Enhancing Children Resilience Through Climate Change Education in Pakistan Perspectives of Indigenous Torwali Community Primary School Teachers

Abstract

Education is a crucial resource to combat climate change. Climate change education provides the right knowledge, skills and tools to address the climate crisis. Integrating climate change education in formal education raises awareness among children, educate children to become climate advocates and minimize children vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. However, research on understanding of climate change education and role of education in limited in regard to raise awareness among children, educate children to become climate advocates and minimize children vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The main objective of this research is to explore the perspectives of primary school teachers from Torwali indigenous community in Pakistan on climate change education and how they prepare indigenous Torwali children against climate change, enabling children resilience. Indigenous people and children are often disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. This study thus unfolds the vulnerability of indigenous children to the impacts of climate change and how climate change education can enhance resilience among Torwali children in Pakistan. The data collected from in-depth semi structured interviews is analyzed through the lens child ecology theory. Child ecology theory is employed to unfold the role of climate change education in addressing climate change, enhancing children resilience in the face of climate crisis and enabling children as an agent of change in climate change. The findings reveal Torwali children’s vulnerability to climate change by highlighting floods disaster, land sliding and avalanches occurring in the region. Secondly, the findings indicate the role of education and climate change education specifically in addressing climate change. Finally, the findings suggest climate change education can play an integral role in enhancing children’s resilience by providing them the right knowledge and skills to cope with climate change.