a report: unesco experts meeting on climate change education
DESCRIPTION
UNESCO Experts Meeting in Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development and Adaptation In Small Island Developing States, 21-23 Sept, 2011, Nassau, BahamasTRANSCRIPT
2011
Vilimaka Foliaki
School of Education, USP
10/18/2011
UNESCO Experts Meeting on Climate Change
Education for Sustainable Development in Small
Island Developing States (SIDS)
21 – 23 September 2011, Nassau, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas
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T O T H E F A C U L T Y O F A R
T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T H
UNESCO EXPERT MEETING ON CLIMATE
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ISLAND DEVELOPING ST
21
NASSAU, THE COMMONWE
We all recognise that teachers are the best channels of knowledge in our
world and therefore, we must equip them with the knowledge and
confidence to lead in this global mission to educate our citizen
their lifestyles and their unchecked desires for comfort have made our
planet vulnerable.
(Hon. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Education of The Bahamas, 2011)
Introduction
General
The UNESCO Experts Meeting on
and Adaptation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was held
in Nassau, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas. This three
A Report to the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific,
School of Education, USP
A R E P O R T T O T H E F A C U L T Y O F A R T S , L A W A N D E D U C A T I O
T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F T H E S O U T H P A C I F I C
EETING ON CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION FOR
EVELOPMENT AND ADAPTATION IN SM
ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS)
21-23 SEPTEMBER 2011
NASSAU, THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS
We all recognise that teachers are the best channels of knowledge in our
world and therefore, we must equip them with the knowledge and
confidence to lead in this global mission to educate our citizens about how
their lifestyles and their unchecked desires for comfort have made our
(Hon. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Education of The Bahamas, 2011)
Meeting on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development
and Adaptation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was held from 21 to 23 September
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas. This three-day international conference
University of the South Pacific,
T S , L A W A N D E D U C A T I O N ,
E S O U T H P A C I F I C
DUCATION FOR
AND ADAPTATION IN SMALL
ALTH OF THE BAHAMAS
We all recognise that teachers are the best channels of knowledge in our
s about how
their lifestyles and their unchecked desires for comfort have made our
(Hon. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Education of The Bahamas, 2011)
Sustainable Development
from 21 to 23 September
day international conference
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Suva, Fiji.| School of Education, USP
was organised by UNESCO’s section for Education for Sustain
collaborative support from the Governments of Japan, Denmark
Opening remarks were delivered
of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Other notable and distinguished
spoke during the opening session include
General Conference of UNESCO,
Natural Sciences at UNESCO. The infamous
video greeting.
Participants
In attendance, however, were 76
scientists, educators, curriculum developers, teachers,
development agencies, educational networks and civil society
(New Zealand), Live and Learn
(Samoa), Caritas (Kiribati), Pacific Resources for Education and Learning
Ministry of Education of the Cook Islands.
Rationale
Climate change is the result of decades of
even though the contribution of SIDS to climate change
hardest hit by the high costs of
Climate change is a serious threat not only to the economic viability of SIDS, but also to
their cultural survival and territorial integrity.
characteristics of SIDS make them highly vulnerable to climate change with more
and severity than anywhere else in the world.
Education is seen as an area which can enhance the capacity of populations, SIDS in
particular, to cope with the challenges that are brought about by climate change.
purpose of the conference was
A Report to the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific,
School of Education, USP
UNESCO’s section for Education for Sustainable Development, with
collaborative support from the Governments of Japan, Denmark, and The Bahamas.
delivered by Hon T. Desmond Bannister, the Minister of Education
of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Other notable and distinguished guests who also
spoke during the opening session include H.E. Dr. Davidson Hepburn, ODE, President of the
General Conference of UNESCO, Ms. Gretchen Kalonji the Assistant-Director
he infamous Hollywood actor Forest Whittaker
were 76 participants from 29 countries. There were climate
curriculum developers, teachers, and representatives of multilateral
educational networks and civil society. The majority were from
SIDS in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific
Ocean, and the Caribbean
representing a multidisciplinary
diverse group of stakeholders.
There were also participants
different government ministrie
the Bahamas as well as
organising countries
Denmark.
The delegates from the Pacific
include representatives from the
University of the South Pacific
University of Waikato
Zealand), University of Auckland
(Fiji), South Pacific Regional Environmental Program
Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (Hawaii),
of the Cook Islands.
decades of unsustainable use of the Earth’s resources.
ibution of SIDS to climate change may be insignificant, they are the
high costs of sea-level rise, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones.
Climate change is a serious threat not only to the economic viability of SIDS, but also to
their cultural survival and territorial integrity. The geographical and economical
characteristics of SIDS make them highly vulnerable to climate change with more
and severity than anywhere else in the world.
Education is seen as an area which can enhance the capacity of populations, SIDS in
particular, to cope with the challenges that are brought about by climate change.
as therefore to develop a roadmap to promoting education as
University of the South Pacific,
able Development, with
and The Bahamas.
Hon T. Desmond Bannister, the Minister of Education
guests who also
H.E. Dr. Davidson Hepburn, ODE, President of the
Director-General,
Whittaker also sent a
There were climate
representatives of multilateral
majority were from
SIDS in the Indian Ocean, the Pacific
Ocean, and the Caribbean,
representing a multidisciplinary
diverse group of stakeholders.
participants from
different government ministries in
as well as other the
organising countries Japan and
The delegates from the Pacific
include representatives from the
University of the South Pacific (Fiji),
University of Waikato (New
University of Auckland
South Pacific Regional Environmental Program
(Hawaii), and the
unsustainable use of the Earth’s resources. And
insignificant, they are the
droughts, floods and tropical cyclones.
Climate change is a serious threat not only to the economic viability of SIDS, but also to
The geographical and economical
characteristics of SIDS make them highly vulnerable to climate change with more urgency
Education is seen as an area which can enhance the capacity of populations, SIDS in
particular, to cope with the challenges that are brought about by climate change. A general
to develop a roadmap to promoting education as
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an important means to enhancing adaptation to climate change in the context of
sustainable development. Such roadmap with accompanying
as UNESCO’s contribution to three
1. 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
in December 2011,
2. Rio+ 20 Conference in June 2012, and
3. End-of-Decade Conference of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development in Japan 2014.
The above events will then set the stage for the remainder of the UN Decade of
for Sustainable Development (2005
Nature of conference
The conference consisted mainly of presentations and critical discussions of research and
concept papers structured around four thematic areas of climate change education for
adaptation in SIDS:
1. Target the most affected and
vulnerable;
2. Draw from a variety of
knowledge sources;
3. Prepare for disaster;
4. Heritage sites as learning sites.
On the evening of Thursday 22
September, the participants were also
invited to a public lecture at the College
of the Bahamas in which high-profile government officers spoke on
implication for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
My area of interest: Using ICT to enhance adaptive capacity to Climate change
Major challenges to effective climate change adaptation
among many, 1) ineffective dissemination of
networking, organisation, and collaboration between stakeholders.
A paper which I presented at th
1. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), social media in particular,
the potential to enhance the capacity of SIDS to adapt to climate change.
2. Our ability to adapt to climate change
as a social group.
ICT is widely used around the world
trends. In the area of natural disaster, ICT
and preparedness. It is also being
improve communication and relationships
A Report to the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific,
School of Education, USP
an important means to enhancing adaptation to climate change in the context of
sustainable development. Such roadmap with accompanying recommendations will serve
three future conferences:
17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Rio+ 20 Conference in June 2012, and
Decade Conference of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development in Japan 2014.
set the stage for the remainder of the UN Decade of
stainable Development (2005-2014).
conference consisted mainly of presentations and critical discussions of research and
concept papers structured around four thematic areas of climate change education for
Target the most affected and
Heritage sites as learning sites.
On the evening of Thursday 22nd
September, the participants were also
invited to a public lecture at the College
profile government officers spoke on Climate Change and its
implication for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Using ICT to enhance adaptive capacity to Climate change
Major challenges to effective climate change adaptation (and mitigation) initiatives include,
among many, 1) ineffective dissemination of climate change information, and 2
networking, organisation, and collaboration between stakeholders.
at this conference put forward two main ideas:
Information and communication technologies (ICTs), social media in particular,
enhance the capacity of SIDS to adapt to climate change.
to climate change is determined by our ability to act collectively
is widely used around the world to improve the understanding of climate change
. In the area of natural disaster, ICT has provided new tools that improve planning
also being used to facilitate the exchange of resources
relationships within networks or communities of people.
University of the South Pacific,
an important means to enhancing adaptation to climate change in the context of
recommendations will serve
17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Decade Conference of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
set the stage for the remainder of the UN Decade of Education
conference consisted mainly of presentations and critical discussions of research and
concept papers structured around four thematic areas of climate change education for
imate Change and its
Using ICT to enhance adaptive capacity to Climate change
initiatives include,
information, and 2) ineffective
Information and communication technologies (ICTs), social media in particular, has
enhance the capacity of SIDS to adapt to climate change.
is determined by our ability to act collectively
improve the understanding of climate change
has provided new tools that improve planning
the exchange of resources and to
communities of people.
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Many web-based ICT tools such as Web 2.0 tools are free and interactive. As long as people
have access to the internet, these tools, such as social networks, have the potential to
enhance social capital by improving communication, building trust, and opening up
opportunities for sharing.
Adaptation to climate change impinges on people’s comfort. People are expected to make
sacrifices and compromises when climate change adaptation initiatives are implemented. It
is only within a culture of trust and reciprocity that we expect individuals to make
responsible choices for the common good. ICT, Web 2.0 in particular, have the potential to
build effective collective adaptation to climate change.
The Recommendations
Based on the issues raised and discussed in the conference, the participants drafted
recommendations for consideration and adoption by all stakeholders engaged in climate
change education for sustainable development and adaptation in SIDS.
These highlight the need to:
1. Take into account the interdisciplinary nature of Climate Change Education for
Sustainable Development (CCESD), which is an integral part of Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD). CCESD should be integrated across curricula at all levels to ensure
learning across the life-cycle. It should encompass formal, non-formal and informal
education. A holistic approach to CCESD must recognize the complexities of climate
change, addressing – and drawing upon – a range of disciplines and areas of expertise,
including climate science, policy, law, ethics, sociology, economics and culture, and aim for
the more effective and inclusive sharing of such knowledge. It must be guided by
considerations of equity and the impact of climate change on society.
2. Link the local and global perspectives. To be effective and relevant to the learner, CCESD
should be contextualized and linked to local phenomena and issues by covering topics
such as food security, water resources, gender equality, and human security in pursuing
livelihoods of choice. This local focus must be linked to the global perspective, creating
an understanding of the causes and ethical implications of climate change at the
global level.
3. Build teachers’ and educators’ capacities to deliver accurate information, integrate
local content, and promote critical thinking about and take action on climate change
mitigation and adaptation. Promote the reform of teacher education institutions while
ensuring the immediate delivery of community-oriented in-service training and mentoring
for teachers to gain confidence in teaching CCESD content.
4. Further encourage the development of pedagogies that support quality education,
with special emphasis on the development of knowledge, skills, values and competencies
required to mitigate and adapt to climate change in SIDS, including quality mathematics
and science education. This will require replacing traditional, rote-learning methodologies
with problem-solving, inquiry-based and future-oriented learning anchored in the
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local community, enhancing the quality of mathematics and science education as well as
greening technical and vocational education and training.
5. Adjust educational planning to climate change, taking into account the impacts of climate
change on migration patterns and school enrolment, infrastructure maintenance and
personnel, as well as disaster risk management. This will require a comprehensive analysis
of risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities for the integration of CCESD across the education
system, that is, in policies and legislation; education sector plans and budgets; curricula
and examinations; teacher education; school infrastructure and facilities; learning
environments; and school governance and management. This requires capacity-building
activities for policy-makers, educational planners, and school governors and managers.
6. Involve learners and communities, as well as teachers and educators, in the planning
and design of educational programmes and activities. It is essential that learners,
whether in the formal, non-formal or informal context, take ownership of their adaptation
and mitigation measures. Learners, along with parents and the wider community, must be
involved in educational planning, including curriculum development.
7. Link and where possible integrate education for disaster risk reduction and climate
change education. The preparations and actions for disaster risk reduction are closely
related to those needed for climate change adaptation. Establishing this linkage in
educational policies and programmes will also allow for the demonstration of the urgency
and direct impacts of climate change on SIDS.
8. Link CCESD to the arts and culture. The arts, whether photography, music, dance,
painting, poetry, video production or other forms of expression, have proven to be an
effective means through which to engage SIDS populations on climate change issues.
9. Support the maintenance of healthy ecosystems. The degradation of ecosystems and
the services they provide caused by land use change and resource exploitation is
contributing to increasing the vulnerability of SIDS to climate change. Improving natural
resource management and raising awareness about ecosystem services are an integral part
of building resilience to climate change.
10. Support peace-building and peace-keeping, and prepare learners and educators to cope
with forced migration and other potential threats to human security posed by climate
change.
11. Learn from local and indigenous knowledge and respect other systems of knowledge
and values. Educational programmes should be built upon an in-depth understanding of
the learners’ knowledge, creativity, experience and perceptions. Learning should be based
not only on science but also on contributions from local and indigenous knowledge
systems, value systems and languages. Establishing this integration is essential in many
SIDS. Among Polynesian and other Pacific peoples, the relationship of people, land, sea,
ancestors and the spiritual realm constitutes the very basis for understanding
environmental change and its impact on society. Where appropriate, CCESD should be
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pursued in cooperation with organizations and groups that exercise a key influence on
SIDS societies’ values and norms, such as faith-based organizations and community elders.
12. Tailor education programmes and public awareness campaigns to the human rights
and unique needs of different learner groups. Different learner groups have different
information needs. Children and adults understand and react differently to the learning
experience. Likewise, communication and education strategies must take account of
learners’ languages, gender, cultures and their relative positions within society.
Throughout, respect for every learner’s human rights is imperative.
13. Reach and empower the most vulnerable. The most vulnerable to climate change are
those facing the greatest difficulty accessing information and education. These include
children and adults, especially girls, women and those with disabilities, those from poor
families, indigenous groups, ethnic minorities and communities living in particularly
vulnerable locations such as coastlines. In Pacific SIDS, the engagement of vulnerable and
marginalized groups has been achieved through partnership arrangements between NGOs
and Ministries of Education, where NGOs address ESD and CCESD needs in remote and
marginalized communities and in informal contexts.
14. Diversify climate change communication. The use of information and communication
technologies (ICT), especially social media and mobile phones, represents a powerful
resource for CCESD, enabling active exchange and networking among SIDS learners and
educators at the local, regional and global levels. The use of such resources should be
complemented by a concerted effort to utilize other means to reach populations without
internet access, who are often among the most vulnerable to climate change.
15. Link education and research. The nexus between education and scientific research is a
powerful domain with the potential to empower SIDS communities. Cooperation between
the educational and research communities should be further developed, with an
emphasis on active engagement of schools and communities in the research
endeavour – for example through their participation in data collection. This can be
achieved through the design and promotion of educational programmes through which
learners experience their local social and natural environments first-hand, collecting data,
analyzing and sharing their findings – and taking action to address problems identified.
This will lead to a better appreciation of the environment among learners and researchers
alike, generate essential local data, and link the research and education agendas. However,
this will require long-term efforts that go beyond the standard project cycle. UNESCO
World Heritage sites have the potential to serve as places of learning and research on the
environmental and socio-cultural aspects of climate change and adaptation in SIDS.
16. Encourage the development of common research agendas for SIDS, including the
identification of areas where schools and communities can contribute through
participation in research in their communities and out-of-classroom project activities. The
leading role of SIDS in climate change research may benefit from the potential of SIDS to
serve as living laboratories for long-term climate studies. For example, the Bahamian blue
holes - marine sinkholes up to 200 metres deep - represent a unique and largely unknown
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geological, paleontological and archaeological record of climate and sea level variations
over long periods of time.
17. Support intra- and inter-regional SIDS-SIDS cooperation. Although SIDS regions and
sub-regions are very diverse, they share a particular vulnerability to climate change and
face similar adaptation constraints and opportunities. Encourage cooperation between
SIDS and other countries that are and will be seriously affected by climate change.
Sharing and exchanging knowledge, good practices and information among SIDS education
and research communities has the potential to promote partnerships, and inform and
advance CCESD as well as the research agenda. Make use of existing networks and SIDS
knowledge management platforms like SIDSnet, Islands Communication Network and the
University Consortium of Small Island States (UCSIS) for these purposes.
18. Adopt a system-wide approach. Engage with sectors other than education, including the
private sector, and develop a cross-sectoral approach to CCESD to create awareness about
the benefits of addressing and incorporating CCESD into regional and national climate
change plans and policies and poverty reduction strategies. Build regional and national
capacity for the integration of education in SIDS climate change mitigation and adaptation
strategies.
19. Ensure that adaptation funds are made available to support CCESD, which represents an
important strategic dimension of climate change adaptation efforts in SIDS.
20. Advocate for Climate Change Education in SIDS and mainstream CCESD in
international mechanisms and processes such as the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Article 6 and the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD), particularly its meeting in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, as
well as the wider global development and education agendas such as the UNESCO-led
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), the drive for
Education for All (EFA), the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD), and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). Ensure that CCESD activities continue after the end of the
DESD in 2014. Create synergies with the outreach programmes of other major multilateral
environmental agreements such as the Communication, Education and Public Awareness
(CEPA) Work Programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Conclusion
I would like to reiterate a message which is quoted at the beginning of this report:
We all recognise that teachers are the best channels of knowledge in our world
and therefore, we must equip them with the knowledge and confidence to lead in
this global mission to educate our citizens about how their lifestyles and their
unchecked desires for comfort have made our planet vulnerable.
(Hon. Desmond Bannister, Minister of Education of The Bahamas, 2011)
9 A Report to the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education, The University of the South Pacific,
Suva, Fiji.| School of Education, USP
Climate change is a phenomenon with multifaceted nature. We cannot continue to risk the
future of our people by continuing to perceive climate change the way we use to perceive it.
Our curricula need to be reinvigorated with new knowledge drawn from diverse sources.
The potentials of areas such as ICT, culture, indigenous knowledge systems, peace
education, advocacy and networking need to be further explored. For our people to
continue living in our islands, SIDS need a new generation with new human capability to
adapt and be resilient to climate change. Our teacher education programs, both content and
pedagogy must assist in building this much needed human capability.
As teacher educators, we must find new ways to teach and educate our people about
climate change. We must ensure that everyone is educated about climate change. The
recommendations above provide excellent foundation for workable solutions to combat
climate change.