments from future climate and environmental hazards.
