Climate Change Effects on Education and the Role of Nature-Based Solutions in Mitigation

ongoing

EduClimate aims to address the critical and underexplored issue of how rising temperatures, a consequence of climate change, impact educational outcomes in Europe. The primary objective is to quantitatively evaluate the effects of increasing temperatures on student performance across various educational systems, utilizing large-scale datasets from international assessments such as PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS, integrated with high-resolution climate data from the ERA-5 reanalysis. The secondary objective is to explore and prioritize Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as sustainable strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on educational environments. By employing advanced methodologies, including machine learning, GIS technology, and IoT sensors, EduClimate will model the relationship between temperature anomalies and educational outcomes, and assess the efficacy of NBS interventions. The project is highly relevant to the Horizon Europe work programme as it addresses the intersection of climate resilience and educational sustainability, offering actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and urban planners. EduClimate will fill a significant gap in current research, providing robust data-driven strategies to enhance the resilience of educational systems to climate change, ultimately contributing to the development of more equitable and sustainable societies.