Enhancing public participation in environmental decision-making through environmental education: A Sri Lankan Perspective

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize the interdependence between development and the environment. Therefore, environmental education (EE), which changes people's behavior toward the environment, is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental education (EE) aims to improve people's knowledge and comprehension of the environment through a thorough learning process. It focuses on expanding knowledge and strengthening one's capacity to understand and address environmental issues. Environmental Education aims to develop a populace that is dedicated to working both independently and jointly to address current issues and prevent the emergence of future ones. The primary objective of this study is to enhance public participation in environmental decision-making through giving environmental Education. This study is based on an Online questionnaire which is distributed among 90 people in Sri Lanka. The sample is selected using a convenient sampling method and data is analyzed using SPSS software. The study identifies that environmental education is classified into 3 subsections formal education, informal education, and experiential learning. All these categories have statistically significant strong positive correlations with intention to public participation. Sri Lanka can enhance its environmental education efforts by developing national standards for climate change education, training of teachers, strengthening community-based programs, planning to strengthen community-based diversity, and mass communication, use of digital channels and social media to expand the reach and impact of educational programs. This will promote sustainable practices and better-informed decision-making, strengthening the nation's environmental sustainability and resilience. The future of Sri Lanka's environment rests on the joint efforts of its citizens, and effective environmental education can significantly increase public involvement.