What is the context?
Pakistan’s ranking of 14 out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s child-focused climate risk index is indicative of the vulnerability of children and adolescents to climate change . Climate-related disasters have exacerbated the ongoing education crisis and inequalities in the country. Despite the high frequency and magnitude of climate change-related emergencies in Pakistan, the implementation of disaster management policies continues to be a challenge, and climate and disaster management policies are often not integrated into education sector policies, and vice versa. Disruptions caused by climate-related disasters therefore continue to hinder provision of high quality, inclusive education, disproportionately impacting those facing social disadvantage, such as young people living in rural areas, low-income families, and children and adolescents with disabilities.
The Data and Research in Education – Research Consortium (DARE-RC) aims to understand the challenges facing Pakistan’s education system and explore potential solutions to these issues. Informed by the study ‘Resilient education system for adolescent learners in Pakistan’, this policy brief focuses on the resilience of education system and highlights the importance of understanding the contextual impacts of climate change on learners, educators, families, and communities, and engaging them in the development of more effective policies to increase the resilience of the education sector to climate shocks. Building on existing global frameworks and recent policy developments in Pakistan, this brief suggests opportunities to more effectively mainstream disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation into education policy and planning at national and provincial levels.
What did we learn?
● Pakistan ranks 14 out of 163 countries in UNICEF’s child-focused climate risk index. Its children and adolescents are vulnerable to climate change and, especially, its impact on their education. This brief highlights what a climate-resilient education system requires, and where Pakistan falls short.
● Adolescents have faced floods, heatwaves, cold spells, and pollution. These disasters disrupt learning, causing roughly 2-3 months of unplanned school closures a year as well as school dropouts. They also harm students’ physical and mental health directly, with additional challenges for girls during menstruation.
● Learning gaps and dropouts are exacerbated by mobility barriers due to infrastructure damage, which displaces families and makes travelling to school unsafe for students, particularly girls and learners with disabilities. If schools shift to remote learning, the digital divide holds some students back, especially girls, disabled learners and rural students.
● Climate resilience is held back by systemic challenges: inadequate school, road and transport infrastructure, gaps in curriculum and climate resilience-focused teacher training. At the same time, students, parents, and communities desire a stronger role in disaster-preparedness, which can enhance school disaster planning and resilience.
● Climate resilience needs to be built into education policy and Education Sector Plans, with a focus on inclusivity for more vulnerable children. Ensure data is collected to monitor impacts on school infrastructure, dropout rates, and climate resilience — especially for vulnerable groups — so it can inform evidence-based policies and budgetary allocations.
● Better preparing schools also means embedding climate change within teacher training and curricula, backed by stronger coordination across government agencies and deeper engagement with local authorities and communities.
How did we learn this?
This study explored what resilient education means for adolescents (ages 10–19), their teachers, education authorities, and communities in Pakistan. Grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR), the study gathered context-specific insights and experiences of climate change-induced disasters and their impact on education continuity, health and wellbeing and how those intersect with the resilience of the education system in Pakistan. Through inclusive and action-oriented methods, this research generated locally relevant evidence that can inform more adaptive, inclusive, and resilient educational practices and policies.
The study was conducted in 16 mainstream and 2 special education schools across urban and rural Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh. Data were collected through 55 focus group discussions, nine key informant interviews, participatory geospatial mapping, and photovoice, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. A total of 173 participants including adolescent learners with and without disability, 117 parents and 117 teachers participated in FGDs. Nine stakeholders participated in KIIs. Adolescent participants included 75 boys and 73 girls, and all were in Grade 8 or above.
Key study components were:
1. Participatory focused group discussions (FGDs) and community mapping with adolescent learners with and without disabilities;
2. Focus Groups Discussions with teachers and parents;
3. Key Informant Interviews with representatives from education, disaster management and climate change sectors from provincial and national level;
4. Geographical information system mapping and photovoice with peer researchers.
5. A validation workshop with key stakeholders from the education, disaster risk reduction and climate change sectors, representatives from I/NGOs, and organisations of persons with disabilities.
