Contextualizing environmental education within the green economy and growth agenda: a case of Lusaka district, Zambia.

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Date
2023
Authors
Mukosha, Charles Mumba
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The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study aimed at exploring how Environmental Education could be contextualized within the Green Economy and Growth agenda in Lusaka, Zambia. It was governed by three objectives namely: exploring how Environmental Education can support the Green Economy and Growth agenda through promoting the efficient use of natural resources, establishing how Environmental Education can be used to influence social inclusivity within the Green Economy and Growth agenda, and examining how Environmental Education can be used to integrate the low-carbon economy into the Green Economy and Growth agenda in Lusaka, Zambia. The study was guided by qualitative approach whose specific research design was hermeneutic phenomenology. The study sample size comprised 22 participants who were chosen using nonprobability purposive sampling. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used to extract data from the six University of Zambia Environmental Education 2024 fourth year students, and expert purposive sampling was applied by the researcher in order to obtain data from key informants who included officials from Zambia's Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, a private company called Community Markets for Conservation, a non governmental organisation called Green Cosmos Zambia, and lecturers of Environmental Education at the University of Zambia. A structured schedule of focused group discussion guide and an interview guide were used to gather data from the participants. The data was processed using thematic analysis and descriptive analysis to produce themes and codes, which served as a roadmap for the formulation of the thesis and conclusions. The findings of this study revealed that Environmental Education could be used to influence social inclusivity within the green economy and growth through educating and raising awareness about efficient use of resources, promoting sustainable behaviours, encouraging innovation, fostering responsible production and consumption, and building skills and capacities. The findings also reviewed that environmental education may be used to influence social inclusivity through enhancing inclusive curriculum and content, diversity in leadership and representation to promote social inclusivity. Furthermore, Environmental Education could serve as a fundamental catalyst for transforming attitudes, behaviors, and systems towards sustainability, thereby contributing to the achievement of a low-carbon green economy. Given a thorough review of the study's essential findings, it is recommended that the government, through the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, consciously incorporate Environmental Education into the larger plan to green the economy and all green transitional approaches
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Thesis of Master of Education in Environmental Education and Management
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