Abstract :
Conservation of natural resources through sustainable ecosystem management and development is the key to our secured future. The management of ecosystem involves
inventorying and monitoring, and applying integrated technologies, methodologies and
interdisciplinary approaches for its conservation. Hence, now it is even more critical than
ever before for the humans to be environmentally literate. To realise this vision, both
ecological and environmental education must become a fundamental part of the education
system at all levels of education. Currently, it is even more critical than ever before for
the humankind as a whole to have a clear understanding of environmental concerns and
to follow sustainable development practices. The degradation of our environment is
linked to continuing problems of pollution, loss of forest, solid waste disposal, and issues
related to economic productivity and national as well as ecological security.
Environmental management has gained momentum in the recent years with the initiatives
focussing on managing environmental hazards and preventing possible disasters.
Environmental issues make better sense, when one can understand them in the context of
one’s own cognitive sphere. Environmental education focusing on real-world contexts
and issues often begins close to home, encouraging learners to understand and forge
connections with their immediate surroundings. The awareness, knowledge, and skills
needed for these local connections and understandings provide a base for moving out into
larger systems, broader issues, and a more sophisticated comprehension of causes,
connections, and consequences.
Environmental Education Programme at CES in collaboration with Karnataka
Environment Research Foundation (KERF) referred as ‘Know your Ecosystem’ focuses
on the importance of investigating the ecosystems within the context of human
influences, incorporating an examination of ecology, economics, culture, political
structure, and social equity as well as natural processes and systems. The ultimate goal of
environment education is to develop an environmentally literate public. It needs to
address the connection between our conception and practice of education and our
relationship as human cultures to life-sustaining ecological systems. For each
environmental issue there are many perspectives and much uncertainty. Environmental
education cultivates the ability to recognise uncertainty, envision alternative scenarios,
and adapt to changing conditions and information. These knowledge, skills, and mindset
translate into a citizenry who is better equipped to address its common problems and take
advantage of opportunities, whether environmental concerns are involved or not.
Keywords: Ecosystem, Conservation, Environment Education, Sustainable Management,
Sustainable Development |