Schools in many districts of Ayutthaya Provinces affected by recent flooding. A UNICEF-NIDA survey finds many schools across Thailand still unprepared for worsening floods and climate threats.
BANGKOK, 19 November 2025 – As heavy rains and severe flooding continue to disrupt classes and damage school facilities in many provinces across Thailand, a new survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) with support from UNICEF reveals that nearly all schools in Thailand have been affected by extreme weather in recent years, with many still lacking the support needed to safeguard children’s learning and well-being.
The Survey on Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Support Needed in Schools, conducted between July and August 2025, collected data from 329 public schools including 14 schools for children with disabilities across Thailand. The schools were located in 14 provinces most affected by extreme weather during the past three years including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Yala and Narathiwat. The findings highlight the increasing vulnerability of schools and students to the growing impacts of heavy rainfall, flooding, and heatwaves caused by climate change.
According to the survey, every school experienced at least one extreme weather event in the past three years, with heavy rainfall, storms, and flooding identified as the most severe hazards. The impacts have been widespread, with 3 in 4 schools reporting disrupted access to essential utilities and services such as safe drinking water, toilets, clean food and transportation to school. In addition, over half (55 per cent) noting health problems among students such as heat-related, vector-borne, and water-borne diseases such as dengue fever, diarrhea, respiratory diseases, malnutrition, or mental health conditions, and nearly half (46 per cent) suffering damage to school infrastructure.
Alarmingly, about half of the schools said they had never received any assistance following such events. Among those that did, support was mostly limited to early warning messages (41 per cent), disaster preparedness training (35 per cent), or emergency relief (34 per cent).
“The data paints a stark picture, revealing that every child’s right to education is increasingly threatened by the climate crisis,” said Severine Leonardi, Deputy Representative for UNICEF Thailand. “The climate crisis won’t wait, we must act with urgency. Schools need knowledge, infrastructure, and resources to keep children learning safely, even in the face of floods or heatwaves. The cost of inaction will be measured in lost learning and lost potential.
Last year alone, flooding caused by Typhoon Yagi disrupted learning for more than 19,000 students across 555 schools in northern Thailand, forcing teachers to shift to online teaching and delivering learning materials to students’ homes.
The survey also found that schools are aware of escalating risks with two-thirds expecting heavier rainfall and flooding, and over half (54 per cent) foreseeing worsening heatwaves in the coming years. Health risks to students including illness, injury, and even loss of life emerged as schools’ top concern.
When assessing readiness, over half of schools (53 per cent) rated their preparedness as only “moderate.” Their most urgent needs include training and learning activities for students on climate change and adaptation, teacher training on climate resilience and emergency response, and timely and reliable early warning information.
While almost all schools have incorporated climate change topics into their lessons, over 80 per cent of teachers have never received formal training on climate education or how to prepare for extreme weather, relying mainly on self-learning. Students’ understanding of climate change remains low to moderate. Schools serving children with disabilities reported even higher needs, particularly for teacher training, modern learning materials and equipment, and adequate funding for climate-related education.
Thailand is among the countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis. According to the 2025 Global Climate Risk Index, Thailand ranks as the 30th most affected country by climate change. A UNICEF global analysis in 2021 also placed Thailand 50th out of 163 countries where children are most at risk from climate impacts. More recently, UNICEF’s 2023 Over the Tipping Point report estimated that 10.8 million children in Thailand are highly exposed to flooding and water scarcity.
“Schools are on the frontline of the climate crisis,” Leonardi added. “We must invest now in strengthening their capacity to adapt and ensure that every child – including those in flood-prone and remote areas – can continue learning safely. Preparing schools and the wider education system for the changing climate is not optional, it’s essential for every child’s future.”
UNICEF is partnering with the Ministry of Education, Department of Climate Change and Environment, and other partners to advance Climate Smart Education, ensuring that schools across Thailand are safe, resilient, and inclusive so that every child can learn and thrive in the face of a changing climate.
Photos: UNICEF Thailand/2025/ Arnun Chonmahatrakool
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
