Many people do not understand the close ties between human activities and the environment because they have inaccurate or insufficient information. There is a need to increase people s sensitivity to, and involvement in, finding solutions for environment and development problems. Education can give people the environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour needed for sustainable development. To do this, education needs to explain not only the physical and biological environment, but the socio-economic environment and human development.
Basic education is the underpinning for environment and development education.
All countries should strive for universal access to education, and achieve primary education for at least 80 per cent of all girls and boys, through formal schooling or non-formal education. Adult illiteracy should be cut to at least half the 1990 level, and literacy levels of women brought into line with those of men. Work environment and development concepts, including those of population, into all educational programmes, with analyses of the causes of the major issues. There should be a special emphasis on training decision makers. Involve schoolchildren in local and regional studies on environmental health, including safe drinking water, sanitation, food and the environmental and economic impacts of resource use.