What's happened
UNICEF reports that about one in ten learners worldwide faced school disruptions in 2025 due to climate hazards, with storms, floods, heatwaves and droughts impacting 106 countries. Girls face higher dropout risks, and the report calls for stronger climate resilience in education systems and increased funding to protect learning during emergencies.
What's behind the headline?
Context and what it means
- Climate hazards have shifted from occasional shocks to recurring disruptions affecting hundreds of millions of school days.
- The biggest driver remains storms; floods and heatwaves are close behind, with droughts adding a longer horizon of risk.
- Girls are disproportionately impacted, facing higher dropout risks due to caregiving duties, water collection, and potential child marriage in some settings.
What policymakers should consider
- Invest in climate-resilient school infrastructure and continuity plans during emergencies.
- Integrate climate education into curricula to empower adaptation.
- Scale financing for education resilience, focusing on the most vulnerable regions.
What’s next
- Countries will need to implement data systems that track disruptions and learning outcomes to adjust policies in real time.
- International partners should align climate and education funding to close the resilience gap.
How we got here
The UNICEF analysis aggregates data from 106 countries and territories to quantify how climate hazards disrupted schooling in 2025. It builds on changing methodologies and highlights that the most common disruptions came from storms, floods and heatwaves. The data show that three-quarters of affected students live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, where systems lack robust resilience. The report also stresses the long-term economic impact of learning losses and outlines concrete actions for governments.
Our analysis
UNICEF's Global Snapshot on Climate-Related School Disruptions (2025) is released across UNICEF and UN-affiliated outlets. All Africa and Arab News report on the same findings with regional context. Direct quotes from Catherine Russell highlight the urgency and focus on girls' risk. See UNICEF press materials cited by All Africa and Arab News for variations in emphasis.
Go deeper
- What steps are your local schools taking to protect learning during extreme weather?
- How might financing for climate-resilient schools affect local education budgets?
- What can parents do to support continuity of learning when classes are disrupted?
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UNICEF - Agency
The United Nations Children's Fund is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.U.N. headquarters is based in New York City, it is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare o
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