Baseline Evaluation Report: Climate education for sustainable development (ECOSMART)

Vietnam’s growing vulnerability to climate-induced hazards presents urgent challenges for safeguarding children’s well-being and education. The ECOSMART project, launched by Save the Children Vietnam in partnership with provincial authorities in Hai Phong and Thanh Hoa, addresses this by promoting climate resilience among middle school students through climate-integrated, gender-sensitive education. This baseline study assesses the readiness of students and teachers for engaging in climate change and disaster risk reduction education, examining knowledge, practices, and structural enablers and barriers in targeted schools. Findings reveal strong student interest but limited foundational knowledge, while teachers demonstrate motivation but face constraints such as insufficient training, outdated methods, and inadequate learning materials. Despite these challenges, digital infrastructure and curricular flexibility offer promising opportunities for effective implementation. The results underscore the critical need for tailored, systemic interventions to bridge educational gaps and foster youth-led climate action in one of the world’s most climate-affected nations.