Wildfires, floods, and the water stress we experience every year are not isolated events. They are clear signs of our vulnerability to climate change and biodiversity loss.

In her column published in La Segunda, Francisca Cortés Solari reflects on the urgent need to strengthen our capacity to anticipate risks, understand their causes, and mitigate their impacts. Because in the face of a structural crisis, merely reacting is not enough: sustained transformations over time are required, especially in the cultural sphere.

The recent introduction of the National Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (ENEDS) is a significant step. Establishing a perspective that integrates the environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions of development is key to advancing toward an informed, co-responsible, and resilient citizenry.

Educating for sustainability also means educating for prevention, resilience, and the care of the territory we inhabit.

The ENEDS recognizes a central point: sustainable development cannot be imposed through regulation, nor can it be solved solely by technology. It requires an informed citizenry, capable of understanding risks, participating in decisions that affect their environment, and adopting responsible practices. In a country exposed to wildfires, floods, and water stress, educating for sustainability also means educating for prevention, resilience, and co-responsibility.

Having a strategy in place is a positive sign of a long-term vision. Its impact will depend on its ability to permeate the education system, informal learning spaces, and public discourse, solidifying itself as a State policy.

Source: La Segunda