Cape Town - Conservationists have called for the introduction of environmental education in schools to protect and conserve biodiversity.
Catherine Kühn from Nature Connect, a Cape-based conservation group, was speaking to delegates at the Africa Protected Areas Congress (Apac) in Kigali, Rwanda.
Kühn said environmental education in South African schools was a key aspect of the group’s work to support the preservation of the country’s unique and biodiverse natural heritage. This was done through education, training and conservation initiatives.
“Environmental education involves integrating environmental and conservation knowledge-based learning into the school curriculum through various interactions and immersive activities, either at schools or off site,” she said.
Kühn believed environmental education in schools was essential to protecting and conserving this diversity as it enabled youth, adults and residents to better understand the need for the protection of the natural environment and teach them to not only be aware of sustainable living but to also equip them to start practising sustainability in everyday life.
Nature Connect joined the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Africa Protected Areas Congress (Apac) this week, when African leaders, youth, citizens, and other interest groups gathered to discuss the role of protected and conserved areas in promoting a sustainable future for Africa.
In opening Apac, Rwanda Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente said: “Africa is rich in biodiversity – perhaps the richest in the world. We have the most beautiful rivers, forests, mountains and a variety of wildlife that can only be found on this continent. We must therefore spare no effort in protecting and conserving this diversity.”
Kühn said the aim of environmental education was to achieve sustainability through environmentally-empowered citizenry, with zero species and habitat loss, by nurturing a sense of pride for the natural environment in children.
“Knowing the conservation challenges in South Africa is fundamental because we need to figure out the best and most appropriate ways to address the knowledge gaps that exist when it comes to protecting the environment,” she said.
African Wildlife Foundation chief executive Kaddu Sebunya agreed with Kühn and said Africa had the richest biodiversity in the world. However, he said it was faced with numerous challenges that ranged from meaningful leadership to minority concern for conservation and a shortfall of funding for conservation areas and efforts.
“Almost all these challenges could be directly addressed by implementing environmental education in schools and equipping Africa’s youth with the necessary environmental knowledge,” he said.