Globally, Nepal is ranked fourth in terms of vulnerability to climate change. Floods spread across the foothills of the Himalayas and bring landslides, leaving tens of thousands of houses and vast areas of farmland and roads destroyed. In 2020, Germanwatch's Climate Risk Index, judged it to be the ninth hardest-hit nation by climate calamities during the period between 1999 to 2018. While the Government of Nepal focuses on tackling the challenges of climate change through different planned adaptation and mitigation initiatives, their capacity and reach remains limited, and almost all communities are experiencing the adverse effects of climate change today.
However, in 2018, the Nepal government published a Green School Directive, directing all schools of Nepal to embrace green practices and create environmentally friendly schools as a major response against climate change and its adverse effects. The Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) and the Curriculum Development Center (CDC) collaborated with their long-standing partner, and our local partner, Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN) to support the formulation and implementation of the directive and develop comprehensive resource materials for schools.
Our Green School project proposes to establish a green school model- an amalgamation of different environmental education practices for the first time, mainstreaming the Green School Directive 2018 in 50 community schools through the partnership with Ratnanagar Municipality - adjacent to the jungles of the Chitwan national park. This education model will address the climate crises and human wildlife conflict through capacity building of the school leaders and teachers of the municipality and establishing a green model school.
Through the Green School Model, the project creates schools which have been proved as places of learning with progressive education philosophies that utilize nature and improve the health of children. Green Schools can be transformative places with multiple benefits for students, teachers, communities, and the entire nation. The program encompasses six components; waste management, water management, greenery promotion, energy usage, students' eco clubs, and innovation.
During the initial program orientation meeting at Ratnanagar Municipality, the Education Officers and other stakeholders participated in the training and were delighted to start the program in the municipality. Additionally, they agreed to collaborate on other projects to make the city greener and support sustainable urban planning. The Education Officer from Ratanagar Municipality, Mr. Rajendra Parsad Baral, made a further commitment to endorse environmental education as part of the local curriculum in schools, and to promote an interactive, child-centered approach to environmental education and outdoor learning reflected in school practice. He said, “Ratannagar Municipality has been supporting the Green School Model for the past few years and was delighted to expand the program further to all community schools in the municipalities. Making a climate resistant green school has been a top priority and one of the important points of the new SESP (School Education Sector Plan) of the Nepal Government.”
The Green School Model progamme, led by Street Child and in collaboration with local partners, will be a pioneer program to endorse the green curriculum for schools as part of the local curricula and school system. It will emphasize interactive, environmental education as one of the most cost-effective investments for facing and fighting the effects of climate change. The Government of Nepal has also prioritized and included the Green School Campaign program in their latest School Education Sector Plan (SESP) 2021-2030. Street Child and its local partners are always committed to creating green, safe, and climate resistant learning spaces for overall learning development of children and in support of government programs.