As part of ongoing efforts supported by UNESCO to strengthen climate education, educators and communities are confronting these challenges through learning that connects environmental protection with livelihoods and local realities. For educators in the region, these realities raise an urgent question: how can schools help young people understand, protect and sustain the environment, and the livelihoods, they depend on?
Strengthening curriculum responses to climate challenges
Education plays a critical role in building long-term resilience. Through the Climate Smart Education Systems Initiative, UNESCO is supporting Madagascar’s curriculum reform by leading the integration of climate change education across curricula, teaching and teacher professional development. This work is carried out in collaboration with Save the Children and the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), with support from the Global Partnership for Education.
Working closely with the Ministry of Education of Madagascar, UNESCO conducted a curricular alignment diagnosis to assess how Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Education are reflected in the ongoing reform, in line with the Greening curriculum guidance.
The diagnosis combined a review of national and international literature with a workshop, helping identify practical entry points and quick wins to strengthen climate integration while remaining aligned with national priorities and the specific realities of the Diana region.
From analysis to collective learning
The review highlighted encouraging progress. Several sustainability concepts are already embedded across the curriculum, with learning developing progressively over the school years. At the same time, the analysis identified areas for further strengthening, including the need to better integrate the socio-emotional dimension of learning to foster empathy, engagement and resilience among learners.
These reflections were further explored during a workshop in Antsiranana. Convened with the support of UNESCO, the workshop brought together Ministry of Education authorities, environmental NGOs and regional representatives from the Diana region. It created a space for dialogue, co-construction and collaboration among diverse actors, helping identify how curriculum implementation can build on existing regional resources and cultural contexts.
I particularly appreciated the idea of integrating education for sustainable development and climate change education into the curriculum. This helps better guide, empower and engage young Malagasy learners in preserving and protecting their environment.
Local leadership and shared momentum
The process also underscored the importance of a pragmatic and locally grounded approach to curriculum implementation — one that connects learning outcomes to learners’ daily realities, local ecosystems and the region’s broader development pathways.
As the Diana region advances ambitious socio-economic development plans, education has a key role to play in anticipating environmental risks. Curriculum reform, grounded in local contexts and regional priorities and supported through UNESCO’s engagement, can equip learners with the knowledge, values and skills needed to understand climate challenges and engage responsibly with Madagascar’s environment and future development.
Education is the driving force behind the socio-economic development of the Diana region. By empowering our youth, we spark entrepreneurship, create jobs, reduce inequalities, and place our strategic vision at the heart of a sustainable future for the region.
This initiative contributes to the Climate-Smart Education Systems Initiative (CSESI), which supports countries in strengthening education systems to respond to climate change through resilient infrastructure, relevant curricula and empowered teachers and learners.
