91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ

Nepal’s vulnerability to climate change varies by data sources, ranking from the 4th to 10th most climate-vulnerable country, and it has witnessed a range of environmental calamities and extreme weather events over the past few decades. Nepal is highly prone to natural disasters that carry a high risk of mortality. The Terai plains in the south are particularly exposed to seasonal floods caused by monsoonal rains and complex river systems, exacerbated by the construction of embankments along the rivers. The hill and mountain regions, with their fragile ecosystems, are highly susceptible to landslides and debris flows. Due to global warming, snow and ice are melting rapidly in the Himalayas, causing glacial lakes to expand and increasing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which have the potential to cause catastrophic flash floods in far-downstream areas. Nepal has been experiencing a temperature rise and precipitation changes at a higher rate than the global average, leading to prolonged dry spells and an increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts, particularly during the winter months. A drier environment and reduced rainfall in winter have also led to an increase in forest fires in recent years.

Many schools in Nepal are located in disaster-prone areas (e.g., on riverbanks and steep terrain), exposing students to high flood and landslide risks. Hydro-meteorological hazards have been disrupting student access to education and exposing learners to multiple risks when attempting to attend school during climate-induced disruptions. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize and address the interconnectedness of the climate crisis and the learning crisis, particularly in the context of Nepal, where the adverse effects of climate change significantly impact the education sector.

While Nepal does not contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, its susceptibility to climate change underscores the necessity of fostering a climate-smart education system from a climate justice perspective—one that enhances the resilience of schools and learners and promotes adaptation measures in the face of growing risks. It is also important to ensure that the country’s young population is equipped with evidence-based knowledge about the impacts of climate change globally, nationally, and locally, so they can make informed decisions to adapt to these changes.

The significance of education as a change agent for climate change adaptation and mitigation has been underscored for decades; however, there is limited research and literature on the interrelation between climate change and education in Low-Income Countries (LICs) and Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). While there is an increasing body of research that explores the detrimental impacts of climate change on education, there is not enough evidence regarding methods to safeguard education from the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, nor the role of education in tackling climate change in developing nations. Furthermore, the lack of coherent strategies for leveraging climate change education to promote adaptation and mitigation is evident, and the intricate link between climate change education and pro-environmental behaviour remains elusive.

Despite the existing dearth of evidence, it is worthwhile to invest in exploring the potential of education in equipping the next generation to address both climate change and the biodiversity crisis, fostering their capacity for mitigation and adaptation. Therefore, prioritizing a comprehensive strategy that employs education to impart actionable knowledge and foster systemic understanding can profoundly impact pro-environmental behaviour. To maximize its influence, the education system should embrace a holistic and lifelong learning approach by incorporating climate change education into policies, implementation mechanisms, curricula, and initiatives.

• To mitigate development reversals and the risks and vulnerabilities that school children, education personnel and local communities face due to climate change (including disasters), in areas identified at highest risk of climate change impacts.

• Leverage the transformative power of education by enhancing climate change understanding and resilience through climate smart learning and teaching content, and training materials for educators and curriculum developers.

• Model scalable approaches in schools to limit the impacts of climate change, reduce carbon emissions and adopt carbon offset schemes, and promote community-level adaptation and resilience building actions to address climate change risks.

• Scale up Nepal’s comprehensive school safety integrating climate change adaptation and resilience building to promote green schools and climate resilience education.

• Support all three tiers of government (federal, provincial, and local) to develop climate smart, green and resilient education policies, plans and budgets.

• Review and map existing tools, policies and guidelines
• co-creation policy workshops on climate smart strategies for schools. 
• Policy dialogue on climate smart, green and resilient education. 
• Integrate CSES module into local SESPs plans and budgets. 
• Roll out NEC climate smart orientation package 
• Update the Green School Guidelines
• Update the CSS school level risk analysis tool 
• development of a Climate Smart Education approach paper 
• Develop accreditation module for climate smart, green and resilient schools 
• Update the Comprehensive School Minimum Package 
• Develop guidance on mitigation and adaptation at school level
• Review and map existing curriculum and teacher development tools 
• Develop resource materials for textbooks
• Develop contextualized curriculum on climate change education 
• Resource materials for teachers to contextualize and incorporate climate change
• Training of Trainers to contextualize climate change
• Teacher training on climate change
• Development of a database of climate change education resources
• Model school designs that climate smart and shock responsive
• Orientation on Comprehensive School Safety and climate smart practices 
• Develop a customized carbon footprint calculator 
• Adapt low-cost climate actions in School Improvement Plan
• Establish new child/ eco-clubs or support existing ones to drive climate-smart community actions
• Promote climate-smart and greening school actions through mass and social media campaigns 
• establish participatory governance system for deciding locally relevant and indigenous climate action initiatives.