GLOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

‘Glocal’ is a term made by combining ‘global’ and local, and it emphasizes multi-scale views in dealing with global and local problems or activities. It is a key to the improvement of environmental education. Global environmental problems, such as global warming, resource problems and population problems, are becoming increasingly serious in recent years as warned in the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-4) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit in July 2008 also highlighted these issues.

There still exists a wide gap between the serious global environmental situation and the reality of environmental education in the world. Environmental education tends to be characterized by local to national conditions and political will. The volume intends to discuss the various situations, problems and their possible solutions, and good practices related with environmental education in the world, and to propose the rational ways for environmental education. Many of the papers in this book originate from those presented in the International Symposium on Glocal Environmental Education, 2008, but they have been extended and re-written substantially for this book, and some new papers have been incorporated. It is hoped that this book provides appropriate implementation plan for environmental education, and contributes for achieving the goals of both Sapporo and the Bonn Declarations.

Yukio Himiyama is Professor of Geography at Hokkaido University of Education. He represents Japan in IGU, IHDP, GLP and International Geography Olympiad. He founded IGU Commission on Land Use/Cover Change in 1996 and chaired it till 2004. He was an Honorary Theme Editor of UNESCO Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems.

R.B. Singh is Senior Faculty in the Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. He represents Indian National Science Academy in IGU and IAHS. Apart from being Vice Chair of Steering Committee of the IGU Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity, he is presently Secretary General, NAGI.

Fusayuki Kanda is Professor at the Department of Regional Education, Hokkaido University of Education. Apart from the Member of Committee of Ecosystem Management in Ecological Society of Japan, he is also Chair of Committee of River Restoration in Nature Reclamation Council of Japan. He is also Director of ESD Promotion Centre of Hokkaido University of Education.

James Hindson is the Head of FSC Environmental Education (FSCEE) within the Field Studies Council, with varied responsibilities, including the development and delivery of education for sustainability, community participation and public awareness projects in UK and globally.