Report on Climate Change and Sustainable Development Education in Egypt

Introduction and Context

• The UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education has released a report detailing research into climate change and sustainable development education within Egypt.
• The research addresses the urgent environmental precarity of Egypt’s coastal and Nile Delta cities, such as Alexandria, aligning with the objectives of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• It investigates the efficacy of current educational practices in fostering climate literacy and action, a critical component of SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 4 (Quality Education), specifically Target 4.7 concerning education for sustainable development (ESD).

Research Methodology and Objectives

• The British Academy-funded study focused on primary school girls, a demographic identified as particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, thereby addressing the intersection of SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Data was collected through surveys and interviews with 501 primary school girls and 738 primary school teachers in Alexandria.
• The primary objectives were to:
  • Assess the students’ knowledge and understanding of climate change.
  • Examine their educational experiences related to climate change and sustainable development.
  • Evaluate their sense of empowerment and capacity for climate action.
  • Understand teachers’ perceptions of ESD and identify their professional development needs.

Key Findings and Implications for Sustainable Development

• Initial findings suggest a significant gap between the environmental risks faced by the population and the general understanding of how to undertake effective climate action.
• The research provides critical insights for policymakers to enhance educational frameworks, ensuring that curricula and teacher training are aligned with the goals of SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• By focusing on the empowerment of young girls, the findings offer a pathway to advance SDG 5 (Gender Equality), positioning them as key agents of change for a sustainable future.

Policy Roundtable and Stakeholder Engagement

• A policy roundtable was convened to discuss the report’s findings and their implications for policy, textbook development, teacher education, and classroom practice across Egypt and the wider Middle East and North African region.
• The event exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by bringing together academics, policymakers, and diverse educational stakeholders.

Event Agenda and Participants

1. A presentation of research findings by Professor Eleanore Hargreaves and Dr Dalia Elhawary.
2. A panel discussion to analyze implications for policy and practice. The multi-sectoral panel demonstrates a commitment to SDG 17 and included:
   • Amr Ramadan Hassan (Arab Youth Council for Climate Change)
   • Dr Chris Berry (FCDO)
   • Professor Elaine Unterhalter (Centre for Education and International Development, UCL)
   • Christine Ozden (Global Director for Climate Crisis Education, Cambridge University Press and Assessment)
3. An opportunity for networking to foster further collaboration among stakeholders.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development…”
     
     Explanation: The article is centered on a research project investigating “climate change and sustainable development education in Egypt.” It explicitly explores the “knowledge and understanding of climate change” among primary school girls and the “perceptions of climate change and sustainable development education” among teachers, which directly aligns with the goal of equipping learners with knowledge for sustainable development.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making…”
     
     Explanation: The research specifically focuses on “primary school girls,” noting that they “will bear the greatest brunt of climate change.” By investigating their “sense of empowerment for climate action,” the project addresses the need to equip girls with the knowledge and confidence to participate in and lead on climate issues, thus promoting future opportunities for leadership and participation.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.”
     
     Explanation: The article directly addresses this target by investigating the state of climate change education in Egypt. The research with 501 girls and 738 teachers aims to understand and ultimately improve education and awareness on climate change. The article notes that “Egyptians’ understanding of how to act on climate change is limited,” highlighting the need to build human capacity, which is the core of this target.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…”
     
     Explanation: The event described in the article is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. It brings together academics (UCL), policymakers, government bodies (FCDO – Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), civil society/youth representation (Arab Youth Council for Climate Change), and the private sector (Cambridge University Press and Assessment) to “discuss the complexity and opportunities for climate change and sustainable development education.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Target 4.7 & 13.3

   • Indicator: Level of knowledge and understanding of climate change and sustainable development among students and teachers.
     
     Explanation: The article implies this indicator through its research methodology. The use of “face-to-face and online surveys, and interviews” with “501 girls” and “738 primary school teachers” is a direct method of measuring their current knowledge, which serves as a baseline for measuring progress.
   • Indicator: Integration of climate change and sustainability into policy, curricula, and teacher education.
     
     Explanation: The article mentions that the research findings have “implications for policy and textbook development, teacher education and classroom practice.” Progress can be measured by tracking changes and updates in these areas based on the research recommendations.

2. Target 5.5

   • Indicator: Students’ sense of empowerment for climate action, particularly among girls.
     
     Explanation: The research explicitly investigated the girls’ “sense of empowerment for climate action.” This qualitative indicator measures the effectiveness of education in not just imparting knowledge but also in building confidence and agency, which is crucial for ensuring future participation and leadership.

3. Target 17.17

   • Indicator: Number and quality of multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development education.
     
     Explanation: The article itself is evidence of such a partnership. The “policy roundtable” involving academia, government, youth councils, and the private sector is a qualitative indicator of a functioning partnership. Progress could be measured by the continuation and outcomes of such collaborations.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ucl.ac.uk