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Disaster and Climate Education (DCE). Reflections from the 2025 European Symposium of the Disaster and Climate Education Network

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Disaster and Climate Education (DCE). Reflections from the 2025 European Symposium of the Disaster and Climate Education Network
Language: English
Authors: José Pastrana Huguet (ORCID 0000-0003-1929-6940), Saskia Eschenbacher (ORCID 0000-0003-3460-3881), Elisa Isabel Gavari Starkie (ORCID 0000-0002-7848-264X), Carmen Grau Vila (ORCID 0000-0002-0560-5602), Kaori Kitagawa (ORCID 0000-0003-0574-6920), Sophie Lacher (ORCID 0000-0003-1252-1789), María Inmaculada Navarro González (ORCID 0000-0002-3721-8682), Matthias Rohs (ORCID 0000-0001-8841-4272), Kathrin Stolzenburg, Hans Svennevig (ORCID 0000-0002-6526-7318), Sara-Jayne Williams (ORCID 0000-0002-7696-2906), Ayse Yildiz
Source: Online Submission. 2026.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 43
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Climate, Natural Disasters, Ecology, Environmental Education, Foreign Countries, Risk Management, Conferences (Gatherings), Research, Knowledge Level, Research Needs, Legal Responsibility, Cultural Differences, Legislation, Elementary Secondary Education, Crisis Management, Role of Education, Barriers
Geographic Terms: Germany, Spain, United Kingdom (England)
Abstract: This report presents findings from the 2025 European Symposium of the Disaster and Climate Education Network (DCEN), held at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany. The DCEN is an international research and cooperation network founded by researchers from Germany, Spain, and England, dedicated to linking education, climate change, and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Against the backdrop of accelerating climate impacts -- including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the European Environment Agency's warning that Europe is insufficiently prepared for climate risks -- the symposium brought together twelve participants (researchers and guest experts) to examine the current state of Disaster and Climate Education (DCE) across the three participating countries. Through structured discussions, expert presentations, and working group sessions, the symposium addressed three core questions: what DCE is, what is currently missing from it, and how it can be better integrated into educational systems. Findings reveal that while Germany, Spain, and England have each developed relevant legal and policy frameworks, substantial gaps remain in translating these into effective, systematic educational practice. Key challenges identified include insufficient teacher training, limited hands-on preparation, a lack of community-centered and bottom-up approaches, and the persistent gap between scientific knowledge and public awareness. Spain's 2024 Valencia floods served as a prominent case study illustrating the real-world consequences of these educational shortcomings. The report concludes that effective DCE requires a holistic approach integrating formal and informal learning across all age groups, with particular attention to vulnerable populations. It calls for stronger interdisciplinary research, intergenerational learning strategies, and cross-national collaboration to build societally resilient communities capable of anticipating and responding to the growing challenges of climate change and disaster risk.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680169
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This report presents findings from the 2025 European Symposium of the Disaster and Climate Education Network (DCEN), held at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany. The DCEN is an international research and cooperation network founded by researchers from Germany, Spain, and England, dedicated to linking education, climate change, and disaster risk reduction (DRR). Against the backdrop of accelerating climate impacts -- including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the European Environment Agency's warning that Europe is insufficiently prepared for climate risks -- the symposium brought together twelve participants (researchers and guest experts) to examine the current state of Disaster and Climate Education (DCE) across the three participating countries. Through structured discussions, expert presentations, and working group sessions, the symposium addressed three core questions: what DCE is, what is currently missing from it, and how it can be better integrated into educational systems. Findings reveal that while Germany, Spain, and England have each developed relevant legal and policy frameworks, substantial gaps remain in translating these into effective, systematic educational practice. Key challenges identified include insufficient teacher training, limited hands-on preparation, a lack of community-centered and bottom-up approaches, and the persistent gap between scientific knowledge and public awareness. Spain's 2024 Valencia floods served as a prominent case study illustrating the real-world consequences of these educational shortcomings. The report concludes that effective DCE requires a holistic approach integrating formal and informal learning across all age groups, with particular attention to vulnerable populations. It calls for stronger interdisciplinary research, intergenerational learning strategies, and cross-national collaboration to build societally resilient communities capable of anticipating and responding to the growing challenges of climate change and disaster risk.