Education in South Asia has a renewed agenda which can enable societies to leapfrog development that is sustainable such that the individual is prepared for his/her involvement, responsibility and commitment to local and global discussions of our common future. This book on South Asia will focus on initiatives under the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) umbrella and discuss the challenges, opportunities, issues and strategies in the countries of the region. It presents these initiatives of Environmental Education/ESD vis-à-vis the administrative, economic, social, cultural and ecological realities of each country at various levels of policy, planning, implementation and evaluation. The discussions in this book extend beyond formal education systems like schools, higher education, pre-service and in-service teacher preparation to community education and education initiatives conceptualized with the goal of sustainability. All initiatives will demonstrate how each country in its own pace contributing to move ESD from the periphery to the core of education initiatives.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is globally acknowledged as a powerful driver of change, empowering learners to make decisions and take actions needed to build a just and economically viable societ y respect ful of both the environment and cultural diversit y.

This book examines the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programs in schools across Europe. It describes and analyzes how individual countries and the region as a whole have established teaching and learning methods to help students develop the competencies needed to be part of a sustainable society. Featuring chapters written by experts throughout Europe, the book first provides a general overview of ESD in various contexts, including the state-of-the-art of ESD theory and conceptual development; political and social analysis; the various concepts of ESD competencies; and teacher training. Next, the book details how ESD has been implemented in different European countries and regions, including: Sweden, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Catalonia, Hungary, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Flanders, France, Cyprus, UK and the Netherlands. In recognition of education as a motor of change, the United Nations General Assembly declared a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), calling for the integration of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. Inside this book, readers will find details on what has been done, as well as assessments of what more could be done, across Europe. It will help readers gain valuable insights into how to help students develop the knowledge, skills and values needed to shape a sustainable future.