Integrating Climate Data in Education
Bangladesh Strengthens Climate Data Integration in Education
- Three-day national workshop ends in Dhaka with UNESCO
- Initiative to identify vulnerable schools and maintain education
- Focus on using climate risk data in educational planning
Bangladesh is strengthening the integration of climate, disaster, and education data to address disruptions in learning and infrastructural damage caused by floods, cyclones, and heatwaves. This initiative aims to identify schools at risk, prioritize investments in safe infrastructure, and ensure the continuity of children's education even during disasters.
The three-day national workshop, organized with the cooperation of UNESCO, concluded on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at a hotel in Dhaka. During the workshop, government officials and experts discussed coordinating education and climate information systems, sharing data, and utilizing climate risk data in educational planning.
The workshop placed significant emphasis on improving data collection methods for the Annual Primary School Census (APSS), enhancing connectivity among existing information systems, and incorporating new climate-related data indicators.
Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Delowara Begum, Additional Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Ministry of Education, stated that when schools are closed due to disasters or severe heatwaves, the benefits of other investments in the education sector diminish. Therefore, taking climate factors into consideration in educational planning is a vital way to safeguard overall investments.
Norihide Furuwaka, Head of the Education Unit at UNESCO Dhaka Office, stated that merely collecting data is not enough to build a climate-resilient education system. He added that education authorities must be assisted in making effective decisions through the coordination of existing information and addressing data gaps.
Stakeholders stated that reliable and integrated data will help identify schools at high risk from climate change and strengthen disaster preparedness. This initiative will particularly play a crucial role in maintaining the continuity of education for children in vulnerable and disadvantaged areas.
Led by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, this initiative is being implemented with the technical support of UNESCO and the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning. It is financed by the Global Partnership for Education.
//DBTech/SC/DE/OE//
