How Schools Can Stay Open Amid Disasters: Six Key Strategies
Children are often the first to suffer when disasters strike, facing serious threats to their safety, health, and education. According to UNICEF, nearly a billion children worldwide live in countries classified as “extremely high risk” due to climate change. In 2024 alone, over 242 million students experienced school disruptions due to climate-related hazards, with floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes damaging thousands of schools globally. Between 2015 and 2021, data from the Sendai Framework Monitor recorded more than half a million schools being either destroyed or severely impacted.
Schools play a critical role in disaster response, often doubling as emergency shelters and community centers, providing safety and continuity in education. Beyond this, they also serve as spaces for disa...