ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Environment can be defined as the sum total of all conditions and influences that affect the development and life of organisms. Environment is interwoven in day-to-day life of human beings and man can play a great role in preserving and improving the environment for the sake of a better future through environmental education. Different developmental activities throughout the world are accelerating the pace of environmental degradation. This accounts for scarcities of natural resources, which subsequently threaten the sustained productivity and development. Therefore, for a sustainable development, every country needs to follow a stringent environmental policy where people will be responsible for ensuring long-term development. In such critical situation, it is crucial that education of the environment be placed at the centre stage in the developmental matrix. Indeed environmental education must be accepted as a prerequisite for sustainable development (Howell C.A, 1993) and programs must be chalked out both through formal and non-formal systems.