World Environment Education Day!

World Environmental Education Day is celebrated on 26 January. Its aim is to identify environmental issues both globally and locally and to raise awareness about the need for participation in order to conserve and protect the environment, mitigating the various levels of the impact caused by climate change. International Environmental Education Day has been celebrated every 26 January since 1975. That year, the International Workshop on Environmental Education was organized in Belgrade and attended by experts from more than 70 countries. The event established the principles of environmental education within the framework of United Nations programmes. The outcome of the event was the

publishing of the Belgrade Charter, which embodies the fundamental demand for environmental education.

Goal - To develop a world population that is aware of, and concerned about, the environment and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, skills, attitudes, motivations and commitment to work individually and collectively towards solutions to current problems and the prevention of new ones.

The day is observed all over the world in the hopes of improving the relationship between our fellow humans and nature itself. It seeks to identify and find solutions to certain environmental issues, both globally and locally. With this, a collective and effective process is made available to reach more like-minded people who want to make a difference in our world itself. It is essential to understand the causes and effects of climate change, realize that sustainable development is the way to meet people's current needs without compromising the capacity of future generations and take stock of the fact that protecting the environment means ensuring our own survival. It is also vital that we understand what renewable energies are and how they can help us take care of our planet, and that water is a natural, limited and scarce resource that is essential to life on Earth.

That's why, through Sustainability for all, we want to take advantage of World Environmental Education Day as an opportunity to promote knowledge about some of the most serious environmental problems facing our planet and the various strategies that can help us tackle them.

SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

The scope of environmental education is also called the content or subject matter of environmental education. There are different aspects and components in the environment. Among them, the biological, physical, social and cultural aspects are important. The scope of environmental education can be divided into biological, physical and sociological aspects. They are described below:

1. Biological aspect: Biological aspects are one of the most important aspects of environmental education. Human beings, animals, birds, insects, microorganisms, and plants are some examples of biological aspects.

2. Physical aspect: It can be further divided into natural aspects and human-made aspects. Air, water, land, climate etc are included in natural physical aspects. Likewise, Human made physical aspects cover all human-made things such as roads, buildings, bridges, houses etc.

3. Socio-cultural aspect: Socio-cultural aspects are man-made social practices, rules and laws, and other religious places etc. Human beings have created them with their effort.

Thus, environmental education is related to science, economics, geography, technology, population and health education etc. It helps to develop integrated knowledge and a feeling of cooperation in the students. As a result, environmental education becomes practical and contextual. Environment education can be implemented through formal and non-formal educational means. The basic concepts of ecology, natural resources, population environmental health etc are some of the subject matters in this subject. Environment education helps students to develop integrated knowledge and attitude which will be more effective for the society.

BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

“No nature, no future”

The aim of environmental education is to develop a relationship between humans and the ecosystem around us. The main goal is to create awareness among people about environment-related issues and encourage them to develop environment-friendly policies. Some benefits associated with environmental education are listed below –

● Environment education connects people with nature which gives happiness & satisfaction to learners and paves the way to a more purposeful life.

● Environment education is helping in solving problems like habitat destruction, conservation of biodiversity & wildlife, deforestation, pollution etc,

● Environment education strengthens the nation's spirit of social serving and nature serving. This will lead to the formation of a better country and a nation.

● It enhances one’s creativity skills and overall well-being. Environment-focused education is mostly conducted outdoors. Spending time in nature gives inner peace, and keeps them focused & engaged because of the healing effect of nature.

● Increased levels of concentration will help students to excel in academics.

● Environment-based education motivates people to restore the natural habitat by gardening, reforestation, waste segregation, recycling, using environment-friendly products, imposing a ban on poaching and many more.

● Studies show that being connected to nature improves psychological health, reduces aggression, and improves behaviour towards other living beings. They become sensitive and affectionate towards floras and faunas.

● Environment-based education helps people to raise and address ecological issues with full confidence. It encourages people to “Think globally by acting locally” as per the National environmental education foundation.

VARIOUS WAYS TO EDUCATE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

● Organise a march or a rally with the help of like-minded people/activists for an environment-related cause. This not only draws the attention of the masses but also educates them about the cause. It instigates curiosity among the people to enquire more and motivates them to speak for the cause.

● Article writing is also a very good way to raise concern. Writing about an unknown issue will draw people’s attention and in this way, we can spread the word and will also connect them to nature.

● Every big change begins with a small step. If we want to educate a large number of people then we have to begin at the local level. We must talk to the people around us about environment-related issues with the help of Nukkad natak, pamphlets, theatre, movies, drama, organising painting competitions etc. Elders, kids, and the common man easily grasps these artistic presentations and remembers them for a longer duration.

● Approach people who make policies and persuade them to incorporate environmental education in schools' curricula.

● Nowadays we can also raise awareness using social media platforms. Make videos describing issues and ways to tackle them.

Practices by various countries to observe WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DAY 2022

· In Cameroon People Earthwise (PEW) organized a mobilization of schools and teachers, youths, and natural resource-user groups, to engage in environmental protection actions through various outreach media. This year's events included press interviews, information letters on WEE Day, and EE and environmental protection calls via social media.

· In Macau, the University of St. Joseph hosted a two-day workshop titled "Measuring microplastics in the coastal environment: a citizen science workshop" to discuss microplastic pollution. The workshop taught citizen scientists how to understand and address microplastic pollution in our coastal environment. Through hands-on training sessions, participants learned about microplastics, proper sampling techniques, sample extraction, and analysis.

· In Latvia, an international conference on biodiversity was held at Daugavpils University, as part of the EE Day 2022 initiative from October 20 to 22, 2022.

· In Moscow, Russia, this autumn marked the 35th anniversary of the free environmental education programme Open Ecological University, which was founded in 1987 at M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. The project of this year had been devoted to the discussion of "Planet Earth and the need to Ecocatarise".

· In Canada, the Municipality of Dysart et al. organised Waste Reduction Week from October 17 to 23. With daily social media hints and tips, the municipality educated residents on the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

HOW TO OBSERVE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DAY

1. Be aware of climate change

It is critical to understand not only the causes but also the consequences of climate change. To effect change, we must first understand the underlying causes and origins of the current state of our environment.

2. Join events that promote the environment

Many programmes, conferences, and common events are organised to educate and stimulate environmental discussion. More progress and ideas will emerge as more members of society band together to achieve a goal.

3. Make small environment-friendly acts

You can always start small and still help the environment. Whether it's carpooling, recycling, or carrying your water bottle, every action helps to improve our environment.