By Between January 2022 and June 2024, students in Pakistan lost approximately 97 school days, equivalent to more than half of a typical academic year, due to climate-related disruptions. These interruptions were caused by severe weather events such as heatwaves and floods, significantly impacting the education system across the country.
The situation underscores the urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure and policies to safeguard educational continuity. Heatwaves played a major role in school closures. In May 2024, a severe heatwave in Punjab led to the closure of schools from May 25 to May 31, affecting approximately 26 million students. Similarly, in July 2024, the Sindh government extended school summer holidays by two weeks due to rising temperatures, disrupting education for over 100,000 schools.
Floods further compounded the educational crisis. The devastating 2022 floods caused significant damage, destroying or severely damaging nearly 20,000 schools in Sindh, leaving around 2.9 million children without proper educational facilities. As of November 2024, only 4,000 of these schools had been rebuilt or were undergoing reconstruction, leaving many children without classrooms.
In September 2024, monsoon floods in Sindh damaged over 1,300 schools, with 228 completely destroyed and more than 450 rendered unusable due to stagnant water, affecting the education of 230,000 students. The extensive loss of school days highlights the vulnerability of Pakistan’s education sector to climate disruptions. It calls for immediate action to develop resilient school infrastructure and strategies to ensure uninterrupted learning despite environmental challenges.
