Environmental Education for all: Ethiopian Context

International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology (IJEAB) Vol-2, Issue-3, May-Jun- 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijeab/2.3.32 ISSN: 2456-1878
www.ijeab.com Page | 1262
Environmental Education for all: Ethiopian
Context
Zenebe Shuite Argado
Lecturer, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Bule Hora University, Ethiopia
Abstract— Today’s environmental challenges urge man to
search for possible solution from wider viewpoints. This
paper review is persuasive that it stresses relevance of
environmental education for all citizens as one of the key
tools for stewardship of environmental wellbeing besides
policies and actions combating against environmental
problems like pollutions and environmental degradation;
believing that environmental education can pose positive
change in attitude and behavior of society that in turn
probably support efforts done towards sustainable
development. The paper also attempt to discuss rationale of
this review paper, interactions between man and
environment, meaning and aims of environmental
education, environmental pollution, climate change,
pressure on biological diversity, desertification and
drought, population growth and resource use, population
growth and environment, dimensions and approaches of
environmental education. Developing environmental
literacy- knowledge, skill, attitude and actions on current
environmental challenges particularly like climate change,
loss of biodiversity, health problems and suggested
solutions of these problems are need commitment to be
addressed. Hence, environmentally literate citizens make
informed environmentally sound decisions. Further,
suitable approach of delivering environmental education,
for all learners, in schools or higher institutions probably is
generic form.
Keywords— approaches, environmental education,
environmental problems, sustainable development,
environmental literacy, family planning, population and
environment.
I. INTRODUCTION
Man cannot be considered in isolation from his
environment. Every human being should be aware,
conscious and knowledgeable about his role in the
environment as well as necessity of healthy environment for
survival. Under natural conditions there should be a
balanced relationship between human beings and the
environment and it has to be maintained. However, since
the last few decades, it has been increasingly realized
that environment- development issues are of great concern
not only in developed countries but also in developing
countries where there are widespread environmental
problems.
Developed industrial countries from many decades
releasing wastes in to the environment thereby causing
environmental pollutions which are today became
irreversible adverse result, for example, climate change,
loss of biodiversity, health problems and the like effects. In
similar way, if we developing countries let a little room for
pollution on precious environmental resources, really
tomorrow we will incur inevitable considerable cost.
Therefore, different international environmental
conferences recommended environmental education as one
of the important tools combating against arising
environmental problems and to solve already ongoing one.
For instance, the Stockholm Conference (UN) on Human
Environment (1972) had recommended to establish
programmes of environmental education at all levels such
as primary, secondary and tertiary levels of educational
system and also to motivate the general public in rural and
urban areas about environmental awareness. This was
followed by Belgrade (1975) and Tibilsi (1977)
Conferences on Environmental Education. These laid stress
on developing basic concepts of quality of life and
environmental knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills and
participation. As a result by understanding man-
environment interactions and consequential effects,
adopting Environmental Education become more of
mandatory than choice to all society. Hence, recognizing
necessity of Environmental Education some of world
countries adopted it in their education system as Scotland,
United States, New Zealand, India, South Africa(Palmer
and Neal, 1994; Reilly, S. 2008). In Ethiopian education
system also incorporate environmental issues as core course
mode and environmental related programs or disciplines
such as environmental science in lower grades;
environmental science, agriculture, geography and
environmental studies in some higher institutions,

environment and development and the like; further Add is
Ababa University had been running environmental
education program; though possibly only those students
who join such programs might be environmentally literate,
but environmental literacy adequately addressed and
required for all citizens.
II. RATIONALE OF THIS REVIEW PAPER
This paper review provide insight regarding relevance of
environmental education for sustainable development
because environmental education create environmentally
literate citizens who are equipped with environmental
knowledge which enable them to combat against
environmental problems and take remedial action for
affected natural and social environment. As Scott
emphasized the importance of environmental education
(EE)for enhancing about natural environmental knowledge
and sustainability:
“we need education to help us understand
sustainability, because our knowledge of the natural
environment is imperfect and characterized by risk,
there are problems in using educational interventions as
levers for particular forms of social change. Although
there can be no single way of learning about
sustainability, it is argued that there are strong grounds
for working through subject teaching” (Scott, W., 2002,
p-1).
When citizens are not aware of interactions between man
and environment and the consequences of these
interactions, they may not consider themselves as part of
environment and may not internalize the environmental
problems as their concern. Current environmental
challenges which have been arise from human impact on the
natural environment, affecting social and physical
environment in complex relationships, as asocial aspect is
also part of system. To this end, every society of the world
should be environmentally literate which assist efforts done
against local and global environmental problems.
Particularly Ethiopia should match its effort towards
sustainable development strategies and actions with
environmental literacy, which can be achieved through
environmental education.
Building house without pertinent corner stone will result in
collapse of the house in the unspecified future and
otherwise the house should be founded with stronger corner
stone. This is to mean that accompanying sustainable
development activity with academic curriculum which
create environmental literate and resultant responsible
citizens provide great support to achieve goals of
sustainable development.
Ethiopia has emphasizing renewable energy sources for
green economy and sustainable development, which is
appreciable, but environmental issue cannot be addressed in
such way only since environmental components are so
wide-ranging. Because action or measures to be taken
against environmental challenges should be precede by
awareness which is function of environmental education.
In order to install green economy development with corner
stone, actions of environmental protection must be
accompanied with support of academic foundation in
curriculum and the education system of the country.
Therefore, installing environmental issues in the educational
system provide environmental literacy for citizens.
According to Reilly, S, 2008, environmental literacy
incorporates ecological, scientific, technological, political,
economic, social and cultural principles and value systems,
as well as the aesthetic, moral, ethical and spiritual
understanding needed to create environmentally
knowledgeable, sensitive and responsible citizens.
Environmental education provides students with the
knowledge, skills, and experiences essential to become
successful community leaders, as well as making intelligent
decisions pertaining to the management of their general
environment and natural resources. Palmer and Neal
stressed that environmental education provides experience
of problem solving, decision making and participation
regarding these aspects. Ultimate aim of EE is for each
school leaver to have formulated a responsible attitude
towards the sustainable development of Planet Earth, an
appreciation of its beauty and an assumption of an
environmental ethic (Palmer and Neal, 1994). It is also
about promoting changes in behaviour that will help to
solve existing problems relating to the environment and to
avoid the creation of new ones.
The fundamental means of achieving environmental literacy
require adopting the principles of environmental education.
An introducing environment education for sustainable
development into the curricula of the country is necessary
for developing environmental knowledge, skill, attitude and
actions. Environmental education is not only being
recommended for specific country but for all countries of
the world whose education system not addressing
environmental education for environmental literacy. For this
purpose ministry of education, higher education institutions
and other stakeholders including NGOs working on
environmental matters can cooperate together to foster
environmental education.

III. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MAN AND
ENVIRONMENT
Environment includes ecosystems and their constituent
parts biotic components including people and communities,
plants and animals, and microorganisms. All abiotic natural
and physical resources like land, water, air and minerals are
also part of environment. In addition, the social, economic,
cultural conditions that affect an individual or a community
are components of environment.
Man is at the center of the biosphere in dynamic
equilibrium with other segments of the environment—air,
water and land. His daily life is heavily dependent on his
natural environment—he gets food from soil, fruits and
timber from trees, medicines from plants, meat from birds
and animals, fish from ponds, rivers and seas, water for
daily use from springs, rivers and ground water(Kumar and
Kumar,2004).
Those components of environment are always interacting
among themselves in endless and in a direct and indirect, or
simple and complex path ways. Man exploits environmental
resources with support of his culture (technology) and
produce waste products from process and utilization of the
environmental resources like minerals and living resources.
Doing so man strives to bring economic development.
Development activities has process of production which not
only produce useful commodity but also wastes that
deposed back to the environment where causing pollution.
Besides, over exploitation of resources and improper
dumping of wastes back into the environment pose negative
impacts on it leading to degradation in quality. And
environmental degradation back fire human and other living
resources. Concerning relationships between environment
and development, Kuznetsin the 1950s developed a curve
showing these patterns- environmental Kuznets curve
(EKC).
By stating that it is widely observed phenomenon that as
economies grow over time, emissions of many pollutants
first grow, and then decline. This work suggested an
inverted U shape for a cross-country plot of an inequality
measure such as a Gini coefficient against income per
capita. The EKC hypothesis is that environmental indicator
levels first rise (e.g., pollutant levels per capita rise) as per
capita income rises; then the relationship reverses after
some threshold level of income(Jha, R, and Whalley, J.,
2001). This is to mean that cleaner technologies for would
become tool so as to improve environmental quality when
development reach at some higher threshold. Further,
instead of cleaning degraded natural environment, it is more
conventional to make development sustainable to achieve
economic development at the same time maintaining
environmental quality. Regarding some detail conceptsof
man’s activity on the environment will be discussed under
“rationale for addressing Environmental Education”.
So every of citizens of my country and the world has to
aware of those process and resultant effects as well as
possible solutions for environmental problems.
IV. MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
Environmental education (EE) is learning processes that
increases peoples knowledge and awareness about the
environment and associated challenges, develops the
necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and
foster attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make
informed decisions and take responsible actions (UNESCO
Tbillsi Declaration 1978 cited in Aklilu, 2010). It is also
promoting changes in behavior that will help to solve
existing problems relating to the environment and to avoid
the creation of new ones (Palmer and Neal, 1996).
Environmental education is wide in its scope and the key
dimensions of the EE are education in or through
environment, education about environment and education
for environment.
Education in or through the environment is experiences
beyond the classroom in both natural and built
environments not only provide opportunities for students to
gain first-hand experience in the environment but also
enhance classroom-based work. It means using environment
as a teaching-learning aid and as the approach to education.
These opportunities can be used to develop skills in
observation, data collection, practical inquiry and
investigation, and the use of specialist technology. Such
situations can also require social and co-operative skills,
group-work skills, communication skills, and problem-
solving skills. Education about the environment is
understands about the natural and built environments and
appreciating the key social, political, ecological, and
economic factors that influence decision making on local,
national, and global issues is critical if students are to meet
the aims of environmental education. And education for the
environment seeks ways in which people can minimize their
impact on the environment. In a society that values freedom
and choice and where resources are finite, it is important to
develop a sense of responsibility about the social and
natural environments of local, national, and international
communities. According to Aklilu, 2010, education for
environment is viewed as having a more explicit agenda of
values education and social change. It is also seen in terms

of promoting lifestyles that are compatible with the
sustainable and equitable use of resources. Accordingly,
Josephy, 2006, the major goals of Environmental Education
are to raise consciousness about environmental conditions
and to teach environmental appropriate behavior. It also
aims to create an environmental ethic that fosters awareness
about the ecological interdependence of economic, social
and political factors in human community and the
environment changes in values, attitudes and behavior
towards the environment can ultimately result in a better
quality life.
V. AIMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Education has made many valuable contributions to
societies and development globally, and is recognized for
the important role it has in improving livelihoods
worldwide. Quality education should prepare societies to
actively participate in global politics and economics, as well
as provide people with the skills necessary to make
informed decisions and take responsible actions.
Throughout the world, societies have to recognize education
as a key component of sustainable development.
Sustainable development has been promoted since its
inception over 20 years ago as an effective means to abate
the degradation of human and environmental systems (Hart,
1997).
The Ultimate goal of environmental education (EE) is
developing environmentally literate citizens, with the
sensitivity, awareness, skills, and willingness to become
knowledgeable and responsible citizens.
Environmental literacy- is about being knowledgeable about
how natural systems function and how social-ecological
systems interact; and being competent in interrelated
attitudes, skills, knowledge, experience and motivation that
is drawn upon and applied for social, cultural, global and
environmental responsibility. And environmental literacy is
the outcome of environmental education (Liza Ireland,
2013).
EE It may include any topic pertaining to the social or
personal application of science and technology. These
include science and environmental applications related to
diet, health, safety, agriculture, transportation, construction,
communication, and public policy (Alec M. Bodzin,2010).
Regarding the principles and objectives of environmental
education, Tbilisi Conference of 1977, Final Reportsets out
three ‘goals of environmental education’:
1. To foster clear awareness of, and concern about,
economic, social, political and ecological
interdependence in urban and rural areas.
2. To provide every person with opportunities to
acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes,
commitment and skills needed to protect and
improve the environment.
3. To create new patterns of behaviour of individuals,
groups and society as a whole towards the
environment (UNESCO, 1977)
For the achievement of the objectives environmental
education should take into account particularly the
following guiding principles:
• The environment as a common heritage of mankind
• The common duty of maintaining, protecting and
improving the quality of the environment, as a
contribution to the protection of human health and
the safeguarding of the ecological balance
• The need for a prudent and rational utilization of
natural resources
• The way in which each individual can, by his own
behaviour, particularly as a consumer, contribute to
the protection of the environment (Journal of the
European Communities, 1988 quoted in Palmer and
Neal, 1994).
In similar fashion, environmental education is a learning
process that helps us:
Understand how ecological and social systems and
processes are interdependent and influence
personal and collective wellbeing;
Value the significance of biological and cultural
diversity as well as diverse perspectives in
developing social, cultural, global and
environmental responsibility;
Contribute positively in furthering a sustainable
society through social, cultural, global and
environmental responsibility by fostering attitudes,
motivation, and commitment to make informed
decisions; and developing investigation and
evaluation knowledge and skills and action
competence through systems thinking and futures
and design thinking (Liza Ireland, 2013).
VI. RATIONALE FOR NEED ADDRESSING
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
6.1 Environmental pollution
6.1.1 Water pollution:
Environmental pollution refers pollution of all types like
climate pollution, water and land pollutions.
From recent years Ethiopia has been striving to make its
development sustainable by taking measures necessary for

environmental protection. These measures include soil and
water conservation through water shade managements,
developing renewable energy sources such as
hydroelectricity of Renaissance dame on Abay river, Gilgel
gibe on Gibe river, Tekeze and Genale Dawa dames;
geothermal power in rift valley system and wind power
generation in Adama and Ashegoda; instead of encouraging
fossil fuel oriented development.
Are these activities only means of enabling the country
leading development in line that guarantee for
environmental protection? In order to achieve sustainable
development goals, developing comprehensive
environmental policies and implementing accordingly;
promoting renewable energy source and using
environmental education as tool for environmental literacy
are key aspects.
In addition to above developments, the country also
developing different industrial parks in different towns of
the country like Hawassa, Debre Bran, Adama and so on. It
was said that these industrial parks manage residues
properly. In the long run, these and other industrial
expansion and development itself evitable will bring
environmental problems. For example, health problems,
water pollution, general environmental pollution. Here an
argument is not to undermine necessity and role of
development but balance between economic production and
environmental wellbeing should be given due consideration
because environmental safety is precondition for human
survival.
Some indicators of environmental problems of water
pollution with urban wastes in Addis Ababa, water
pollution from agro-processing industries like wet coffee as
stated here below.
The generation of residues and by-products is inherent in
any productive sector, for instance, the agro industrial and
the food sectors produce large quantities of waste, both
liquid and solid. Coffee is the second largest traded
agricultural commodity in the world, after petroleum, and
therefore, the coffee industry is responsible for the
generation of large amount of residues (Nabais et al. 2008
in Mussatto S. I. etal. 2011). If those wastes are not
managed properly they affect human health, water
resources, ecosystem and general environment.
In the same fashion, in our country, the wet coffee
processing industries are generating huge amounts of
organic and nutrient rich and acidic wastewater. This huge
untreated wastewater is sometimes discharged directly into
the nearby pits that are intended to serve as wastewater
stabilization but are neither properly constructed nor the
right dimension to accommodate the generated waste during
peak processing time. This leads to overflow of raw
effluents into natural watercourses and severely damaged
the surface waters and aquatic life. Such an alarming
pollution calls for an urgent action and seeks a sound
effluent management option in order to ensure sustainability
of coffee production and to avoid irreversible environmental
damage (Dejen Yemane, etal. 2015). Not only coffee
industries but also bad odor from leather factor around mojo
town; poor urban wastes management in different towns are
some of few examples of environmental problems in the
country.
UNEP and WHO stated that contamination of water
resources can exacerbate diarrhoeal diseases by lack of
access to safe drinking-water. Global environmental
changes can impact on agricultural production, exacerbating
malnutrition, and spur more extreme weather conditions,
causing injuries and deaths also (WHO and UNEP, 2008).
Palmer, 2003 has pointed out the importance of fresh water
and the consequence of water pollution has been serious
health problem of the world as:
• Fresh water is essential for the maintenance of life on
Earth. It is vital for drinking, sanitation, industry, food
production, urban developments, power generation,
transportation, inland fisheries and recreation.
However, in many parts of the world there are
widespread shortages of water, coupled with gradual
destruction and increased pollution of supplies.
• The main causes of current and projected lack of
availability of adequate amounts of fresh water include
poor management, linked to lack of adequate
conservation, inadequately treated sewage and
industrial waste, loss of natural water catchment areas,
deforestation, dams, river diversions and irrigation
schemes; pollution, linked to poor agricultural
practices which release pesticides and other harmful
chemicals into groundwater; and rapid local increases
in demand in some areas.
• Over 10 million deaths occur each year in the world as
a result of water-borne intestinal diseases. It is
estimated that 80 per cent of all diseases and one-third
of deaths in the developing world are caused by
drinking contaminated water.
• In industrial nations, surface and underground water
supplies are being polluted by industrial and municipal
wastes as well as by surface run-off of toxins from
agricultural and urban activities.
• Many of the problems are the result of a development
model that is environmentally destructive, and a lack

of public awareness and education about the need and
the ways to protect water resources.
• To do this, human activities must be adapted to fit
within the limits of nature, so that the healthy
functioning of ecosystems can be preserved.
• Better water management will require innovative
technologies, including the improvement of
indigenous technologies, to make full use of limited
water resources and to safeguard the water from
pollution.
• It is suggested that various approaches are needed to
provide adequate water supplies and sanitation, for
example:
• There should be mandatory assessment of the
environmental impact of all major water-resource
development projects that have the potential to impair
water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
• Alternative sources of fresh water must be developed.
These include de-salting sea water, catching rain
water—particularly on small islands—reusing waste
water and recycling water (Joy A. Palmer, 2003).
6.1.2 Climate change and environment
Climate change has been threating biodiversity and
agricultural sector; and resulted in increased frequency of
droughtand floods as well as desertification. Climatic
pollution also caused health problems.
Climate models predict negative impacts of climate change
on agricultural production and food security in large parts of
sub-Saharan Africa. Higher temperatures, the drying up of
soils, increased pest and disease pressure, shifts in suitable
areas for growing crops and livestock, increased
desertification in the Sahara region, floods, deforestation,
and erosion are all signs that climate change is already
happening and represents one of the greatest environmental,
social and economic threats facing Africa: ‘The impact of
climate change will fall disproportionate on the world’s
poorest countries, many of them here in Africa. Poor people
already live on the front lines of pollution, disaster, and
degradation of resources and land (DebayTadesse, 2010).
Climate change is having widespread impacts across
multiple scales of biodiversity including genes, species,
communities, and ecosystems (Parmesan, 2006; Bellard,
2012, in Michelle, etal 2012). The influence of climate
change that synergized with destruction of habitats (forests)
lead to extinction of large number of species in the world.
Change in climate variables like mean rainfall and
temperate as well as the increase in extreme events
will affect agriculture, livestock and forestry. Many
impacts of climate change such as increased land
degradation and soil erosion, changes in water
availability, biodiversity loss, more frequent and
more intense pest and disease outbreaks as well as
disasters need to be addressed across sectors (FAO,
2008).
Climate changes will affect human health, water supply,
agriculture, coastal areas, and many other aspects of society
and the natural environment (Thomas R, 2009). In similar,
Climate change and shifts in ecological conditions could
support the spread of pathogens, parasites, and diseases,
with potentially serious effects on human health,
agriculture, and fisheries (Shah, 2014).
Climate change almost always exacerbates the problems
caused by other environmental stressors including: land use
change and the consequent habitat fragmentation and
degradation; extraction of timber, fish, water, and other
resources; biological disturbance such as the introduction of
non-native invasive species, disease, and pests; and
chemical, heavy metal, and nutrient pollution (Michelle,
etal 2012).
Climate change also resulted in shortage of wood products,
changes in local and regional climates, depletion of
biological resources, further degradation of remaining
vegetation and widespread land degradation (UNDP, 2010).
One of the major goals of environmental education is to
identify and solve environmental problems of the physical
and human environment. Today, climate change, pollution,
land degradation and loss of biodiversity are very
challenging problems of the world. These problems mainly
can be minimized through sustainable use of natural
resources; planting trees/restoring forests and conserving
biodiversity, protecting soil erosion and enhancing its
fertility, reducing pollutants, managing wastes properly and
so on.
6.2 Pressure on Biological diversity
Information is emerging constantly about not only the
mounting risks to health from pollutionand ecosystem
degradation but also the positive contributions to health
from ecosystem services. Looking at health and
environment linkages through an ecosystem framework
captures a much broader web of interactions which is vital
for good development decisions. Ecosystem services
provide the essential plant and animal products for food,
shelter, clothing and medicines. They purify and replenish
air and water resources, ensure soil fertility, and provide
leisure and cultural outlets.Other vital ecosystem services
include biological systems of checks and balances that

control many dangerous pathogens and disease vectors (e.g.
mosquito vectors of malaria) and thus disease transmission,
as well as regulating local and global climatic conditions
(WHO and UNEP, 2008).
According to Global Ecosystem Assessment 2005, today’s
ongoing global warming is one of the major threats to
biodiversity that it could negatively affect all living
organism of the world. It is projected that end of 21st
century global atmospheric temperature will rise from 1 to 3
0
C which associated with rise of sea level of 1 to 2 meters.
Each 10
C rise in temperature will displace the limits of
tolerance of land species some 125km towards poles or
150m vertically on mountains. Furthermore, each species
has its own limit of body temperature above that its health
may be disrupted and this make species vulnerable to
variety of diseases and subsequent death. Therefore, current
global warming influencesspecies in many ways and
consequently leads to extinction of biological resources
such as genes, species, populations and ecosystems.
Keating, 1993, indicated that the normal rates of extinction
of many of the world’s biological resources have
accelerated, and still are rapidly accelerating—as a result of
the ongoing destruction of tropical forests and other
biologically rich habitats; plus over-harvesting, pollution,
and inappropriate introduction of foreign plants and
animals.
6.3 Desertification and drought
According to Keating, 1993,human impact on the land is
causing serious degradation, and increasing poverty and
starvation:
• Land degradation in the forms of soil erosion,
desertification, and loss of soil fertility is having a
most serious impact on food production, and on world
levels of poverty and starvation.
• Desertification is the process of land degradation
caused by human impacts, notably the use of
unsustainable agricultural methods, and variations in
climate. Dry lands of the world that are already
ecologically fragile are particularly vulnerable.
• The key short-term impacts of desertification and
drought are degradation of grazing lands and decline
in food production.
• Seventy percent of the entire world’s drylands, which
amount to some 3.6 billion hectares or a quarter of the
world’s land, are already affected by degradation.
• From time to time, notably when rains fail for several
consecutive years, the problem becomes extremely
serious. Drought conditions along with land
degradation contributed to severe famine in sub-
Saharan Africa in 1975.
• An estimated 3 million people died in the same region
in the 1980s because of drought.
• Much of the land at high risk of desertification is in
Africa and Asia, but substantial at-risk areas are in the
south-west of the USA, northern Mexico, Australia
and South America.
• Desertification is caused almost entirely by human
misuse and overuse of land. Major causes are
overgrazing by livestock and deforestation for fuel
wood. Other important factors include over cultivation
of marginal lands and salinisation from poorly
managed irrigation. Even in areas of moderate rainfall,
overgrazing and the production of livestock feed can
lead to serious losses of topsoil from water erosion.
• To stop desertification from spreading, land use,
including farming and grazing, must be made
environmentally sound, socially acceptable, fair and
economically feasible.
• In areas prone to desertification and drought,
traditional farmland and grazing styles are often
inadequate and unsustainable, particularly in the face
of increasing populations. Rural dwellers should be
trained in soil and water conservation, water
harvesting, agroforestry and small scale irrigation.
• Poverty is a major factor in accelerating the rate of
degradation and desertification. To reduce pressure on
the fragile lands, it is necessary to rehabilitate
degraded lands, and provide alternative livelihoods for
people.
• It is necessary to establish an international drought
emergency response system equipped with food,
healthcare, shelter, transport and finances.
In this line, being part of sub Saharan Africa, the fate of
Ethiopia’s drylands or range lands particularly in pastoral
areas facing serious challenges because of frequent
droughts.
The strategy of Ethiopia regarding sustainability of
agriculture and natural resources designed well, except
ineffective implementation of these strategies.
To ensure sustainable agriculture growth, appropriate
natural resources conservation practices that require soil and
water conservation works with fully implementation
through proactive and organized community participation.
Forestry development, protection and utilization will be
done with increased effectiveness by the participation of
communities (MoFED, 2010).

Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy
(CRGE)strategyidentified priority areas in its green
economy plan based on four pillars, among these,
the two of them are:
 Improving crop and livestock production practices for
higher food security and farmer income while reducing
emissions;
 Protecting and re-establishing forests for their economic
and ecosystem services, including as carbon stocks.
With respect to this, the strategy focus on the
sustainable management of natural resources by
developing activities to protect and restore the potential
of production of ecologically fragile areas through
ecosystem management. This will encompass using
reforestation and agro forestry technologies, activities to
improve rangeland, implementation of soil and water
conservation techniques, strategies for biodiversity
conservation (FDRE, 2012).
Ethiopia is one of the sub-Sahara African countries
facing climate change calamities; for instance the recent
years (2015-17) El Nino effects-drought and the later
opposite flooding in the country affected agriculture,
resulted in food shortage, death of domestic and wild
animals, destruction of properties with flood hazard and
landslides with heavy rainfall. Pastoralists in semiarid
and arid lands have been suffered from drought effects
though government has trying its best in supply of
forage and other needs.
VII. POPULATION GROWTH AND RESOURCE USE
7.1 Two contrasting views on Population growth:
Malthus VsBoserup:
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834), an English
economist, who wrote ‘An essay in the First Principle of
population’ first published in 1798, that Human population
tends to grow faster than the power in the earth to produce
subsistence. Basically he suggested that food production
was likely at best to increase at an arithmetic rate whereas
population tended to increase at a geometric rate and likely
to double every 25 years unless certain checks were
imposed on it. Basing this he also suggested positive and
Negative checks so as to decrease population growth. The
Negative checks (decreased birth rate) are the postponement
of marriage and abstinent while Positive checks (increased
death rate) were ways to reduce population size by events
such as famine, disease, war - increasing the mortality rate
and reducing life expectancy ( Hornby and Jones, 1993).
Another view was proposed by Esther Boserup 1965, a
Danish economist, who offered an alternative theory
regarding relationship between population pressure and
agricultural development. Boserup believed that people
have the resources of knowledge and technology to increase
food supplies for ever growing population. Basic Boserup’s
suggestion was demographic pressure (population density)
promotes innovation and higher productivity in use of land
(irrigation, weeding, crop intensification, better seeds) and
labor (tools, better techniques). Therefore, population
growth will spark innovators who will solve the problems
the increasing population has caused, making it sustainable
for a growing population.
Concern about the consequences of population growth on
economic development has generated a debate for decades,
starting with Malthus’s “Essay on the Principle
ofPopulation” in 1798. Two main contrasting views have
emerged and remain in recent debate among different
scholars; either rapid population growth is a burden for
development, or development is primary means to bring
about lower fertility.The debate over the relationship
between population growth and development continuedto
encompass concerns about degradation of the environment
and natural resources. ForExample, in 1987, the World
Commission on Environment and Development indicated
that the critical issue in achieving sustainable development
is the balance between population sizes, the rate of
population growth and available resources (WCED, 1987).
It is evident that rapid population growth interacts with
public education, health, welfare, employment, total food
supply, resource and the quality of the environment.
Generally, those who view positively population growth
argue that a big population would provide a good market for
products; a growing population would enable mass
production techniques to be used and thus lower price, with
a growing population demand would rise and would be
strong and finally the burden of social cost would be spread
widely. It is further held that a declining or stationary
population would bring about economic stagnation. These
assumption may conceivably be true if sufficient capital
were available and the technological skills, and health to
make it. However, the current available evidences strongly
suggests that rapid population growth in developing
countries has been a decided obstacle rather than an aid to
economic growth, and that the more rapid the rise in
numbers, the greater the deterrent effects (FGAE,1991).
7.2 Trends of population growth in Ethiopia
For the first time Ethiopia has conducted its population and
housing census in 1984. Based on this data CSA has
reconstructed population growth rate. The growth rate in

Ethiopian population increased from less than 0.5% at the
turn of the century to about 1.5% in the 1950s, and to 3% in
the late of 1980s. At the present [1994], it is estimated at
about 3.2%. The doubling time of the population which was
60 years between 1900 and 1960 decreased to 27 years
between 1960 and1987. At the current pace of rate of
growth doubling time may less than 23 years. Based on this
reconstruction, population of the country was estimated to
be 11.8 million at the beginning of the 20th
century and it
has increased to 19 million in 1950 (Assefa ,1994 p.19;
Bielletal, 2001). Thereafter, the second census was
conducted in 1994. From these two basic data indicators
censuses, the population of the country increased over the
decade from 42.6 million in 1984 to 53.5 million in 1994.
There was a slight decline in the population growth rate
over the decade from 3.1% in 1984 to 2.9% in 1994 (CSA,
2001, p.1). Based on 2007 census, the population of
Ethiopia reached 73.9 million, with its growth rate about
2.6. Data from the 3 consecutive censuses, each successive
Population and Housing Census demonstrates that national
population size increased in steady increments of significant
proportions. For instance, a comparison of the 2007 census
results with those from 1994 shows that the population of
the country increased by more than 20 million persons over
the last 12 years. Similarly, in the previous decade (1984 to
1994), the population of the country increased by 13.2
million people (CSA, 2008). Fertility rate is also high but
declining slowly. According to the 2005 Ethiopia
Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the total fertility
rate (TFR) was 6.4 in 1990, 5.5 in 2000 and in 2005 it
declined to 5.4 children per woman.
7.3 Population Growth and Associated Problems
According to Keating, 1993 the population increase
together with the world‘s unsustainable consumption
pattern is putting ever-increasing stress on the land, water,
air, energy and other essential resources of the planet. Rapid
population growth is usually accompanied by serious
environmental degradation, including soil erosion,
desertification and deforestation. It can put a region well
beyond its economic and natural resource limits or ‘carrying
capacity’—threatening its long-term ability to support
life.Therefore, countries need to know their national
population-carrying capacity. These situations, as
developing country, are also happening in Ethiopia.
Special attention should be given to critical resources, such
as water and land, and environmental factors, such as
ecosystem health and bio-diversity management. These
resources utilizations are associated with human population
in developing countries.Thus,
 The world needs to do a better job of forecasting the
possible outcomes of current human activities,
including population trends, per capita resource use and
wealth distribution.
 Sustainable development will require reproductive
health programmes to reduce maternal and infant
mortality, and provide men and women with the
information and means to plan family size.
 Population programmes need to be part of broader
policies that also deal with such factors as ecosystem
health, technology and human settlements, and with
socio-economic structures and access to resources.
 Population programmes will require the support of
political, indigenous, religious and traditional
authorities, the private sector and the scientific
community. The programmes will also need adequate
funding, including support to developing countries.
 Every country needs a health action plan that includes a
national public health system. All countries should
have programmes to identify environmental health
hazards and reduce the risks. They need to make
environment and health safeguards part of national
development programmes, and train people to deal with
environmental health hazards.
 Every nation needs its own programme to eradicate
such root causes of poverty as hunger, illiteracy,
inadequate medical and childcare, lack of employment
and population pressures. The actions of individual
governments must receive support, including financial
assistance, because the struggle against poverty is the
shared responsibility of all countries.
7.3.1 Population growth and environment
There has been a growing awareness in the later part of the
20th
century of the potential damage to the environment of
further increase in population and of varies economic
activities that have resulted in the rapid consumption of
certain world’s resources ( Hornby and Johens, 1993). In
Ethiopia massive environmental degradation has occurred
during the last few decades due to population pressure,
unwise use of its natural resources, unsound ecological
practices and natural factors. The population which is
growing at a very rapid rate of about 3% annually has been
clearing forests and vegetation at an alarming rate in order
to meet its increasing requirements of food, fiber, and
energy (Bielletal, 2001). For instance, a study in a Dale and
Shashemeneworedas, revealed that as a result of population

increase, the demand for agricultural land increased. And
therefore, forests were cleared to provide more agricultural
land, grazing grounds, steep slopes and marginal lands were
brought under cultivation which out not be cultivated
(Yebeltal, 1994).
According to website of National Population Policy of
Ethiopia, Experience over the last couple of decades in
Ethiopia has shown that as human numbers increased, the
population carrying capacity of the environment decreased.
A high population growth rate induces increased demand
for resources and the rate at which these resources are
exploited. In Ethiopia, where technology has not kept pace
with the demands for greater productivity, environmentally
harmful and economically counterproductive methods of
exploiting land and associated resources ( forests, animal
resources, etc.) are resorted to in order to meet immediate
needs. Because of this, climatic conditions are becoming
erratic and soil quality is declining at an alarming rate.
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/population/policies/ETHIOPIA
.htm
Ever increasing environmental degradation and
resourceconsumption have leaded to state of ecological over
shoot, meaningthat humanity is consuming resources faster
than they can replace.Human population is placing
unprecedented pressure on the planet’s lands, water,
fisheries, and other natural resources (Alberta, 2002-2009
quoted in Baleynesh, 2010). Daniel (1990) also wrote how
population growth induces pressure on the environment: As
a result of rural population growth, farm holdings get
progressively smaller and production even at subsistence
level becomes unsustainable. Intensification of land use and
shortening of fallow periods leads to further deterioration in
soil fertility. Ecologically marginal and fragile
environments are occupied and farmed. Biomass is removed
through land clearing for cultivation, overgrazing, and
gathering of woods and shrubs of fuel. Shortage of wood
fuel supply leads to the substitution of natural fertilizers,
such as crop residues and animal waste, for wood fuel;
which in turn leads to further deterioration in soil fertility.
The connections between population growth, resource use
and environmental quality are too complex to permit strait
forward generalizations about direct causal relationships.
Further, may of these connections are manifested only at the
local level and may be missed when the perspective is
regional or global, where much of debate has focused. On
the other hand there are those who feel the root cause of
most of our ecological problems is population growth, they
argue that population growth is indeed is a major detriment
to the environment. Another view is that many variables
other than population are critical elements in environmental
deterioration, and the use or abuse of technology play
significant role in environmental degradation. So that
people’s impact on the environment can be traced far back
into history and their attitudes towards the natural
environment have varied considerably, both from time to
time and place to place (Peters and Larkinn, 1989).
Hence, always population increase can not be mere causes
of environmental degradation. In some southern parts of
Ethiopia ( for example subtropical climate areas of Sidama
zone) despite of dense population the area looks remain
intact environmentally, this may depends on several factors
like history of settlement, nature of the soil, type of climate,
type of land use and so on. In such areas holding
‘wonadega’ or subtropical climate though populated
densely it seems green. Most of those areas farmers
practicing of plantation agriculture like coffee and ‘enset’
which help to resist soil erosion anchoring soil by their
roots. Moreover, this does not mean that through long
history of land use, lands remain so in its productive
capacity and general environmental conditions remain as
they are. As population increase, even from those
overcrowded areas because of land subdivided into small
plots for family members and some individuals from family
forced to migrate to urban areas in search of work.
7.3.2 Rural Land holding Reduction
So long as population continues growing faster, per capital
land holdings and food production will go on decreasing or
in short if rural poverty continues prevailing, seasonal rural
out migration world continue as a “ safety value” in
relieving population pressure (Mulunh W/Tsadik, 1994). As
population growth is rapid arable land per capita declines
and the fragmentation and degradation of land through over
use increases. To accommodate the landless young
generation, frequent redistribution of land occurs resulting
in the possession and has an impact on food shortages and
family income (Bielletal, 2001). According to the
1999/2000 agricultural sample survey by CSA, the average
farm size for the total country is 0.97 hectare. Whereas 29%
of the total farming households have half or less hectare of
land (CSA, 2000 quoted in Bielletal, 2001,p.1). Whether or
not this size is adequate not known in exact terms, because
it requires knowledge of productivity of the land, and the
availability of agricultural inputs to determine the level of
production ( Marlkos and Seyoum, 1998). To this effect,
studies in some particular areas of the country showed that
the increasing population pressure created scarcity of
agricultural land, unemployment, and landlessness. For

instance, a study by Yebeltal 1994, p.15, in Dale and
Shashemeneworedas, showed that the average farm size
were 0.41 and 0.23 hectares respectively. And the smallness
of farms and plots has an adverse effect on a adoption of
soil conservation structures. Another study in Adaba areas
,Bale zone, revealed that because of population pressure, the
existing farm land is not adequate and as a result farmers
are looking for farm land from where the land is available
either the remaining few hectares of grazing land ( Hassen,
2006). The increasing population pressure on agricultural
land and the resulting small size holding has created a
society of under employed peasants. Plots in these areas
have already undergone excessive subdivision and most of
the peasants are now left with mini plots which reduced
proper utilization of peasant labour (Yebeltal, 1994).
Beside, the increasing decline of farm size hinder the
application and effectively of the land management
practices. According to Dessalegn and Taye, 2006, the
increasing decline of farm size leads to reduction of
fallowing practices, or shortening of fallow cycle, and
rotation, with consequence of decline soil quality and
fertility. The application of sustainable land management
practices such as rotation, agro–forestry, inter-cropping and
soil erosion control are generally influenced negatively by
the fragmentations and diminution of farm land. Since such
sustainable land management practices need a consolidated
and considerably larger farm size. Small farm households
face higher overhead cost of application of technology per
unit of land area (Dessalegn and Taye, 2006).
7.3.3 Food insecurity
Over the last two decades, Ethiopian agriculture has been
unable to produce sufficient quantities to feed the country’s
rapidly growing population. As a result, the country has
been an important recipient of food aid and importer of
commercial food grain. In recent years food aid has been
accounting for a significant proportion of the total food
supply in the country (Belay and Manig, 2004). In Ethiopia
high rate of population growth is inversely related with the
pattern of agricultural production, which is still essentially
small holder relying on expanding the farmland, often into
marginal land, rather than adopting intensification
techniques (Baleynesh, 2010). Apart from the chronically
food insecurity population, an additional population of
about three million also faces seasonal hunger almost every
year. In 2003, about 14.3 million of people (22%), mainly
in rural areas, were in critical food crisis (DPPC, 2003 cited
in Dessalegn and Taye, 2006, p.147). Farmers with
relatively small farm holding are one who are highly
vulnerable to food and income insecurity, and as a result
who turn frequently to trading crop residues and animal
manure as fuel sources rather than using them for soil
fertility improvement (Dessalegn and Taye, 2006).
7.4 Family Planning to optimize population
Family planning is a voluntary planning technique to use
contraception to determine, regulate or control the number
of children to have and when to have them. It encompasses
both modern family planning methods such as pills, IUD,
injectables, foaming, condom and sterilization. And
traditional family planning includes methods such as
withdrawal, rhythm, periodic abstinence and herbs
(Groanwold, etal 1989 cited in Senait, 2008). Family
planning is also recognized not only as a key intervention
for improving the health of women and children but also as
a human right. The basis for action in family planning must
be to enable couples and individuals to decide freely and
responsibly the number and spacing of their children, to
have the information and means to do so, to ensure
informed choices and to make available a full range of safe
and effective methods (WHO, 1996). To this effect,
information about family planning should by made
available and should actively promote access to family
planning services for all individuals desiring them ( Markos
and Seyom, 1998). In fact, family planning improves family
well being. Family having limited number of children can
be able to provide better food, cloth, health care and
education to family members. It is an important means for
the reduction of fertility, lower maternal death by spacing or
preventing pregnancy (Makhos and Seyoum, 1998; Senait,
2009). Family planning services- (dissemination of
information and provision of moderncontraceptives) are
recent introduction, and therefore new to the majority of
thepopulation in the developing countries (Bandarage,
1997, quoted in Simeon,2002). Family planning activities
slow population growth by reducing the unwanted fertility
caused by women’s lack of access to contraceptives.
Limiting fertility through family planning is seen as the best
way to slow down population growth in any population.
Generally, Family planning through reduction high birth
rate stabilizes rapid population growth, thereby creating
conditions of sustainable use of available natural resources
of the country. Hence, the problems that associated with
rapid population growth such as reduction in land holdings,
deforestations, depletion of soil quality by over use, and so
on may be averted, since rapid population growth is one of
the key components of escalating those problems.

7.5 Factors affecting family planning
There are several Socio- cultural, socioeconomic and
demographic factors that a adversely affects the practices of
family planning. For instance, African couples are proud of
the number of children they have, particularly Sons,
because they think they gain social and economic benefit
out of it. Children are considered as important sources of
old age support for their parents, especially in a society
where there are no social welfare and security programs
(Bertrand, 1996 quoted in Binyam, 2007). Similarly, in
predominantly agrarian societies where the degree of the
structural different tradition of the economy is very low
children are viewed as economic and social assets. Since, in
economically and socially undifferentiated societies, the
house hold has to provide its own work force. In such
society children are the only sources of labour supply
(Seyoum,1990). In some sub- Saharan African countries,
there is a tendency for some women to attribute to God the
number of children that want to have. For example, the
Yoruba’s of Nigeria regards children as God’s gift or
blessings that cannot be refused (Olarye, 1993, Cited in
Sewnet, 2008). Traditional values and attitudes resist
change. In many developing countries, the belief persists
that every new child is not only an extra mouth to feed, but
also extra pair of hands to help increase the families
resources and to provide for parents in their old age (Salas,
1979). Besides, age at marriage, sex preference, education
level, lack of exposure to family planning information and
so forth, are factors affecting family planning. Further, in
addressing issues of optimum population those factors
should be taken in to considerations.
7.6 Family planning services in Ethiopia
A high degree of awareness about the harmful
consequences of continuing high fertility for both the
individual and the society has existed for quite a while
insignificant segments of the Ethiopian population as the
result of the weak but sustainable effort that started in 1966,
when the family Guidance of Ethiopia was first created as a
voluntary organization. But knowledge and awareness of
the problem could not be translated in to action due to lack
adequate and efficient institutional capacity in the
population sector to meet the increasing demands for
modern contraceptives generated by the increasing popular
knowledge and awareness about the relationship between
population dynamics and individuals, family, and the
collective welfare of the Ethiopian population (Markos and
Seyoum, 1998). According to Ethiopia Health Extension
Program (EHEP) document, until 2003, Ethiopia was no
exception to the expansion of higher-level health care
services such as hospitals at the expense of primary health
care to serve the rural population of the country (more than
84 percent of Ethiopians live in rural areas). But in 2003,
the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health launched a new
health care plan, the “Accelerated Expansion of Primary
Health Care Coverage,” through a comprehensive Health
Extension Program. Recognizing the huge gap between
need and health care services available, the Ministry of
Health has focused on “providing quality promotive,
preventive, and selected curative health care services in an
accessible and equitable manner to reach all segments of the
population, with special attention to mothers and children.
The policy places particular emphasis on establishing an
effective and responsive health delivery system for those
who live in rural areas. The Health Extension Program
(HEP) is an innovative community based introduced
programes. The health extension program aims at creating
healthy environment and healthful living by making
available essential health services at the grass roots level.
The objective of HEP is to improve equitable access to
preventive essential health services through community
(Kebele, smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) based
health services with strong focus on sustained preventive
health actions and increased health awareness (Argawu,
2007).
As explained above before 2003, no grass root level health
care and at the same time no grass root Family planning
services except high light service by Guidance Association
of Ethiopia, and most services are given through existing
health institutions such as hospitals, health centers, health
stations and clinics. But thereafter, family planning service
is widely offered for rural people through health extension
program (HEP) by health extension workers who serve
households in grass root level (kebele level), therefore, this
program is founded as very essential and problems solving
in terms of shortage of facilities and information about
family planning and/or modern contraceptives in rural as
well as recently in urban areas of Ethiopia.
7.7 Environmental Education and Family planning
The relationships among population, resource and the
environment have always been controversial and still
remain so. The main concern over environmental issues
stem from the perception that we may reach a limit to the
number of people whose needs can be met by the earth’s
finite resources. ...Throughout 20th
century, the increasing
population density has contributed to sever and accelerating
of the very resources that this growing population depended

on for survival (Aklilu, 2010). The scale and complexity of
today’s social, economic, and environmental challenges
demand another look at population, health, and environment
relationships and a better understanding of these cross-
cutting issues. The relationships between population,
environment and health is the diverse that changes in
population and health, including population growth,
migration, demographic composition, births, deaths, and
disease, influence environmental change and how
environmental change affects population and health.
However, population growth is a product of millions of
individual reproductive choices and, fortunately, today’s
efforts in population and reproductive health focus first on
couples’ childbearing desires and women’s family planning
needs (USAID, 2010). Many studies claim that population
growth is a significant cause of environmental degradation.
But people’s perception to environmental degradation and
choice of family size is simultaneously important to analyze
in considering the concepts as interrelated since people
perception to environmental degradation may influence to
use contraception and family size (Haqetal, 2010).
Slowing the rate of population growth may give countries
time to take measuresto meet people’s needs, while
protecting the environment through various means.
Preventing unplanned births through family planning, and
guaranteeing individuals and couples the right to
reproductive health, can help slow population growth rates
and moderate environmental impact – and it might be one
of the most cost-effective ways of doing so. In addition,
stabilizing the planet’s population is a critical factor in
creating a sustainable environment – free individual choice
on the size of one’s family is the most practicable option for
slowing population growth (UNFPA, 2008).
When environmental, agricultural, and rural development
organizations understand how population and health factors
relate to their sector goals, they can effectively advocate for
and integrate the delivery of family planning services into
their activities. These organizations can deliver desired
services to populations who are beyond the current reach of
the health sector and can help advance family planning as a
health, development, and environmental priority (USAID,
2010). Many studies explain people perception to family
size or environmental degradation independently.
Considering both of the concepts as interrelated, how
people consider the relation between family size and
environmental degradation, and how their perception
subsequently influence on contraceptive use in developing
countries. People who think their immediate environment
such as land productivity, soil fertility, water level and
biodiversity is declining are more concerned about their
family size and contraceptive use than who do not think that
their environment is declining (Haqetal, 2010).
As the number of family members increases, consumption of
the resources such as water supply, biomass based energy
supply, use of out of living resources like plants and
animals in rural, will increase. This links between a high
fertility, degradation of environmental resource base of a
rural community and an accentuation of hardship among its
members (Munasinghe, 1993). In addition to this,
concerning large family size, it has been stated that family
size has had certain consequences for children, family unit,
and spouses themselves. There are a variety of infant and
child physical and mental health and developmental
problems that appear to occur more frequently in larger
families than small ones more to children of higher birth
order than lower order. The effects associated with family
size on the well being of individuals in a family are varied,
but serious: increased illness, including malnutrition,
serious enough in younger to increase mortality rate; less
satisfactory growth and intellectual development; increased
illness in the parents as well as clear-cut economic and
emotional stress (Anvar, 1995). Large family size will
consequently result in families’ inability to function well in
terms of childcare and ability to adequately educate children
in the family. Large family size is also noted for its
influence on variables such as poverty, literacy, health,
education including others. These results are also influenced
by environmental, economic, cultural, and social factors
within which such a family thrives (Arthur, 2009).
Households with smaller family sizes enjoy better social
and economic life compared to those with relatively large
family sizes (ibid). Here it is necessary to say some thing
concerning size of family. According to Anvar 1995, the
number of births per couple by the end of their productive
life is called the complete family size. Willy, 2006, stated
that people also frequently qualified desired family sizes by
referring to uncertain future economic and living situations,
the mother's health, and other circumstances over which
they have little control. Even if it is difficult to put precise
number because of it differ from place to place and country
to country depending on economic development,
educational level and varieties of social factors, in the 21th
century when the number of children is more than four, it
may be said large family. In addition, one of the our
country’s stated objectives, in its population policy, is also
reducing the current [1980s] total fertility rate of 7.7
children per woman to approximately 4.0 by the year 2015.

Being smallest unit of population, every larger family size
also contributes to rapid population growth of the country.
Because of problem of rapid population increase exerts
pressure over natural resources; and then the quality and
quantity of these environmental resources are declining
through time, thus, currently escalating problems of the
degradation of environmental resources and pollution by
human action will back fire man himself.
In this line, as explained above, EE strives to increases
peoples knowledge and awareness about the environment
and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and
expertise to address the challenges, and foster attitudes,
motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions
and take responsible action whether the environmental
problem is arise from any angle that caused by human
activities. At this juncture it is important to note that
environmental well-being itself is human well-being as the
natural environment is the source of all recourses for the
survival of human being. In this perspective, taking care for
the environment is taking care for human being.
Here the link between EE and family planning come into
being since family planning accompanying with its
compatible population policy is taken as essential means in
regulating undesirable rapid population growth. Besides,
since family planning is sub component of the population
policy and issues, as mentioned above, EE itself in its
programs encompasses population policy and other
population dynamics. EE is also multi-disciplinary and
multi-sectoral to include family planning under population
issues. In addition, Haqetal, 2010, wrote that the reasons
behind the relation between family size and environmental
degradation might not be understood simply through the
study of particular disciplinary approaches such as
sociological or demographic or environmental. So there is
needed to incorporate and integrate knowledge based on the
multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches.
7.9 Role of education for family planning
Education is a process by which man transmits his
experiences, new findings, and values accumulated over the
years, in his struggle for survival and development, through
generations. Education enables individuals and society to
make all- rounded participation in the development process
by acquiring knowledge, ability, skills and attitudes
(Tekeste, 1996). Education is seen not only as an end in
itself but also hoped to serve as one of the most powerful
instruments bringing about the changes required to achieve
sustainable development(Aklilu, 2010). Raj (2010) also
expressed the importance of education as it increases the
awareness about health, hygiene, clinic amenities, and
knowledge about development process. Furthermore,
Shukla (2006) quoted in Raj (2010) wrote that education is
the most dynamic and influential tool for inducing positive
attitude among couples towards the methods and measures
of family planning. Education also has a great influence on
the family size preference and understanding of
environmental conditions. On the other hand, lower level of
educational attainment negatively affects family planning.
Besides, Willy, 2006, wrote that the gender gap in
education causes a large number of illiterate females in rural
areas, women with no or little understanding of children
bearing risks, and other health matters, including how to
negotiate timely issues related to reproductive health, in
their households. Furthermore, the importance of education,
especially the education of women, for falling fertility rate
has been widely confirmed by many studies as women
aware of childbearing risks.
VIII. DIMENSIONS AND APPROACHES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
8.1 Dimensions of Learning
Dimensions of environmental education are competencies
and behavior expected from environmentally literate
citizens.
According to Palmer and Neal 1994, environmental
dimension canbe found in most aspects of education—thus
environmental education may be considered to be an
approach to education which incorporates considerations
ofthe environment, rather than being a separate part of
education. It does, however, have a discrete ‘content’ which
must be incorporated into teaching and learning situations.
Dimension of environmental learning inextricably
interlinked with various threads and elements are thethree
dimensions of the learning process: knowledge and
understanding, skills, attitudes and action.
Knowledge and skills
i) To develop a coherent body of knowledge about the
environment, both built and rural, sufficient torecognise
actual and potential problems,
ii) To be able to gather information from or about the
environment independently or as part of co-operative
activity,
iii) To be able to consider different opinions related to
environmental issues and to arrive at a balanced
judgement,
iv) To appreciate the ways in which environmental issues
are interrelated so that one factor affects others,

v) To be able to evaluate information about the environment
from different sources and to try to resolve environmental
problems,
vi) To understand and to know how to use the mechanisms
available in society for bringing about environmental
change.
Attitudes and behaviour
i) To develop an appreciation of the environment and
critical awareness of the natural and built environment,
ii) To develop an attitude of concern for environmental
matters and a wish to improve environmental
understanding,
iii) To be critical of one’s own environmental attitudes and
to take steps to change one’s own behaviour and actions,
iv) To have a desire to participate in initiatives to care for or
improve the environment,
v) To participate in environmental decision making and to
make opinions known publicly.
8.2 Principles of Environmental Education
Environmental education is the education process dealing
with man’s relationship with his natural and manmade
surroundings, and includes the relation of population,
pollution, resource allocation and depletion, conservation,
transportation, technology, and urban and rural planning to
the total human environment (Rao and Reddy, 2005).So
addressing such variety of issues incorporated in education
system several dimensions.
According to Palmer and Neal, (1994), planning for the
inclusion of environmental education in the curriculum
needs to take account of the three interlinked components
which comprise the theme:
• education about the environment
• education for the environment
• education in or through the environment.
These elements are interrelated and are essential
components of planning at every level, ranging from whole-
school and year-group curriculum planning to the more
specific plans for topics, programmes of study and tasks
applicable to a class, group of learners or an individual. An
integral part of the planning process must take account of
the need to develop an understanding of the
interrelationship between the three components.
This is likely to be achieved through elaboration of content
of the seven areas of knowledge and understanding, and the
development of related skills, concepts and attitudes. The
dimensions of skills, concepts and attitudes are inextricably
bound into the core content of the three structural elements:
• Education about the environment has the purpose of
developing knowledge and understanding about values
and attitudes.
• Education for the environment encourages pupils to
explore their personal response to and relationship
with the environment and environmental issues. This
is linked to the development of attitudes and values,
including elements of human understanding and
behaviour necessary for the development of
sustainable and caring use of the environment.
• Education in or through the environment uses the
environment as a resource for learning. It is a resource
which enables the development of a great deal of
knowledge and understanding as well as skills of
investigation and communication.
Anyone and country responsible for planning the
curriculum and learning tasks concerned with
environmental education needs to take account of all of
these interrelated elements.
The inclusion of the development of skills is, of course,
vital, not only to planning for progressive schemes of work
in environmental education, but also to planning for
incorporating skills of a cross-curricular nature into the
curriculum as a whole. Environmental education has a
critical role to play in skill development.
As a cross-curricular theme, environmental education
allows children the opportunity to understand the many and
varied environmental issues that surround them, how
decisions are made about the environment and how people
can have the opportunity of participating in the decision
making process. Work in environmental education
represents a good opportunity for children to use a whole
range of skills in a way which is both relevant to their lives
as well as useful to their future as citizens. By stretching
children intellectually and creatively, by asking them to
communicate ideas and work in a cooperative manner on
environmental issues that face them, it is hoped to produce
adults provoked and challenged into making a positive and
constructive contribution to the future and well-being of the
world.
Any sound model for planning the incorporation of
environmental education in the school curriculum will
clearly need to take account of both content and skills, and
also the overall entitlement of pupils, including emphasis on
attitudes and value-laden issues (Palmer and Neal, 1994).
8.3 Approaches of Environmental Education
The nature and contents of environmental educationentail
variety of dimensions; hence, Scott argues thatthere can be

no single way of learning about sustainability, but that there
are persuasive practical and philosophical grounds for
supporting learning through subject disciplines where
teachers can explore such issues with both subject
coherence and professional confidence. There are different
cultural and disciplinary traditions, often with no logical
link between them (Scott, W., 2002).
This is because diversity of issues that associated with
sustainability and variety environmental components. For
instance, sustainable development is a distinct component
which might contribute three key dimensions to
Citizenship:
 international
 intergenerational
 interspecies
Sustainable Development Education
 interdependence
 citizenship and stewardship
 needs and rights of future generations
 diversity
 quality of life
 sustainable change
 uncertainty and precaution
Philosophy of environmental education (EE), the EE field is
quite broad. It includes teaching learners of all ages to
appreciate and value nature and to understand natural
systems and how they work. EE also helps people develop
understandings of how humans interact with their
environment, both natural and man-made, and how to take
responsible, democratic action to preserve and protect the
environment. With such a wide range of goals, it is evident
that there is no one “right” pedagogical approach for EE;
there are many approaches. The approach that will work
best in any given case depends on numerous factors
including, but not limited to: student interest, maturity, age,
and abilities; the curricular goals being addressed; and the
instructional setting including resources and the time
available for instruction. It also depends on the knowledge,
skills, interests, and educational philosophy of the instructor
or instructors involved.
In relation to this, all teacher educators should be equipped
with environmental literacy. Educators who work in nature
centers, aquaria, and zoos, for example, can provide
learners with experiences that classroom teachers cannot
provide (Bodzinetal. 2010).
Environmental education (EE) is not confined to a single
subject matter rather it is interdisciplinary subject and it
encompasses social, economic, political and technological
aspects in its nature, further it committed to evaluate the
interaction of these elements and to address consequent
problems. According to Aklilu, 2010, Environmental
education is wide in its scope that includes biophysical,
socio cultural facets of our environment are inseparable
from one another. In this perspective, EE is a broad field
that encompasses sciences, humanities, economics,
technology, social sciences, and other disciplines.
Furthermore, Chowdhury, 2004 wrote that EE should
expand into new horizons on the basis that the environment
is multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and multi- facet. Under
this scenario Rao and Reddy explained multidisciplinary
nature of the EE as: Its program include various disciplines,
some of them are population, economics and technology,
environmental decision and environmental ethics. EE
program in relation to population includes: causes of
population increase, the impact of population on the
environment, migration, the use of resources by the
increasing population, the life style of the populations, the
birth-death rates, and health hygiene. And the other related
problems like social, ecological and political implications
also included.
Therefore, environmental education on one hand can be
addressed through cross-curricular approaches. In this way
curriculum of different subjects, primary or higher
education, include some components of environmental
issues as examples or major topic. But this approach may
not cover necessary components to be addressed because
one-the objective of these contents are may not in view of
aims of environmental education, second- the place given to
those issues is very limited.
Another approach ofdelivering environmental education is
providing as separate subject in lower schools of education
system or course in higher institutions should be generic or
common for all learners both in lower and higher education.
In writer point of view, this approach is more acceptable
because it overcome the two above mentioned problems.
This means when environmental educationis given in a full
course there would be sufficient time and space to present
environmental issues, to impart importance of sustainable
development, to create awareness on versatile socio-
political and environmental inter linkages andenvironmental
problems suggested solutions as well as learners to
participate inefforts for environmental wellbeing, in their
own consent since they would have satisfactory knowledge.
But mainstreaming environmental components through
cross-curricular approaches should support the second
approaches, in both cases regarding principles of
environmental education. Lastly, one can simply understand
that deciding contents of environmental education is

identifying key environmental elements, environmental
resources, interaction between man and environment and
resultant human impacts, how to minimize negative impacts
and bring possible solutions,action of aware and skilled
citizens can be involved at local as well as global level.
IX. CONCLUSION
In the 21st
century, the world has facing serious
environmental problems as climate change-increased
temperature, drought and flooding, which impacting
agricultural food production capacity and biodiversity.
Climatic and other environmental pollutions are also
causing human and other species health problems,
sometimes lead to the extinction of species. As a result,
environmental protection matters becoming mandatory than
option.
Therefore, beside of practical actions of environmental
protections; in order to achieve target of sustainable
development, awareness about the relationships between
carrying capacity of environment and increase in size of
human population should be addressed through
implementation of environmental education and by
incorporating those concepts of interactions between man
and environment in the environmental education as means
of environmental literacy since our knowledge about
environment is not adequate.
Every country of the world should create environmentally
literate citizens who are equipped with environmental
knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior and ethics; these can
be addressed through environmental education. Delivering
environmental education is providing as generic subject in
lower schools of education system or course in higher
institutions is importantly support actions to address
objectives of sustainable development.
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