TEACHING HISTORY THROUGH THE LENS OF CLIMATE FACTORS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the decisive role of climate factors in shaping human history and argues for the need to reconsider history education through the “climate prism”. While traditional historiography has emphasized political leaders, wars, and territorial conquests as the primary driving forces, archaeological and paleoclimatic research increasingly shows that ecological and climatic factors have often played a critical role in processes of social transformation. For instance, salinization and drought in Mesopotamian irrigation systems contributed to the collapse of civilizations; prolonged drought accelerated the disintegration of the Mayan society; and the development of Norse settlements in Greenland [1] was significantly hindered during the “Little Ice Age” due to colder climates, shortened growing seasons, ice-blocked maritime routes, and limited adaptive capacity[2]. Methodologically, the article employs a comparative analysis approach, including the interpretation of historical sources, cross-national educational experiences, and curriculum reviews. Quantitative findings derived from OECD PISA (2018, 2022) [3], the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2022) [4], and the World Bank’s Learning Poverty Report (2021) [5] demonstrate that history education integrated with climate perspectives significantly enhances students’ problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and civic responsibility. The study also critically examines politically deterministic perspectives and emphasizes climate not as a secondary backdrop, but as a complex, determining factor in societal development. In conclusion, integrating climate factors into history education not only deepens students’ historical understanding but also fosters their development into responsible global citizens capable of responding to 21st-century climate challenges. Aligned with UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development agenda (ESD 2030), the article proposes a new scientific-pedagogical paradigm that interprets historiography through the “climate prism”.