The environmental problems of South Asia can be tackled majorly through spreading awareness and then empowering the people such that they can take decisions and actions beneficial to them as well as the local environment. Where people are aware and involved in solving their problems, where there is a sense of participation, where people & government work together, solutions emerge.

Countries in South Asia are recognising the immensity of the challenges they are facing and of the vital role that environmental education can play in helping meet the challenges of sustainable development. Environment Education and communication are thus of fundamental importance as they provide the necessary knowledge, values and skills needed by the general public and decision-makers to understand the complexities of the environment.

Environment education is not new in the region. Centuries of frugal and careful tending of the land, on which communities have directly depended, has resulted in living with harmony with nature. Religious philosophy has a bearing on the traditional relationship with environment in the region. In Bhutan, the Buddhist philosophy is seen as a major reason for environmental protection. In Hinduism, trees and animals are worshipped and Gods like Hanuman, and Ganesha are incarnated as animals. In Jainism, killing of any creature, big or small, is a sin and much emphasis is paid on avoiding wastage of food, water. Whether it is the sacred groves or worshipping Tulsi at home, the ancient traditions have been a major cause in environment protection. But now, traditional practices like using plants for health care, organic farming, arts and crafts like dyeing clothes in vegetable dyes or using disposable and degradable earthen glasses instead of plastic or Styrofoam cups are fast being replaced by glamorous and environment expensive options.

The affluent section of our society plays a dominant role in environment degradation as their lifestyles gobble the limited  resources wastefully. The urban centers are characterized by high consumption – high waste. The per capita consumption of water, energy and food in urban centers are many times more compared to rural counterparts. Unlike the developing countries where treatment and recycling systems are firmly in place and thus can withstand high consumption, the South Asian region needs to control its high waste lifestyle. The value of conserving resource and products needs to be imbibed in each individual, especially the affluent sections.

Environment protection and improvement is a task of such a magnitude that no government, or group however influential or knowledgeable, can undertake it successfully without co-operation of the masses at large. Efforts are being made through different ways to arouse peoples’ concern and awareness towards the environment.

Young children are receptive and curious about the world, making this an impressionable group to motivate to take action for environment. They are also our future decision takers and leaders and it is best to “catch them young”.  Most countries in the region have made efforts to introduce environment education into primary, secondary and tertiary education with varying success. The approaches include making environmental studies a separate course or incorporating environment education into existing curricula.

The formal education system provides a good framework for reaching a large segment of the population and can help make future generations conscious of the importance of environment conservation. However this assumption may not be true and it depends on the way education is carried out.  Practical approaches that involve students in solving local environmental problems have more influence, develop skills and give reinforcements to the ideas that people can make a difference. Many schools have also set up “Eco” or “nature clubs”, the members of which take part in different environment awareness and action activities. There is a definite increase in awareness among school children about the threats to the environment and many in their small way are doing activities to preserve environment like discarding polybags, planting trees, etc.

But environment education in schools faces a lot of constraints. Schools have shortage of trained and committed teachers, infrastructure facilities, other resources, etc. Moreover the overloaded curriculum constrains schools from incorporating more field-based investigative type studies. Thus to improve environment education in schools, the existing curricula needs to be reviewed, along with reviewing education material available. The teachers need to be trained on field oriented methods of teaching environment and need to be motivated. NGO’s and other voluntary organisations need to be encouraged and supported to undertake environment awareness programmes.

While communicating with children is easy and also to an extent effective, spreading awareness about environment education to other sections of the society is a bigger challenge. In the industrial sector, though big industries are aware and more so because they come under the ambit of law, the small enterprises are the ones that flout environment regulations, both knowingly and unknowingly. Awareness creation and providing cleaner and greener alternatives and technologies to them should be a major task of all industry associations in the countries.

Environment education and training has still not reached the desired level in the rural areas, specially the women. Women are critical to a successful energy conservation sector – they are both the cooks and through the gathering of fuel, the providers of energy. Moreover, women can play a crucial role in the planting of trees as an alternative to going long distances to collect firewood. In India, local forest established by women have 80% survival rate as compared to 20 - 30% planted by government. The role of women in household sanitation and health is no less. More than any hydrologist or urban planner, it is the women in the developing world – the drawers, carries and household managers of water – who understand what water scarcity is and its implications. What is needed is better opportunities for women to translate their knowledge and energies into action and better control – over natural resources such as water and their own lives. Real opportunities for women in education, family decision, in economic and political life – can vastly improve management of resources and women’s own decision about their own fertility. Most environment training programmes still do not provide learning opportunities for women.

One good development in environment awareness has been the proactive role of the influential media. Until a few years ago, reporting on environment was limited to speeches on Environment day, etc. Today journalists work closely with environment activist covering not only local issues but also global ones. Since the reach of mass media is far greater and much more convincing, it has been effective in raising awareness on many environment issues and we hope it continues to do so.

There is a tendency to focus on formal school education, by both government and NGOs, rather than addressing groups who can make a difference in a policy issue. In reality, our environment is managed by a wide range of individuals in society. It includes managers of resources like town planners and forest officials, engineers, bureaucrats, teachers (who disseminate environment information), journalist ( who influence public opinion),  industries, rural women, farmers, urban housewives, …… The real challenge for South Asia would be to arouse environment concern and action in all.  q