Environmental Education
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2019 Report of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARAB COUNTRIES 2019 Report of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development ENVIRONMENTAL Arab Forum for Environment ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT A GLANCE and Development (AFED) is an EDUCATION international not-for-profit, Evolution non-governmental, FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARAB COUNTRIES ƨ ƕǍǔƐ membership-based organization ƜƐƝƓ headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon. ƨ Members include corporations, EDITED BY: ƪƫ ǍǕǓǎƓ universities, research centers, NAJIB SAAB Ɛ media networks, and civil society ƐǍǕǓǓƓ alongside government entities as ADNAN BADRAN ƨ observers. Since 2007, AFED has been a public forum for influential ABDUL-KARIM SADIK ǍǕǕǎƐ ǎǍƐ INARAB DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE Ɛ eco-advocates. Over the last Ɠ eleven years, it has become a major dynamic player in the ƨ ǎnjnjǎƓ global environmental arena. Ɛ ƪƫǎnjnjǑƓǎnjǍǐƐǍnjǎǎ The flagship contribution of AFED Ɛ Ɛ Ɛ Ɛ Ɛ ƐƐƐ is an annual report written and ƐƓ edited by experts on the state Arab Universities of Arab environment, tracking developments and proposing ƨ ǑǓƕ ǎǎǍ policy measures. Other initiatives Ɛ ǓǍƛ ƐǍnjǎƛ ƐǏǒ include a regional Corporate ǍǎƓ Environmental Responsibility ƨ ǑǑ ƕ ƪ Ɛ Ɛ (CER) program, capacity ƐƐƫƐǐǎ ƪƐ ƐƐ building, public awareness, and ƐƐƫƐǏǕ ƪ Ɛ ƐƐƐƫƐ environmental education. ǎǒ ƪ ƐƫƐǏ ƪƐƐ ƫƓ AFED enjoys Consultative Status ƨ ƐƐ with the United Nations Economic ƕƓ ƪǏǐ ƫƐ and Social Commission (ECOSOC), ƪǏnj ƫƐƪǎǕ ƫƐ ƪǍǕ and has an observer member ƫƓ status with the United Nations ƨ ǓƓ Environment Program (UNEP), T Ɠ the League of Arab States (LAS), Arab Schools and many other regional and international organizations and COUNTRIES ƨ ƐƐ conventions. As an Arab think ƓƐ tank, it has played a major role ƐǎnjƐ Ɛ Ɛ Ɛ in international negotiations on Ɛ Ɠ environment and development, ƨ Ɛ Ɛ including advising governments Ɛ Ɠ and regional organizations on ƨ Ɛ matters such as climate change, ǓnjƓ green economy and sustainable development. ƨ Ɛ Ɛ ƐƐ Ɛ Ɠ 2019 www.afedonline.org Arab Forum for Environment and Development Beirut, Lebanon Tel: (+961) 1 321 800 Fax: (+961) 1 321 900 e-mail: [email protected] Dedicated to Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awadi 1936-2019 Chairman of AFED Executive Committee and Founding Board Member ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARAB COUNTRIES EDITED BY NAJIB SAAB ADNAN BADRAN ABDUL-KARIM SADEK 2019 REPORT OF THE ARAB FORUM FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT Published with Technical Publications and Environment & Development magazine Beirut, Lebanon [email protected] http://www.afedonline.org This report should be cited as follows: AFED (2019). Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Arab Countries. Annual Report of Arab Forum for Environment and Development, 2019; Saab, N., et al. (Ed.); Beirut, Lebanon. If the reference is to a specific chapter, include also number of the chapter and respective author(s). AFED and respective authors are solely responsible for opinions expressed in this report. The contents are based on best available data. Sponsors and supporting organizations do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in this report. Production Manager: Charbel Mahfoud Copy Editor: Rosalyn Saab Graphic Execution: Jamal Awada Printing: Arab Printing Press (APP), Beirut Photos: Environment & Development Magazine Archive - iStock photos - ILO - UNDP - Shutterstock - Wordpress ISBN: 978-9953-437-62-0 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN ARAB COUNTRIES 5 Contents 7 PREFACE 9 INTRODUCTION 17 CHAPTER 1 Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development: Evolution and Global Trends Ahmed Gaber, Djihan Hassan, Hayam El Sherbiny, Mariam William 43 CHAPTER 2 Education for Sustainable Development in the Arab Countries Djihan Hassan, Ahmed Gaber, and Hayam El Sherbiny 71 CHAPTER 3 Environmental Education in Arab Universities Riyad Y. Hamzah 111 CHAPTER 4 Environment in Arab School Curricula Reham Refaat Abdelaal and Charbel Mahfoud 148 ANNEX 1 Introduction to Environment and Sustainable Development Proposed Course Syllabus 150 ANNEX 2 Global Environmental Challenges Ibrahim Abdel Gelil 164 ANNEX 3 UNEP’S GEO-6 Key Messages 167 CONTRIBUTORS 170 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 1A ARABIC SUMMARY 6 LIST OF OPINIONS AND CASE STUDIES WHAT PISA TELLS US ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND OPTIMISM OF 15-YEAR-OLDS IN OECD COUNTRIES ALFONSO ECHAZARRA AND FRANCESCO AVVISATI 22 UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME PERSPECTIVE ON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION SAMI DIMASSI 28 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION LEBANESE SCHOOL CURRICULA DR. NADA OWEIJANE 34 THE ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DR. ALAA EL-SADEK 38 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE ARAB REGION - ISDB PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION AHMED AL QABANY 48 EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN NEEDS MORE POLITICAL BACKING DR. MICHAEL SCOULLOS 57 ENVIRONMENT IN MOROCCAN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES MOHAMMAD TAFRAOUTI 58 EDUCATION AS KEY SHAPING FACTOR OF A COMMON AND PROSPEROUS EURO-MEDITERRANEAN FUTURE: THE UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN’S PERSPECTIVE UFM SECRETARIAT 62 INTEGRATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INTO HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DR. FARID CHAABAN 68 THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM AT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT DR. RIMA HABIB 76 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AT THE ARABIAN GULF UNIVERSITY DR. MOHAMMAD ABIDO AND DR. AHMED EL-KHOLEI 82 THE WATER LEARNING CENTER AT ARABIAN GULF UNIVERSITY DR. WALEED AL-ZUBARI 86 UNIVERSITY OF BAHRAIN ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMS DR. MOHAMMAD EL-HILO 90 TURNING UNIVERSITY OF PETRA INTO A FRIENDLY GREEN CAMPUS DR. ADNAN BADRAN 94 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES DR. FADLO KHURI 108 AL-BIA WAL-TANMIA MAGAZINE: A ROLE MODEL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RAGHIDA HADDAD 114 GREEN SCHOOLS PROGRAM IN KUWAIT JINAN BAHZAD 116 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN ABU DHABI AHMED BAHAROON 122 AFDC: SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IN LEBANON SAWSAN BOU FAKHR EDDIN 124 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WITHIN THE SAUDI GREEN INITIATIVE DR. SAIYED AL-KHOULI 126 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE NATIONAL JORDANIAN CURRICULUM MAYYADA ABOU JABER 144 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN ARAB COUNTRIES 7 Preface Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Arab Countries is the topic of the 2019 annual report of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). It provides the first comprehensive survey of environmental contents in school and university curricula across the Arab countries, in view of identifying gaps and recommending pathways to enhance the role of education in advancing environmental protection and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report comes as a natural continuation of the series of annual reports on the state of the Arab environment, launched by AFED in 2008. It highlights the role of education in building new generations empowered with adequate knowledge, which enables them to address the challenges that emerged from the eleven previous reports. AFED’s first annual report in 2008, entitled Arab Environment: Future Challenges, became a major reference in its field and was the launching pad for the reports that followed, covering ten topics: Climate Change (2009), Water (2010), Green Economy (2011), Ecological Footprint (2012), Sustainable Energy (2013), Food Security (2014), Sustainable Consumption (2015), Sustainable Development in a Changing Arab Climate (2016), Arab Environment in 10 Years (2017) and Financing Sustainable Development (2018). Implementing solutions to the challenges traced in the reports requires enhanced public awareness and sufficient scientific knowledge, which is exactly where the role of education comes into play. The report found that during the last decade, Arab universities witnessed a rapid increase in programs related to the environment and sustainable development. Collectively, the 57 universities surveyed offer 221 degree programs on environmental topics. Postgraduate programs are typically research-oriented. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have been found to be the most active in environmental research output. The report noted that Arab universities can further accelerate their contribution to sustainability by integrating all of the SDGs into their learning and teaching activities, research, and community initiatives, observing specific weakness in the domains of environmental law and green economy. One pivotal recommendation of the report is offering an introductory course on environment and sustainability to all fresh university students. An AFED survey of school textbooks and curricula found that environmental topics most popular in Arab schools are ecosystems, natural resources, pollution and sustainable development. In contrast to the inclusion of the rather new topic of sustainable development, the survey found that climate change was absent or not adequately discussed in 40 percent of the countries. Some countries, which developed the most comprehensive programs to integrate environment in school curricula, were, paradoxically, slow in implementation, such as Egypt and Lebanon. In general, lack of coordination between ministries of environment 8 PREFACE and education was observed, which often resulted in overlapping programs. The report recommended that big challenges facing the region, such