Environmental Education Policy Processes in the Southern African Region

Abstract

An audit of environmental education policies in southern Africa was carried out to determine the status of environmental education policy processes.This paper presents a summary of the results and considers some of the emergent issues for environmental education policy in the region. The audit was conducted under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP) between October 2002 and March 2003. The research attempted to answer questions about the status and understandings of environmental education policy processes, common elements and role players, constraints and opportunities in the development and implementation of environmental education policy. Further questions related to how the audit could help to further the cause of sustainable development in southern Africa. This paper discusses benchmarks in the environmental education policy process nationally and at regional level, as well as institutions active in environmental education. Synergies and linkages between and across regional and national policies are examined, together with some consideration of documentation and focus. The paper then explores constraints and opportunities for policy processes at national and regional level.