BD to strengthen climate, education data to protect children’s learning 

Bangladesh is working to strengthen the integration of climate, disaster and education data to make its education system more resilient to climate change and protect children’s learning from disruptions caused by extreme weather.

Floods, cyclones and heatwaves continue to threaten school infrastructure and disrupt education across the country.
However, climate and education-related information remains fragmented across different institutions, making it difficult to identify vulnerable schools, assess preparedness and prioritize support, according to officials.

To address the challenges, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME), with support from UNESCO, are working to improve coordination among existing information systems and expand the availability of climate-related data for education planning.

A three-day national workshop under the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) concluded at Hotel Holiday Inn in Dhaka on Thursday, bringing together government officials, education planners and technical experts to identify gaps in existing data systems and explore ways to improve information sharing.

The discussions focused on the Annual Primary School Statistics (APSS), including possible revisions to improve the collection of climate-related information.

The workshop focused on reviewing and validating existing education, climate and disaster data sources, assessing information gaps and identifying priority areas for improvement. 

Discussions explored potential revisions to the APSS, stronger data-sharing arrangements and improved interoperability between existing systems, alongside initial considerations for developing climate-related questions and variables for future data collection.

Speaking at the workshop as the chief guest, Delwora Begum, Additional Secretary, Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education (MoE) emphasised the importance of protecting education investments against climate risks.

“When any disaster or extreme heat closes a school, every other investment loses some of its value. So planning for the climate is not an extra task. It protects everything else we build.”

Speaking as Special Guest, Norihide Furukawa, Head of Education at UNESCO Dhaka, highlighted the importance of strengthening existing information systems. He said, “Building climate resilience in education requires more than collecting data. By connecting existing information and addressing critical gaps, we can help education authorities make better-informed decisions to protect schools and sustain learning.”

The workshop was chaired by Rokeya Khaton, ndc, Joint Secretary and Development Wing Chief, Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED), Ministry of Education.

The effort builds on earlier CSESI workshops held in October 2025 and May 2026, which examined climate risks, vulnerabilities and institutional capacities within Bangladesh’s education system.

A further workshop in September 2026 explored climate education in curricula and teacher readiness. Together, these activities contribute to strengthening the evidence and institutional capacities needed to integrate climate resilience into education policies, planning and learning.

Improved access to reliable, interconnected data can help education authorities identify climate-vulnerable schools, guide investments in safer infrastructure, strengthen preparedness and sustain learning opportunities, particularly for children in high-risk and underserved communities.�" UNB