The implications of climate change for the learning and development of children and youth living in poverty.

Abstract

Education is a key determinant of population health. Climate change is increasingly disrupting education systems worldwide, with disproportionate consequences for children and youth living in poverty. In this Review, we synthesise evidence on how climate change affects learning and development among children and youth (aged ≤24 years) living in poverty within formal educational settings. 29 primary studies published between 2010 and 2024 across 18 countries were included. Climate-related exposures were linked to reduced academic performance, compromised readiness to learn, intensified household and caregiving pressures, damage and disruption to learning environments, and inequities in system capacity. Across diverse geographical contexts, climate-related exposures consistently interacted with poverty to magnify educational disruption and deepen existing inequities. Viewed through a rights-based and intergenerational justice lens, the findings of this Review position educational disruption as a crucial yet neglected dimension of climate-related harm, demanding urgent, equity-centred integration of education within climate adaptation and social protection policies.