Geography Education for Sustainable Development

Increased pressure on the earth's resources has led to what is increasingly referred to as the climate crisis. While a whole range of environmental parameters have been transformed through such pressures, the effect of human activities on the climate is symbolic of the nature of the human footprint upon our planet and makes the lack of any coherent political leadership in most countries even more alarming. The discipline of Geography has a distinct advantage in developing a more holistic understanding of global environmental challenges in that it reaches across all the sciences (including social sciences and humanities). Geographical education therefore represents an important vehicle for citizens of all ages to help them understand the complexity of the sustainability goal and what can (and should) be done to achieve a more sustainable future. In this essay, I reflect on three approaches that are available to individuals and communities towards taking the steps to sustainability. The philosophy embodied by the International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) is suggested as a particularly valuable tool for geography educators. The activities of the International Geographical Union (IGU) offer important opportunities for geographers to learn from each other and promote best practice in geographical education. As ‘the science for sustainability’, Geography has an increasingly important role to play in developing the knowledge and the skills to equip future generations with the tools to adapt to and mitigate potentially catastrophic global environmental change.