NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE EAST ASIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE) HAS LONG BEEN PRACTICED WORLDWIDE, WHILE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS (NBS) IS A RELATIVELY NEW CONCEPT. THIS CHAPTER AIMS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE EE AND NBS PRACTICES IN EAST ASIA AND EVALUATE HOW THESE TWO VALUABLE APPLICATIONS CAN BE USED CONCURRENTLY. EAST ASIA HAS A WELL DEVELOPED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EE) PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES, BOTH IN FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION. THESE RANGES FROM DEVELOPING GREEN SCHOOLS AND CAMPUSES TO ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND ACTS. WHILE EE HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PRACTICED FOR DECADES IN THE REGION, THE ADOPTION OF NBS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL CHALLENGES IS LIMITED. THE EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM NBS ARE ALSO LACKING. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS NBS, LIKE THE USE OF WETLANDS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT, THEY ARE NOT CLEARLY CATEGORIZED AS ONE. THESE PROJECTS ARE ALSO NOT INTEGRATED INTO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. CONSIDERING THIS, THE REGION SHOULD DEVELOP INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITIES, THAT INTEGRATE NBS PROJECTS. INTEGRATING THE TWO TOGETHER WILL BOOST THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN RAISING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND CHANGING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE, WHICH WILL ALSO HELP ADDRESS SOCIETAL ISSUES.