Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE) - Migration, Climate, and Education - Proposing Human Rights-Based Education for Internally Displaced Learners in Lower-and Middle-Income Countries

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

Study examines how climate-induced internal displacement affects children’s education in lower- and middle-income countries, where educational consequences are widely underexplored. Using a human rights-based approach and insights from the Education in Emergencies framework, the literature review analyzes educational vulnerabilities, including restricted school access, declines in academic performance, and difficulties adapting to new learning environments. Findings highlight heightened impacts on girls and support targeted policy interventions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Climate change, internal displacement, and educational vulnerability

Research aim and human rights-based education approach

Comparative framework and focus on gender inequities

Current Issues in Comparative Education (CICE), Volume 27, Issue 1, Special Issue 2025 Migration, Climate, and Education: Proposing Human Rights-Based Education for Internally Displaced Learners in Lower-and Middle-Income Countries Tien Pham Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto The growing impacts of climate change are forcing families in low- and middle-income countries to migrate to urban areas, resulting in widespread internal displacement. Despite the signiﬁcant disruptions this causes to children’s education, its educational consequences remain underexplored in climate change research. This study addresses the gap by adopting a Human rights-based approach (HRBA) to education and integrating insights from the Education in Emergencies framework while examining the impact of climate-induced displacement on education. Through a literature review of academic and policy documents, the research examines educational vulnerabilities of internally climate-displaced learners, including restricted access to schooling, declines in academic performance, and diﬃculties adapting to new learning environments. The challenges are pronounced for girls, reinforcing pre-existing gender disparities in education. Based on the ﬁndings, the study proposes targeted policy interventions, including climate-responsive education frameworks and economic protection measures for aﬀected households. Keywords: Climate change, Displacement, Education in Emergencies, educational policies, Global South, Human rights-based education, International and Comparative Education. Introduction The detrimental eﬀects of climate change and natural disasters have forced approximately 21 million global displacements annually since 2008, leaving their homelands and migrating to larger urban centers in search of livelihoods (Bellizzi et al., 2023) . These individuals, referred to as internally displaced persons (IDPs), are involuntarily uprooted from their homes due to the impacts of conﬂicts or climate crises (Internal Displacement Monitoring Center [IDMC], 2019) . The situation is severe in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), characterized by limited ﬁnancial resources, weaker infrastructure, and reduced access to social services compared to high-income nations (IDMC, 2019) . LMICs experience heightened vulnerability to climate change eﬀects, as they struggle to adapt to or recover from disasters (Anderson, 2023) . A deﬁciency in adaptive capacity exacerbates existing socio-economic challenges and leaves communities increasingly exposed to the long-term impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and agricultural disruptions. These environmental challenges undermine the ability of displaced populations to rebuild their lives and establish sustainable livelihoods in new locations, creating a cycle of vulnerability that is diﬃcult to break without targeted interventions and support systems (Anderson, 2023; Kousky, 2016) . © 2025, Pham. CC BY 4.0 . Current Issues in Comparative Education 27(1), 69-87. Migration, Climate, and Education: Proposing Human Rights-Based Education for Internally Displaced Learners in Lower-and Middle-Income Countries Children and young individuals, including displaced students, are at risk of losing more than just their homes and shelters; they face the potential loss of access to education, training, and opportunities that are pivotal to shaping their future (Chandet al., 2023) . While numerous studies have underscored the impact of climate change on displaced families and children, aﬀecting their health, safety, employment,ﬁnances, and emotional well-being, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)(2019) conﬁrmed that educational needs have been overlooked in climate change dialogues, and the inclusion of education systems in these discussions has been peripheral. There is a research gap in comprehending education-related facets forchildren and youth wi

FAQs

What is the main research focus of the study?

It investigates how climate change affects internally displaced learners in lower- and middle-income countries, particularly how education is disrupted and adapted before and after leaving their homelands.

How does the study analyze the educational impact of climate-induced displacement?

It uses a literature review and applies a human rights-based approach, integrating insights from the Education in Emergencies framework to examine access, performance, and adaptation challenges.

What groups face especially pronounced educational challenges?

Girls face particularly pronounced challenges, reinforcing pre-existing gender disparities in education.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo