Page 35 - UmRio Sustainability - Action Plan

RECOMMENDED INITIATIVES

RECOMMENDATION 3

Build a Climate Change Resilience Education and Empowerment Program

Given UmRio’s focus on education as a critical tool for empowering favela residents,
UmRio needs to prioritize climate change education to prepare and protect the families
it serves and the larger community of Morro do Castro. 65% of residents surveyed by
FioCruz/UmRio said they are illiterate or have only had a primary school education
(Projeto FioCruz/UmRio, 2024). A 2021 Stanford University and Ludwig Maximilian
University found that increased math and science skills were the main driver behind ¾
of the growth of the gross domestic product in the world, further proving that
education leads to better economic outcomes (Hanushek & Woessmann, 2021). In this
context, climate change resilience education will help residents of Morro do Castro
have better economic outcomes and prepare them to adapt to the extremes in the
weather that will affect many areas of their lives. “It’s clear that education has been and

remains a victim of climate change. But it is also undeniably an essential part of the
solution. We all recognize that the most effective way to halt the further advancement
of climate change is to empower teachers and learners with the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and behaviors necessary for impactful action.” Stefania Giannini, UNESCO
Assistant Director-General for Education (UNESCO at COP28, 2023)

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