Reorienting Educational Efforts for Sustainable Development: Experiences from South Asia

This book is part of an international book series on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The series seeks to counter the prevailing Western dominated character of current research and enable cross-cultural comparisons of educational policy and practice as well as project development.

At the end, the book series tries to reflect on the needs of ESD and educational development in line with this idea: ‘But what is perhaps not as widely recognized is that it is not only the paradigm of development that needs to be changed to achieve sustainability, but that the paradigm of education also has to change in certain fundamental ways. Education needs to strongly focus on critical thinking, the ability to take positive action and to see a problem in its holistic perspective’ (Foreword by Kartikeya V. Sarabhai, p. viii).

With this as the basic fundamental, the book reflects on development in different Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) from different perspectives of research, and specific developments in the field of ESD.

The titles of the book chapters indicate the different development perspectives in specific countries:

ESD Initiatives and Programs in Bangladesh

Gross National Happiness, Values Education and Schooling for Sustainable Development in Bhutan

Environmental Education in India—The Shifting Paradigm

Developing Textbooks in India—Some Experiences of Introducing the ESD Perspective

ESD in the Small Island State of Maldives

Integration of Environmental Education into the National Educational System of Nepal

Education for Sustainable Development: Challenges in Pakistan

Education for Sustainable Development in a Peaceful and Sustainable Sri Lanka

The conclusion is that all countries—by facing different challenges on their way to sustainable development—are working on different fields linked to their main development challenges. Some of the elements of these varied challenges identified by the researches are: a colonial past, challenges of linguistic diversity, language and education, topography and climate, biomass-based agrarian sector, population pressures, environmental challenges and vulnerability to climate change.

To understand the overall movement from environmental education (EE) towards ESD against the backdrop of development in South Asia, Gorana and Kanaujia have provided an overview which interlinks the country-based chapters and their specific elements.

Chapter two gives a nuanced overview of the timeline from the first ideas reflecting on environmental questions in the 1970s of the last century, to the linking of environment and development within the Brundtland process in the 1980s and 1990s, to the developments related to the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015.

The third chapter by Madhavi Joshi and Ramboojh Yadav reflects on the development of ESD in all areas of education within the UN Decade for ESD and links ESD to the Education for All programme of the UN, which has been very important in this region. A specific sub-chapter reflects on the importance of the RCE movement, initiated by the UN in this region, especially in India.

The country-specific chapters by several authors from the region reflect on different aspects and provide a spotlight on the research on ESD in the respective countries.

Bangladesh: Environment, population and development are the key words to describe the development of ESD in this country, and also the main challenges for its future. Policies that promote ESD are a central theme of the chapter. Linking the educational system challenges such as climate change and biodiversity with community-based activities throw light on the actual situation.

Bhutan: Being a young democracy, Bhutan from the beginning focused on ‘Gross National Happiness’, which essentially is the main idea behind the concept of sustainable development, to fulfil the needs of all people now and in the long run. The chapter reflects on the specific steps of development in Bhutan, which gives some background ideas on sustainable development in general and its philosophy. This view of education in Bhutan is very well linked to values, and aims to connect social development with environmental questions.

India: The shifting paradigm of EE is the main focus of this chapter along with reflections on the idea of development in the biggest democracy in the world, and how the country is preparing to tackle the challenges of the future. The research reflects on governmental activities, research and academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, communities, corporates, media interventions and international commitments. Development of textbooks in such a big country with a huge diversity is a challenge as such, and how to integrate ESD within them is a major question. A chapter is devoted to this basic question of development and the changing paradigm in educational systems.

Maldives: Being based on ‘sun, sea and sand’, tourism is the main foundation of the economy in this small island country in the Indian Ocean. Environmental change and climate change influence the country’s development in a crucial way. This has led to the environmental question becoming a main issue in education, and, therefore, EE has become an important value and an integral part of the curriculum. Disaster management and sustainable tourism are the other core elements in the curriculum.

Nepal: Nepal’s environmental challenges include both naturally induced and those resulting from human activities, and this factor leads the discussion on education in the country. Having a long tradition in EE, Nepal has also started the process of shifting from EE to ESD, since development itself is a major challenge for the country.

Pakistan: Pakistan is one of the lowest contributors of greenhouse gases on the one hand, and on the other, it is one of the worst affected countries due to climate change. This leads to a dilemma in the educational system on how to teach a generation that is influenced by development in other parts of the world; this is a major challenge for the educational system which seems hardly prepared to deal with it. Pakistan needs to raise basic education in general, and specifically for girls and women in the rural areas. The chapter reflects on a very important aspect of development in Pakistan and helps to understand the main challenges it faces.

Sri Lanka: ‘Sustainability is the ability of an individual, a family and community, a nation and its institutions to find the path to development while retaining what has been achieved in overcoming various challenges, problems and threats’ (p. 179). This is the main theme of this chapter on ESD in the country. The issues and concerns for Sri Lanka in the future, including problems such as poverty eradication, peace education, social cohesion, education for conflict resolution and a new social contract are dealt with in this chapter which gives a detailed overview on development and challenges in the country.

The final chapter of the book from the editors recognizes the challenges for schooling for sustainability in such a diverse region with a diverse population and specific natural and environmental challenges. Summarizing the conclusions of the previous chapters, it focuses on future strategies and considerations. For me the main takeaway is: ‘EE and ESD should emanate from the social, cultural and economic realities of the people’ (p. 203). For me, it is not a ‘should’ but a ‘must’.

This book contributes to a high level of research and insights within the region and will help to understand the specific challenges and opportunities for future practice in the field of ESD.