Linking biodiversity conservation and education: perspectives from education programmes in Madagascar
Keywords:
Madagascar, environmental education, conservation, protected areas, evaluation, local knowledge, éducation environnementale, aires protégées, évaluation, connaissances localesAbstract
Education is used to foster supportive behaviour for conservation. This paper examines how environmental education is implemented in Madagascar, and its potential for conservation. These reflections are based on literature insights and in-depth experiences from the field.. We found that environmental education is only marginally integrated in the national curriculum and NGOs are the primary promoters. Evaluation methods focus on quantifying short-term changes in knowledge and attitudes, and interventions fail to integrate local knowledge, values and needs. We call for researchers to examine the long-term impacts, on governmental commitment and support, and for future interventions to be inclusive and locally meaningful.
Résumé
L'éducation est un moyen utilisé pour encourager les comportements favorables à la conservation, en particulier dans les communautés locales vivant autour des aires protégées. À partir de la littérature et d’expériences sur le terrain, cette contribution examine les manières dont l'éducation environnementale est mise en œuvre à Madagascar, et son potentiel dans la conservation. Il a été constaté que, dans le cadre des écoles primaires, l'éducation environnementale n’est intégrée que de façon marginale dans le curriculum, et les ONG sont les principaux acteurs qui promeuvent l'éducation environnementale. Le principal cible les élèves pour conduire des activités dans le cadre strictement scolaire avec peu de visites dans les aires protégées. Les méthodes d'évaluation se concentrent sur la quantification des changements à court terme dans les connaissances et les attitudes, et non dans les comportements. Les interventions ne parviennent pas à intégrer les connaissances, les valeurs et les besoins locaux. L'influence de l'éducation sur le succès de la conservation reste floue, de sorte qu’il est proposé que la recherche examine également les impacts qualitatifs et comportementaux à long terme des interventions éducatives, l’engagement et le soutien du gouvernement national, et que les futures interventions soient inclusives et significatives au niveau local.
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