UNESCO report links climate displacement to education access barriers

UNESCO released a regional report analysing how climate change and displacement compromise the right to education in Central America and the Caribbean, drawing on case studies from five countries. The findings, feeding a global report at COP28, highlight the social dimension of climate risk that Indian ESG frameworks increasingly require companies to assess.

UNESCO released a regional report on Central America and the Caribbean examining how climate change and displacement affect the right to education, part of its initiative on The Impacts of Climate Change and Displacement on the Right to Education. Climate impacts displaced over 30 million people globally in 2020 alone. The report includes country case studies from the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Jamaica, and contributes to a global report to be published during COP28 at the end of 2023.

Vulnerable and marginalised populations are most affected, including the financially disadvantaged, irregular migrants, girls and women, rural and Indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities. The report finds Caribbean internal displacement stems from sudden-onset events while Central American displacement often results from drought and drives international migration. Financial barriers, administrative obstacles, lack of documentation, residency and language requirements impede education access. Of the studied countries, only Cuba grants refugee status to those displaced by natural disasters, removing residency-related education barriers.

Indian companies and policymakers assessing social and climate-resilience risks should note the report's evidence that climate displacement deepens educational and social inequalities, relevant to the social pillar of ESG and BRSR disclosures. Entities operating in climate-vulnerable regions should monitor the forthcoming global report at COP28 for policy guidance, and consider community-resilience and education-access dimensions in just-transition planning, recognising that intersectoral national action is identified as necessary to address these barriers.

Key figure — People displaced by climate impacts globally in 2020: over 30 million