BirdLife Botswana (BLB) appointed me to be part of the delegation to the 2nd National Environmental Education Conference and I want to share my observations and BirdLife suggestions and reflections from the conference.
The long-awaited 2nd National Environmental Education(EE) Conference organized by the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT), Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had over 130 participants from NGOs, government departments including teachers, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and SADC member states representatives from South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe and Community Based Organizations(CBOs) was held in Maun, Botswana from 23rd through the 27th July, 2012. The theme for this year conference was “Striving for Environmental Change this Decade and Beyond”. The conference was organized to review progress made since the 1st National Environmental Education conference in 2000, provide regional input on Environmental Education, provide opportunities for exchange of ideas and experiences, and assess change projects undertaken by participants of the EE courses conducted locally in 2010 and 2011 by SADC Regional EE Programme (SADC-REEP).
Participants at the conference shared successes, hopes, frustrations, difficulties and experiences and asked for more effort to ensure that Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) reach their maximum potential. There was much discussion during the first two days of the conference concerning the loss of interest in EE/ESD across the national curriculum. Doreen McColaugh, from BirdLife Botswana in her presentation “Overview of EE in Botswana” showed that there were lots of EE activities in the 1990s and early 2000s but in the past ten years the interest has reduced in government, including MoESD, as well as with many NGOs. Even though there are rising concerns about climate change and how to address it and loss of biodiversity in Botswana, this has not ignited robust debate or action on environmental issues. Oddly there is a lack of strong support from government and the general public to maximize EE/ESD and that could be why local authorities including district councils, did not attend even though invited. NGOs, among others are now trying to revitalize EE, but due to lack of resources and trained personnel in EE/ESD, it becomes difficult.
I must state that the School Environmental Policy (SEP) Pack which is a tool promoting sustainable management of school surroundings introduced in 2002 is not sufficiently implemented in schools in Botswana. The SEP addresses a school specific environmental problem of how to deal with their waste and pollution, as well as water, electricity and fuel wood wastage on a whole school approach. It is difficult to initiate EE/ESD and had it be a continuing practice if a SEP is not developed and put into practice at a school.
BLB has noticed that EE/ESD often receives little attention in schools as the pressure to test well in the major subjects on exams leaves room for most infused material such as EE/ESD to be sidelined. Is often treated just as an extra-curricular activity for the interested few. The curriculum is now overloaded with new subjects and it is not possible, nor desirable, to treat EE/ESD as a separate subject. Primary schools are now the most active of all levels of schools in Botswana in implementing EE/ESD, but still this is mostly at the individual extra-curricular level by an environmental club and seldom as a whole school approach.
With this BLB wants to assist to get the process on track by engaging government, especially the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to infuse EE/ESD across the curriculum in schools, train all pre-service and practicing teachers on the basics of EE/ESD and environmental issues and to fund hands-on EE projects in schools. BLB also wants to form partnership with more schools to assist in their EE projects and activities, link with other NGOs and educate the general public.
Everyone needs to be environmentally aware so that they manage natural resources wisely. We cannot change behaviour without education and we also need legislation as well as role models and leaders to change their behaviour too. All Batswana whether policy makers or rural farmers, need information on the environment. They need skills for solving environmental problems they encounter in their lives and through EE/ESD; sustainable living on this planet could be achieved. Pete Hancock, from BirdLife Botswana, in his presentation on ‘Vultures and Loss of Biodiversity” talked about the diminishing number of vultures in Botswana, and some of the reasons for this, with purposeful poisoning among them he said that EE is a powerful tool that, if well practiced, could help prevent the extinction of endangered species in Botswana. BLB suggest EE should permeate the whole national curriculum and be implemented. EE should begin in primary schools and be pursued into secondary schools and tertiary schools as well as a life-long learning experience for all. We need a community of partners as we cannot build a healthy economy on a bankrupt environment. At present people have natural resources but the problem is how they manage them. We are throwing away our future through our present over-use of these resources with little effort to replenish those that we could. We need to change and the changes are not easy and will require awareness and dedication of everyone. We need to address the issue of change and try to bring this change about as soon as possible if our environment is not going to be damaged beyond repair. BirdLife Botswana is willing to engage stakeholders to map a way forward in bringing this change of attitudes and behavior.
Basutli Ramakawa
Environmental Education Officer
BirdLife Botswana
