Climate-related disasters have already cost education systems in Eastern and Southern Africa trillions of shillings (some billions of US dollars) in recent years Kenya included, a new report by the UN and partners says.
The report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Dalberg: Protecting Children’s Learning Futures: Quantifying Climate-Related Loss and Damage in Eastern and Southern Africa shows that the disasters have resulted in Sh168 billion ($1.3 billion) in direct loss and damage to schools and teaching infrastructure.
According to the findings, the climate phenomena has already disrupted learning for 130 million children in these regions. In 2024, floods in Kenya disrupted schooling and widened gender gaps in re-enrollment, particularly for girls and children with disabilities.
It also indicates that the disruptions have resulted in about Sh18 trillion ($140 billion) in lost future earnings, which could rise to Sh49.24 trillion ($380 billion) by 2050 as climate impacts intensify and affect up to 520 million students.
“Children are paying the highest price for a crisis they did not create,” said Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “For the first time, this report shows the scale of climate-related loss and damage to education, yet the impact on children remains largely invisible in financing decisions. This must change.”
And as the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) Board meets in Zambia, new analysis highlights urgent need to mobilize financing and strengthen education systems to address climate-related loss and damage and protect children’s learning.
The UNICEF and Dalberg report includes in-depth analysis from Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia and Zambia, demonstrating how increasing and more intense extreme weather events – including floods, droughts, cyclones and heatwaves – are destroying school infrastructure, forcing children out of classrooms, and disproportionately affecting girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
Zambia’s experience illustrates the scale and human toll. Between 2005 and 2024, floods and droughts disrupted learning for 5 million students and caused approximately Sh8 billion (USD 60 million) in immediate education infrastructure losses, while reducing future earnings by up to Sh645.4 billion (USD 5 billion).
The severe 2023–2024 El Niño drought in Southern Africa, one of the worst in decades, left nearly 10 million people without food, water, or power, forcing schools to reduce hours, close temporarily, or send students home early. Rural children and girls were disproportionately affected, with many dropping out to support family livelihoods or facing increased child marriage risks.
Despite these impacts, education receives less than 1.5 per cent of global climate finance, leaving education systems exposed to repeated cycles of loss and recovery.
The UNICEF and Dalberg analysis shows that strengthening schools to withstand climate shocks not only protects education but delivers strong economic returns, with every Sh129 ($1) invested generating up to Sh1,677.91 ($13) in benefits by reducing damage and interruptions, safeguarding learning continuity, and preserving children’s long-term development and productivity.
“Without stronger prioritization in climate finance, education will continue to bear the brunt of climate impacts, driving repeated disruption,” continued Kadilli. “We must design education systems that anticipate shocks, protect early and foundational learning, and keep schools open. Otherwise, the true cost of climate loss and damage will be measured in lost human potential.”
