EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Dr Mukul Chandra Bora

(The writer is Director, Dibrugarh University Institute of Engineering & Technology. He can be reached at drmukulcbora@gmail.com)

Due to the promotion of Materialistic Education from the beginning of so-called Human development, it was just imparted to obtain wealth and so-called peace in our lives which later proved to be one of the major disasters for the entire world. Western education which has got the highest dominations throughout the world has only taught us to use nature and natural materials to go for the one-sided financial gain of the human population and make our earth unsustainable. Being the superior animals of the planet, we forgot about our duties towards nature and due to tremendous torture by the human population, the earth is now taking the account of our misdeeds. Only the Indian culture and ethics has taught how to respect nature and its creatures but it was not accepted by that so-called western world as they considered it as a futile work to respect nature as they were unable to foresee the natures reactions which are happening now like global warming and climate change. It is ironic to state that even the Indian people have also rejected the concept of "Live with Nature" as written by different ancient sages of this holy nation and just followed the principle of a materialistic theory of the Western World. If we would have adopted our old Knowledge and Wisdom we could be one of the torch bearers of Sustainable Development. Last but not the least, all the concepts and theories which are put forward by the western world are just the modifications of our ancient Indian knowledge with a few additions as per the demand of the 21st century. The concept of sustainable development was coined at the beginning of the 21st century and still, scientists and engineers all over the world are unable to make a concrete decision on this matter the achievement of Sustainable Development has been shifting from time to time and this could be achieved through Indian knowledge systems only. The concepts of bio-climatic architecture or Nature Inspired Design are a bright example of the new concept of Indian Temple Architecture.

According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2007), "We hold the future in our hands. Together, we must ensure that our grandchildren will not have to ask why we failed to do the right thing, and let them suffer the consequences."

Sustainable development is the comprehensive paradigm of the United Nations and the concept of sustainable development was described by the 1987 Bruntland Commission Report as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about a future wherein there will be a balance of environmental, social and economic considerations in the pursuit of development and improved quality of life. These three spheres – society, environment and economy – are intertwined. For example, a prosperous society relies on a healthy environment to provide food and resources, safe drinking water, and clean air for its citizens.

The term paradigm may be a major amendment from the previous paradigm of economic development with its damaging social and environmental consequences. Till recently these consequences are seen as inevitable and acceptable. However, we tend to currently understand that major injury or serious threats to the well-being of humans and also the surroundings in pursuit of economic development do not have any place among the property paradigm.

We might then raise the distinction between property development and sustainability?

Principles of sustainable development:

All sustainable development programmes must consider the three spheres of sustainability–environment, society and economy – as well as an underlying dimension of culture. Since sustainable development addresses the local contexts of these three spheres, it will take many forms around the world. The ideals and principles that underlie sustainability include broad concepts such as equity among generations, gender equity, peace, tolerance, poverty reduction, environmental preservation and restoration, natural resource conservation, and social justice. The Rio Declaration1 contains 27 principles, including:

 People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature;

 The right to development must be fulfilled to meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations equitably;

 Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in living standards in different parts of the world are essential to sustainable development.

 Environmental protection is an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.

 International actions in the fields of environment and development should also address the interests and needs of all countries.

 To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all people, countries should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies.

 Women play a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation is therefore essential to achieving sustainable development.

 Warfare is inherently destructive to sustainable development. Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.

These principles can guide the efforts of governments, communities and organizations to define sustainability goals and create programmes to help achieve those goals.

Perspectives of sustainable development:

It is worth mentioning that all the concepts associated with sustainability are not incorporated in the 27 principles of sustainable development as per the Rio Declaration and the principles which have become part of sustainable development become part of the global sustainability dialogue, such as:

 A systems thinking approach, rather than an approach that looks at problems in isolation should be used.

 Sustainability issues are linked and part of a "whole."

 Understanding local issues in a global context and recognizing that solutions to local problems have global consequences.

 Realizing that individual consumer decisions affect and give rise to resource extraction and manufacturing in distant places.

 Considering differing views before reaching a decision or judgement.

 Recognizing that economic values, religious values, and societal values compete for importance as people with different interests and backgrounds interact.

 Seeing all humans as having universal attributes.

 Knowing that technology and science alone cannot solve all of our problems.

 Emphasizing the role of public participation in community and governmental decision-making. People whose lives will be affected by decisions must be involved in the process leading to the decisions.

 Calling for greater transparency and accountability in governmental decision-making.

 Employing the precautionary principle – taking action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental or social harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive.

Educators, leaders, and citizens must recognize that sustainable development is an evolving concept and that the list of sustainability perspectives can therefore grow and change.

Values within the sustainability paradigm:

Throughout its history, the international organization has been a champion of values associated with human dignity, elementary freedoms, human rights, equity, and looking after the setting property development takes these values a step any, extending them on the far side this generation to future generations. Property development suggests valuing diversity and conservation alongside human diversity, inclusivity, and participation. Within the economic realm, some embrace sufficiency for all whereas others uphold equity of economic chance. Another vehicle for the values inherent within the property paradigm is the Earth Charter, a declaration of elementary moral principles for building a good, property, and peaceful world society.

Sustainable development topics:

Sustainable development includes several topics, which UN Member States have agreed to address. With their environmental, social, economic and political roots, these topics are complex and are often difficult to define as well as find solutions for. They include reducing poverty, changing consumption patterns, global population growth, and protecting human health, all of which present challenges to our social and economic systems. In addition, the topics also include protecting the land we live on, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the resources we use as well as major contemporary challenges like climate change and loss of biodiversity. The list is extensive. All of these and related topics can be approached from a sustainability perspective.

Creating sustainability goals and plans:

Following the Earth Summit in 1992, governments and communities were charged with the responsibility of creating sustainability plans. To do so, governments and civil society must identify priorities and create sustainability goals. Then, they can create plans to achieve them. Ideally, at the national level, every ministry or department would include sustainability in its goals, plans and policies given that it is the responsibility of all sectors of governments and societies to work towards a more sustainable future.

Coordinated efforts:

Governments and civil society as well as individuals must hold the responsibility for a more sustainable future. All must contribute in their way. The 40 chapters of Agenda 21 describe ways forward in many areas, from agriculture to waste disposal. Nevertheless, the education community has a special role to perform. Explicitly mentioned in each of the chapters, education is an essential ingredient for a more sustainable future. For example, it is through education that the next generation of citizens, voters, workers, professionals and leaders are prepared for life-long learning. Without education, progress towards a more sustainable future will be compromised. Indeed, we must learn our way forward.

Reorienting curriculum to address sustainability:

Reorienting a curriculum to address sustainability can take place at a classroom or national level. At the classroom level, teachers can begin by explicitly stating the link between the topic in the mandated syllabus and sustainability. For example:

 Today we are learning about World War II. As you know, war is considered an unsustainable state in which human lives are lost and resources wasted. One of the principles of sustainability is that warfare is inherently destructive to sustainable development. Why do you think war prevents countries from making progress towards sustainability? (e.g. rather than spending national income on human well-being it is spent on human destruction).

 Today, we are discussing health risks related to contaminated water. Access to water is now considered a human right, and human rights are fundamental in creating sustainable communities.

 Today, we are talking about international trade. Think about the shirt that you are wearing and where the fibre came from, where the cloth was made, where the shirt was sewn, and how it was transported to where you are. How much energy did that take? What is the carbon footprint of your shirt? How is your shirt related to sustainable use of resources?

From simple statements such as these, pupils will build their conceptions of sustainability and their knowledge of it. Several tools to reorient a curriculum to address sustainability have been created. The ESD Lens "Review Tool 9: ESD integration in the curriculum" provides a way for analysing the extent to which ESD is integrated into the curriculum at national and school levels. The Education for Sustainable Development Tool kit contains eight exercises for reorienting a curriculum to address sustainability and holding community forums to gather public opinion related to curricular change. "Project Y" has also been used widely to integrate sustainability into existing lesson plans and units. Project Y takes a gradual approach, introducing one or a few new items related to sustainability in each lesson. Over a school year, the aggregate amount of sustainability taught and time on task (i.e. learning about sustainability) can be substantial.

The reorienting process can also occur at national levels or provincial/state levels in ministries of education where the mandated curriculums are written. A national or provincial process should be conducted more systematically and thoroughly than a reorienting process carried out by a teacher working in isolation or by a small team of teachers working in a school. A national or state level process would include inviting stakeholders to a public participation process to gather input (e.g. statements of needs and desires as well as opinions) related to the reorienting process. In this way, a ministry will be modelling public participation and transparency, which are essential elements of sustainability. To reorient a curriculum to address sustainability, educational communities need to identify the knowledge, issues, perspectives, skills, and values central to sustainable development in each of the three components of sustainability – environment, society, and economy – and integrate them into the curriculum.

The education community also needs to decide which of the many existing sustainability issues (e.g. biodiversity, climate change, equity, and poverty) will be part of the curriculum. Ideally, efforts to reorient education will be based on national or local sustainability goals. A properly reoriented curriculum will address local environmental, social, and economic contexts to ensure that it is locally relevant and culturally appropriate. To save time or resources, governments have imported curricula from other countries or regions. In the case of ESD, this is inappropriate, because local and national sustainability goals and local contexts will not be well-targeted. To reorient a curriculum to address sustainability, educational communities need to identify the knowledge, issues, perspectives, skills, and values central to sustainable development in each of the three components of sustainability – environment, society, and economy – and integrate them into the curriculum.