Madrid, Spain (Enmaeya News) — Spanish students will now receive mandatory lessons on responding to natural and man-made disasters, including floods, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and industrial accidents, under a new nationwide climate emergency education plan.
The initiative, unveiled Thursday, comes after a summer of deadly wildfires that claimed four lives and less than a year following catastrophic floods in eastern Spain that killed more than 220 people. The program aims to equip children with “the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to deal with emergency situations safely and effectively,” according to the Ministry of Education.
Over 8 million students in 25,000 schools will take part, with training delivered through videos, infographics, and other educational media. Preschool and primary students will receive at least two hours of lessons, while older students will have a minimum of four hours. Regional authorities can adapt the curriculum to local risks.
Children as young as three will learn to recognize alarms, spot early danger signs, and understand basic safety principles. Older students will be taught practical responses, such as seeking high ground during floods or sheltering under desks during earthquakes. The lessons will also include guidance on distinguishing accurate information from disinformation during emergencies.
Speaking at a school in Cuenca, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized the program’s goal of preparing children for crises “that are clearly being made worse by the climate emergency.” The lessons are part of a broader 10-point government plan aimed at safeguarding Spain, one of Europe’s countries most affected by climate change.
Sánchez called for political unity and public support in what he described as a “great state pact” to tackle climate change. “If we don’t want to bequeath our children a Spain that’s grey from fire or brown from floods, then we need a Spain that’s greener,” he said.
However, opposition members of the conservative People’s Party criticized the government’s approach, arguing that “state pacts don’t put out the flames, nor do they restore what’s been lost.”
