How climate change is shaping young people’s livelihoods and educational opportunities

The climate crisis is threatening global access to education and the creation of livelihood and/or economic opportunities for adolescents and young people (AYP). Climate change prevents more than 12.5 million girls from completing their education each year, and this is projected to increase. The Population Council and Women Deliver conducted participatory, AYP co-led focus group discussions in three countries (Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria). In each country, a participant in the Women Deliver Young Leaders program teamed up with Council researchers to talk to AYP (ages 12–25 years) about how climate change is affecting their lives, from health to education to ways that young people are taking action. Each country added a focus group to talk to marginalized subgroups (for example, trans AYP in Bangladesh and Indigenous AYP in Guatemala). A total of 196 AYP were interviewed. Focus groups covered a range of topics on how climate change is affecting their lives and futures. This brief summarizes responses from participants regarding how climate change is harming access to school, contributing to dropout, and causing loss of livelihood opportunities