Children and youth can play a transformative role in addressing the climate crisis, yet they often lack the necessary knowledge and resources to take meaningful action. This issue is especially pressing in Myanmar, where climate education is not fully integrated into the national school curricula and the political crisis has stalled plans to better incorporate it into schools. To empower children and youth in promoting local-level solutions, UN-Habitat in Myanmar launched the School-Led Climate Action initiative under the Myanmar Climate Change Alliance Phase 2 Programme (MCCA2), funded by the European Union. Recognizing schools as the heart of communities, this initiative leverages their role in fostering community resilience and expanding learning to generate local climate action and improve school infrastructure. Through interactive awareness-raising sessions, students in monastic schools in areas affected by displacement and the climate crisis deepened their understanding of climate change, formed Eco Clubs, and developed school-led climate action plans to strengthen climate resilience in their schools and local communities.

This initiative directly engaged a total of almost 1000 students and 68 teachers, leading to the implementation of tangible climate actions that increased each school’s resiliency, including:

• Tree planting to promote green cover and mitigate heat.
• Rainwater harvesting for improved water management.
• Recycling initiatives to reduce waste and encourage sustainable practices.
• Solar energy systems to provide clean, renewable power.
• Flood-resilient shelters and sustainable construction trainings using locally available materials.

By equipping students with knowledge and practical tools, the initiative has empowered youth to become leaders in climate action, ensuring that schools not only educate but also serve as models for sustainable, community-driven resilience.

For more details, please download the PDF document.