Climate, Schooling and Learning in Rural India: A Mixed Method Study

One important manifestation of climatic change is increasing flooding in many highly inhabited places, including India. India also is home to the world’s largest number of school-aged children, the majority of whom live in rural areas in which floods can adversely affect education by hindering transportation to schools, damaging school infrastructure, and disrupting local activities. Floods may also reduce student enrollment, attendance, grade progression, and learning. Effects may vary across outcomes and also may be immediate and/or persist over years; however, few studies have evaluated flooding effects on education. Thapa’s study addresses this gap by undertaking a mixed-method pilot project that will investigate heterogeneous immediate and persistent effects of floods on schools, teachers, and children’s education in rural India.