A new initiative strengthening climate resilience in education has been launched in the Pacific, one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, where schools are already bearing the brunt of climate-driven disasters.
The Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI) was officially launched in Fiji, alongside Pacific Education leaders, regional organisations and development partners during the second regional workshop on School Safety and Climate Resilience in Education, held in Nadi, Fiji.
The CSESI, supported by Global Partnerships for Education (GPE), UNESCO, UNESCO-IIEP and Save the Children, represents a major investment in safeguarding education across the Pacific.
“For the Pacific, protecting education from the impacts of climate change is not optional, it is essential to our children’s futures. We have seen the value of working across the region, sharing lessons, and building our capacity. I now look forward to working through the CSESI to scale up those successes, access new resources and continue our learning on how we can provide safe and resilient schools for our children,” said Wayne Mendiola, Pacific Heads of Education Systems (PHES) Chair.
CSESI will build on a decade of progress led by the Pacific Coalition for the Advancement of Safe Schools (PCASS), scaling up resilient and inclusive education systems by applying lessons in disaster preparedness, safe school design, and climate resilient curricula. This next phase will deepen and expand efforts to embed climate resilience and disaster risk reduction across Pacific education systems.
PCASS has laid a strong foundation by leveraging existing regional structures and fostering collaboration among partners to coordinate school safety initiatives and pilot innovative approaches in-country. A key milestone for PCASS has been the integration of school safety into the Institute of Education’s Waka Moana Learning Hub, establishing a sustainable platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration through a vibrant community of practice.
CSESI will provide Pacific Education Ministers with critical technical assistance, climate data and pathways to secure climate financing to build, support and strengthen safer and more climate resilient schools across the Pacific.
“CSESI is about turning commitment into action. For over a decade, Pacific countries led the way in advancing school safety through PCASS. Now, with CSESI, we are scaling that leadership into a comprehensive, climate smart education system that provides access to climate finance data and technical expertise to protect children across the Pacific even as climate risks grow,” said Elke Puritau, Save the Children Australia’s Pacific Director of Program Operations.
Working in up to 14 Pacific Island Countries with a focus on Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, CSESI will provide tailored technical assistance to support activities like evidence-based planning and policy development, climate data training and climate resilience into curricula integration.
Head of Education, UNESCO Regional Office for the Pacific States, Mary Anne Therese Manuson said, "UNESCO is proud to support Education Ministeries through the CSESI to weave resilience into their schools, curricula, as well as data and policies, by drawing on traditional knowledge, values and the spirit of wansolwara to safeguard the rights and future of our children."
The launch of the CSESI is a key milestone in advancing the Regional Good 17 on Climate Change Resilience, being developed by Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF). The Regional Good 17 will embed climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into Pacific education systems, providing practical tools, guiding principles and collaborative approaches to safeguard learning continuity.
Together, CSESI and Regional Good 17 reflect Pacific leaders' long-term commitment under the 2025 Strategy for the Blue Pacific to ensure education is resilient, inclusive and future-focused.
By aligning with the PacREF, Save the Children and its partners are working to ensure that children can continue learning despite climate-related disruptions.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: media.team@savethechildren.org.au