The impact of climate and environmental change on education in Rwanda - a survey of school leaders

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Rwanda has warmed by 1.4°C since 1970, exceeding the global average, and is projected to rise further in the 2030s. A working paper explores how climate events disrupt education and how schools respond, using a mixed-methods design that includes a literature and policy review, a survey of school leaders, and follow-up interviews. Findings from 273 school leader responses across all 30 districts highlight frequent drought impacts, damage to buildings, reduced budgets, and negative effects on attendance and learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Background and research approach

Literature and policy review

Survey of school leaders

Interviews with education stakeholders

Key findings

School and community experiences of climate events

Impact on attendance, concentration, and learning

Background Rwanda has experienced temperature increases of 1.4°C since 1970, higher than the global average of approximately 0.8°C.2,3 It is expected that, as soon as the 2030s, Rwanda will experience temperature increases of a further 0.6°C. Rwanda’s Climate Action Plan outlines climate change mitigation strategies focused upon agriculture, energy, waste and industry, with cross-sectoral adaptation priorities identified.4 This multi-sectoral way of considering the impacts of climate change could be strengthened further through the inclusion of education. Following research into climate change and education in Kenya, Education Development Trust (EDT) are undertaking research to better understand the relationship between climate and environmental change and education in Rwanda. This working paper outlines emerging findings from a survey with school leaders across Rwanda. The overarching research design adopts a mixed-methods approach, with the following broad steps: 1. Literature and policy review 2. Survey of school leaders 3. Interviews with school leaders, teachers, students, community members and other relevant stakeholders identified during fieldwork. This working paper focuses on emerging findings from the school leader survey (step 2) . Survey questions were developed in collaboration with a research steering committee, which includes a range of international and local education specialists, researchers, and policy officials. Survey questions asked about how climate events are disrupting education and schools, how schools are responding to these disruptions, and preparedness for the future. The survey received a total of 273 responses from school leaders based in all 30 districts of Rwanda.5,6 The impact of climate and environmental change on education in Rwanda: a survey of school leaders Rachael Fitzpatrick and Wangui Muhika1 April 2023 ISBN 978-1-912610-12-9 Profile of respondents Male Female 26-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60+ 56% leaders in combined (primary and secondary) schools 7% leaders in secondary schools 37% leaders in primary schools 14% 86% 11% 42% 42% Age groups 1 Rachael Fitzpatrick is a senior researcher and Wangui Muhika is an education consultant in Education Development Trust’s Research and Consultancy team. 2 Climate portal (2022) [3](3 Climate.gov)[ Climate.gov](3 Climate.gov) (2023)4 Ibid. 5 The survey was distributed between December 2022 and January 2023 via email to 3,169 school leaders across Rwanda, with 2,879 emails delivered. 6 A key limitation of this research is the distribution of the survey through email. This limits the reach of the survey to those with access to email and connectivity who are able to respond to the survey online. The research also adopted a volunteer sample approach, meaning the results cannot be considered representative of the wider population of school leaders in Rwanda. 1 Key findings School and community experiences of climate events School leaders were asked to comment on the ways in which their schools and local communities have been impacted by climate and environmental change in recent years. A total of 75% of school leaders reported their schools and/or local communities have been negatively impacted by climate change at least once. Drought was the most frequently occurring climate event reported, with 38% of school leaders reporting drought to occur at least once annually, and a further 36% reporting it to occur less frequently. Frequently Infrequently Never Damage to school buildings A total of 52% of school leaders reported school buildings experiencing damage as a result of extreme weather events. This damage was often reported to have a negative impact on the overall school budget, with 74% of school leaders who reported damage to their buildings reporting that the budget to fix the damage came from the school budget, reducing budget for teaching and learning activities. In only 1

FAQs

What climate trends does the report reference for Rwanda?

The report states that Rwanda’s temperatures have increased by 1.4°C since 1970 and that further warming of about 0.6°C is expected as early as the 2030s.

What climate events are school leaders most likely to report?

Drought is reported as the most frequently occurring event, with 38% of leaders saying it occurs at least once annually and 36% saying it occurs less frequently.

How does climate change affect schooling outcomes according to the survey?

School leaders report negative effects on student attendance and concentration, damage to school infrastructure, and impacts on learning, including reduced budgets for teaching and learning activities.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum