Exploring the Impacts of Disasters on Education

When disaster strikes, almost every aspect of our lives is impacted, including education. As climate change worsens natural disasters across the globe, understanding and taking dedicated actions to address the impacts of disasters on education is crucial.

Multiplying Disasters

Disasters are getting more frequent and severe. “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019” report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) reported 7,348 major disaster events recorded between 2000 and 2019. Previously, there were 4,212 disaster events between 1980 and 1999. This sharp increase, the report noted, can be attributed to climate-related disasters.

Certain groups, such as women and children, are more vulnerable during disasters than others. In particular, children are at higher risk of abuse and neglect because adults around them have less time and resources during crises. Additionally, children lose their space to play and learn, such as schools, which can significantly affect their physical, mental, cognitive, and socioemotional development.

Overall, these disasters cost millions of lives and damage the sectors, systems, and infrastructures that support people’s lives, including education. What are exactly the impacts of disasters on education?

Impacts of Disasters on Education

Education is one of the sectors most vulnerable to the impacts of disasters. UNICEF’s analysis in a report finds that extreme climate events in 2024 have caused schooling disruptions for at least 242 million students in 85 countries, 74% of whom reside in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

“Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded, or if schools are washed away. Last year, severe weather kept one in seven students out of class, threatening their health and safety, and impacting their long-term education,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

A disaster of huge magnitude can wipe out schools and houses, leaving students and teachers without a proper place to conduct the learning process until rehabilitation takes place. On the other hand, smaller-scale disasters can force repeated school closures, often for sheltering purposes. UNICEF’s report notes that out of the 85 countries, 23 reported experiencing multiple rounds of school closures throughout the year.

Moreover, studies indicate that the time of disasters may also influence enrollment and educational outcomes. In a working paper, experts from the Asian Development Bank find that exposure to disasters within 1,000 days of enrollment negatively affects enrollment period and math skills throughout the school-going years in seven Asian countries. Significant adverse impacts are found in exposure to floods and severe disasters.

Building Climate-Resilient Education

Education is still often overlooked in disaster-response and climate-mitigation frameworks. Without dedicated intervention, disasters can exacerbate preexisting challenges in education and learning crises, especially in low-income countries.

As climate change is expected to aggravate the level and frequency of disasters in the following years, strengthening disaster response in the education sector is crucial. Some ways to mitigate the impacts of disasters on education include investing in a climate-resilient education system to build safe school buildings, adaptive learning processes, and suitable learning and teaching materials on climate and disasters.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

Kresentia Madina

Reporter at Green Network Asia | Website | + posts

Madina is the Assistant Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Green Network Asia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Studies from Universitas Indonesia. As part of the GNA In-House Team, she supports the organization's multi-stakeholder engagement across international organizations, governments, businesses, civil society, and grassroots communities through digital publications, events, capacity building, and research.