1. UCD / TCD
Masters in Development Practice
“Knowledge and Theories of Climate Justice in
Tanzanian Education: Explorations of a Concept”
_________________________________________________________________________
Heidi Molloy
TCD 14330420 / UCD 10107266
Academic Supervisor: Dr Alexa Zellentin UCD

2. I Summary:
Background: Human rights education has been shown to build knowledge and skills, as
well as attitudes and behaviours, that promote and uphold human rights. Climate change
education has also been shown to improve practices and lead to better environmental
outcomes.
Purpose: This study aims to assess whether taking a human rights based approach to
climate change education has the power to generate not only increased awareness but also
promote action in the area of climate justice.
Sample: This study was conducted in a Teacher Training College in Tanzania. The College
in question is engaged in a five-year research project aimed at assessing knowledge and
gaps within Climate Change Education in Tanzania. This research was conducted
independently, alongside the ongoing project. The sample consisted of six student focus
groups across the three departments of Geography, Political Science and Linguistics, as well
as six lecturer interviews across the departments of Geography, Development Studies,
Political Studies and Linguistics, and one elite interview with a high ranking member of staff
from the Centre for Climate Change Studies in the University of Dar es Salaam.
Results: Through the course of the research it became apparent that although there were
clear linkages made between climate change and its effects on human rights, knowledge of
the concept of climate justice was almost non-existent. Education was cited to be the best
and most appropriate location for the introduction of the concept of climate justice, however
there were concerns that this should be done only if it were an approach that fit into the
Tanzanian context. Poverty was regularly mentioned as an issue that took precedence over
concerns of climate change. Religion was also regularly mentioned in the context of climate
and there were some other competing discursive fields and alternate locations of blame.
Conclusions: The findings reported here suggest that taking a human rights based
approach to climate change education would not only generate increased awareness but
may also lead to an advancement of the concept of Climate Justice, whether or not we
would see increased action in regards to the fight for climate justice is not so clear. The data
gathered clearly illustrated that people are and have been making linkages between human
rights and climate change but they seem to lack the platform upon which to discuss them.
Throughout the course of the project the necessity that any concept takes into account the
broad diversities in not only the impacts of climate change and how they are felt locally but
also local understandings of climate change, human rights and education came to the
forefront of the discussion.