Volume 15, Issue 2

Subjects Addressing Extreme Weather Events in Burkina Faso’s Primary School Curriculum

Author

KAFANDO Halidou, SAWADOGO Abdoulaye

Abstract

Extreme weather events are increasingly frequent and intense as a consequence of climate change, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the Sahel. Burkina Faso is highly exposed to climatic hazards, including floods, droughts, heat waves, and strong wind events, which significantly affect communities, infrastructure, and the education system. In this context, education is widely recognized as a key instrument for enhancing climate resilience and disaster risk reduction among younger generations. This study aims to identify the subjects addressing extreme weather events within Burkina Faso’s primary school curriculum and to assess the nature and depth of their pedagogical integration. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on official curriculum documents, teaching guides, and instructional materials. The analysis focused on the presence, distribution, and pedagogical orientation of climate-related content across subjects. The results show that extreme weather events are primarily integrated into Geography, Observation Sciences, Civic and Moral Education, Reading, and Environmental Education. Among these disciplines, Geography contains the highest concentration of references to climate processes, environmental hazards, and human–environment interactions. However, the findings reveal that curriculum treatment remains fragmented, uneven, and largely descriptive in nature. Floods are the most frequently addressed hazard, while droughts, heat waves, and windstorms are comparatively underrepresented. Moreover, the curriculum places limited emphasis on the development of practical competencies related to preparedness, adaptation, resilience, and disaster risk reduction. The study concludes that although climate-related hazards are present in the primary education curriculum, their integration remains insufficient to effectively prepare learners for current and future climate risks. Strengthening interdisciplinary climate education and incorporating competency-based disaster risk reduction approaches are therefore essential for improving educational relevance and building long-term climate resilience in Burkina Faso.

Keywords: Climate education; Extreme weather events; Curriculum analysis; Primary education; Disaster risk reduction; Burkina Faso.

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.62226/ijarst202626722

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=wnRawV4AAAAJ&sortby=pubdate&authuser=4&citation_for_view=wnRawV4AAAAJ:65Yg0jNCQDAC

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.62226/ijarst20262722

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