Environment and People: Reflections on Perception, Education and Behaviour

To ensure economic development in an environmentally sustainable manner, science, society and state have to come to a cooperative platform. An effective environmental policy can gear people towards pro-environmental behaviour and build a community that shows environmental commitment. However, the stakeholders’ response must also be guided by consciousness, education and training. Family, educational institutions and other social agencies play crucial roles in shaping the behaviour of people. The current study examines the status of environmental education and disaster preparedness training available in the formal educational systems of urban India. It further investigates the role of other stakeholders in civil society, such as media, in spreading environmental information and awareness. The study suggests that the existing pedagogy of environmental education needs to sensitize the community towards a sustainable living instead of imparting mere knowledge about sustainable development. Mandatory education for disaster management must be incorporated in the regular academic curricula as a basic knowledge for life. In its role as a communicator, media should be more responsible while presenting environmental information to society. These findings may act as inputs for framing policies for a sustainable India, where the youth is trained, equipped and dedicated to building their common sustainable future.