The SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme (SADC REEP)
In 1993 the Southern African Development Community (SADC) initiated the development of a Regional Environmental Education Programme (REEP), and formalised this initiative in 1997 when implementation partners were secured. The overall objective of enabling environmental education practitioners in the SADC region to strengthen environmental education processes for equitable and sustainable environmental management choices guides the programme.
A range of training, materials development and networking opportunities were established, followed up with policy work, and later by an emphasis on research and evaluation after widespread requests from practitioners in the sub-region. These processes continue to take place with the view of contributing to the integration agenda of SADC, aligning more with SADC policies, especially the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) and various environment-related and education protocols, and decentralisation of activities to SADC member-states.
The SADC REEP is recognised as an international model of best practice in environmental and sustainability education. Its implementation patterns include Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), along with many other national and regional partners, notably the 15 SADC Member-state Governments.
The SADC REEP and its partners have developed an approach to environmental education that supports individuals, communities and institutions in southern Africa to strengthen alternatives and capabilities that respond to critical environmental and sustainability issues and risks. EEASA has enjoyed the support of SADC REEP for many years. Individuals and their communities of practice can contribute to EE / ESD through participation in the various courses offered through SADC REEP such as the two-months’ course conducted with Rhodes University, two-week attachments, a UNESCO Teacher Education network, mainstreaming education and sustainability in Natural Resources Management and environment management practices, and mainstreaming environment and sustainability education in Curriculum Development support. In its decentralisation process, the SADC REEP is promoting inter-country clusters on various themes such as Learning Support Materials skills development, regional centres of expertise (RCEs) and communities of practice, of which the latter two offer limited seed funding opportunities.
For further information please contact staff at the SADC Regional Environmental Education Centre at
sadc-reec@wessa.co.za or visit our website www.sadc-reep.org.za
Project contact details:
Tich Pesanayi
Tel 033 330 3931
E-mail tich@wessa.co.za or sadc-reec@wessa.co.za