Valuation of High-Level Climate Change Education Discourse in Africa: Evidence-Based Insights for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management
摘要
With scary predictions of frequent, diverse, and severe impacts of disaster and climate change (CC)-induced risks in Africa, discourses on viable CC and disaster mitigation and adaptation measures have intensified in recent decades. Endorsed by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), education is perceived as a powerful disaster risk reduction (DRR) tool. Underpinned by a novel “Determinants of DRR Education” conceptual framework, this chapter employs a qualitative research approach to explore the pedagogic space for CC/DRR education in Africa. Aimed at assessing whether CC/DRR education has been comprehensively inculcated into discourses at the highest level in Africa, this chapter interrogates the depth and scope of assimilation of CC/DRR education during the African Regional Platforms (ARP) and High-Level ministerial meetings for DRR. By applying a Likert Scale grading to the analysis, assessments were done on two main objectives: (1) the consolidation of CC/DRR education into the various Platforms and (2) how immersed the various determinants of DRR/CC education are in the Platforms. Informed by basic statistical analysis (percentages) the first objective was assessed as “poor-mediocre” while the second objective was “fair”. Overall, the inclusion of DRR/CC education in the Platforms is considered “Mediocre-Fair”. From the result, we argue that the High-Level discussions have minimal consideration for education as a potent disaster risk mitigation strategy. Given the crucial role of education in mitigating climate risks, this chapter argues for inculcating DRR/CC education into the ARPs to expedite uptake by African countries. The chapter has policy implications for disaster/climate risk education, contributes to the literature in the field, and is also beneficial to CC/DRM practitioners, professionals and students/teachers.