Education in a Changing Climate: A Systematic Review for Low and Middle‐Income Countries (LMICs)

Climate change is a major global challenge that affects many aspects of human life and hinders progress on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One area that has not received enough attention is its impact on children's education in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), which are especially vulnerable to environmental shocks. This paper focuses on SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by presenting a systematic review, guided by the PRISMA framework, of how climate change disrupts children's education in LMICs. We analyzed 21 peer‐reviewed studies published between 1st January 2000 and 18th October 2024. Our findings reveal that climate change disrupts education in two key ways. Directly, extreme weather events like floods and cyclones destroy school buildings and make travel routes unsafe. Indirectly, climate change worsens poverty, forces families to migrate, increases health risks like malaria, cholera and dengue, and creates uncomfortably hot classrooms, all of which push children out of school. Moreover, this review demonstrates that education is a key tool for building resilience. For example, integrating topics such as Climate Change Education and Disaster Risk Reduction Education into the school curriculum equips students and communities with the knowledge and skills to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Finally, we offer recommendations to policymakers, researchers, and educators to help mitigate the impact of climate change on schools in LMICs and support global efforts toward sustainable development.