Six Lessons on Climate Resilient Schools from the Pacific  

A recent Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative webinar focusing on climate-smart schools in the Pacific – featuring speakers from Tonga, Vanuatu, and Fiji – highlighted the importance of climate resilience, joined-up thinking at national and regional levels, and gender-responsive approaches. Here are six takeaways:  

1. Climate risks are exposing systemic weaknesses in education systems 
Speakers from across the Pacific highlighted how climate change is compounding long-standing vulnerabilities in school infrastructure, governance, planning and financing. Extreme weather events are no longer exceptional disruptions, but recurring shocks that repeatedly damage schools, interrupt learning, and stretch already limited education budgets. 

2. Reactive responses are costing more than prevention 
Participants stressed that education systems remain largely reactive, with funding focused on rebuilding schools after disasters rather than maintaining and strengthening them beforehand. Chronic underinvestment in maintenance leads to compounding damage, higher long-term costs, and repeated learning disruptions after cyclones, floods, and earthquakes. 

3. Integrating climate risk into planning unlocks better finance 
Fiji’s experience demonstrated that systematically assessing school conditions and climate risks – and embedding those findings into national adaptation plans, education strategies, and budget processes – helps align investments with resilience goals and improves access to international climate finance. 

4. Governance and coordination matter as much as funding 
Effective climate-smart education requires clear institutional roles and strong coordination across education ministries, disaster management agencies and partners. Dedicated units for disaster risk reduction and education in emergencies were highlighted as critical to ensuring rapid response, continuity of learning and protected investments. 

5. Safer schools depend on inclusive, gender-responsive approaches 
School-based disaster risk reduction works best when it explicitly addresses inclusion and gender. Speakers emphasised the need to consider disability, gender, socioeconomic status, and other vulnerabilities to ensure that resilience-building efforts protect all learners and reflect how different groups experience climate risks. 

6. Climate-smart education is about continuity, not just infrastructure 
Beyond buildings, the webinar underscored that climate resilience in education means safeguarding teaching, learning and student wellbeing during crises. Climate-smart systems aim to ensure education continues before, during, and after disasters – not simply to rebuild what was lost.