1 June 2012: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has released the report and recommendations of an experts meeting on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development in small island developing States (SIDS), which was held in Nassau, the Bahamas, from 21-23 September 2011. The meeting addressed the role of education in helping populations from the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Oceans adapt to climate change.

The meeting featured five panels on: climate change education, science and research – scientific, socioeconomic, cultural, gender and ethical perspectives in SIDS; reducing the impact of natural disasters – education responses to disaster preparedness, coping with disasters and reducing the risk; island heritage and knowledge – foundations of climate change education in SIDS; targeting the needs of the vulnerable – education programmes and strategies to reach and respond to the adaptation needs of youth, women and local communities; and knowledge and skills for adaptation to climate change – prioritizing climate change education content in SIDS and identifying the skills needed for adaptation.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of 20 recommendations addressed to UNESCO, its Member States, educators and other stakeholders. The recommendations contributed to the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Durban, South Africa, at the end of 2011, and will be forwarded to the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). [UNESCO Press Release] [Publication: Report and Recommendations: Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States]