Climate change education for sustainable development in Small Island Developing States: report and recommendations

This report summarizes the key outcomes of a three-day meeting which discussed and reflected on the challenges that climate change poses to education systems in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and on the role, that education must play in adaptation to climate change. Acknowledging that SIDS are already confronted with the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and changes in weather and climate extremes such as droughts, floods and tropical cyclones/hurricanes, it considers the need for them to reduce their vulnerability to climate change by strengthening their adaptive capacity through risk assessment, informed decision on how to adapt their livelihoods, homes and communities, education of girls and women, educational programmes that explicitly prepare communities for natural disasters and education systems and infrastructure equipped to prepare for climate change.

Panel II specifically addresses the reduction of the impacts of natural disasters through education responses to disaster preparedness, coping with disasters and reducing the risk. It summarizes the speakers' interventions and presents good practices from the Philippines, the Caribbean region and Guyana, as well as some recommendations linking preparations and actions for disaster risk reduction to climate change adaptation.