Education in National Adaptation Plan Processes

The report finds that while 98% of analyzed NAPs reference education, there is a significant gap in systemic integration. Only 40% include the education sector in impact, risk, and vulnerability assessments, and only 16% address all three components of a climate-resilient education system: curriculum change, resilient infrastructure, and educational continuity. While 84% of NAPs include education-related priorities, only 27% provide cost estimates for these actions. Institutional gaps are prominent, with only 11% of NAPs showing evidence that education ministries were consulted during the design process. The report also notes that while 94% of NAPs mention children and youth, only 23% reference their rights.

• Education is widely mentioned in National Adaptation Plans, but specific levels of education are prioritized unevenly. While 98% of NAPs reference education or educational institutions, 'schools' (89%) and 'higher education' (85%) are the most cited, whereas early education is the least referenced at 10%.
• There is a significant evidence gap regarding the climate impacts on the education sector, as less than half (40%) of NAPs include the sector in their impact, risk, and vulnerability assessment (IVRA). Within these assessments, only 11% consider the vulnerability of school infrastructure and 16% reference general education disruption.
• Most NAPs include education-related priorities, but they lack a holistic approach to climate-resilient education systems. Only 16% of NAPs cover all three key components: curriculum change and teacher training, resilient school infrastructure, and educational continuity and school safety. Curriculum change is the most common priority (71%), while educational continuity and school safety are the least common (26%).
• Children and youth are frequently mentioned in NAPs, but their legal rights and agency are under-recognized. While 94% of NAPs reference children and youth and 55% acknowledge them as agents of change, only 23% reference their rights and 25% refer to intergenerational equity.
• There is a critical disconnect between the inclusion of education priorities in NAPs and the involvement of education ministries in the planning process. Although 58% of NAPs list the education ministry as an implementing actor, only 11% provide evidence that the ministry was consulted during the NAP's development.
• A major barrier to moving from planning to implementation is the lack of financial planning for education adaptation. Only 27% of NAPs that include education-related priorities or actions provide associated cost estimates.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) for education is underdeveloped in NAP processes. Only 34% of NAPs include education-specific indicators, and 60% of NAPs that have an education priority or action fail to include an associated indicator.

APA

Merryweather, J., & Pham, C. (2025). Education in National Adaptation Plan Processes. NAP Global Network. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/education-nap-processes-V5.pdf

Chicago

Merryweather, Jennifer, and Chi Pham. Education in National Adaptation Plan Processes. NAP Global Network, 2025. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/education-nap-processes-V5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Merryweather |first1=Jennifer |last2=Pham |first2=Chi |title=Education in National Adaptation Plan Processes |publisher=NAP Global Network |date=November 2025 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/education-nap-processes-V5.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{merryweather2025education, author = {Merryweather, Jennifer and Pham, Chi}, title = {{Education in National Adaptation Plan Processes}}, institution = {NAP Global Network}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/education-nap-processes-V5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }