Environmental Awareness among Students in the Sivasagar District
of Assam: An Analysis
Dr. Noni Rajkhowa
Associate Professor Department of Education Jhanji H.N.S. College, Jhanji, Sivasagar, Assam
Received: 25 November 2025; Accepted: 04 December 2025; Published: 18 December 2025
ABSTRACT
Environmental Education has become increasingly important in today’s world as human activities continue to
affect natural systems. It helps individuals develop the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed to
understand the relationship between humans and the environment. This study explores the
importance of
Environmental Education, particularly its role in shaping student awareness and responsible behaviour. It
highlights how Environmental Education enables learners to recognise environmental problems such as
pollution, resource depletion, climate change, and urbanization. The paper also examines the role of schools in
providing environmental learning through interdisciplinary teaching, practical activities, and value-based
education. The study emphasizes that introducing Environmental Education from early childhood is essential
for developing environmentally responsible citizens. The research concludes that strong environmental
awareness, combined with effective school-based initiatives, can significantly contribute to sustainable
environmental protection.
Keywords: Environmental Education, Awareness, Students, Sustainability
INTRODUCTION
Environmental Education has become one of the most important areas of learning in the modern world. As
human beings continue to depend on natural resources and modify the surroundings through various
developmental activities, it has become essential to understand the close relationship between humans and the
environment. Environmental Education is therefore a process that helps individuals gain knowledge,
understanding, skills, values, and attitudes that enable them to live responsibly within both the natural and
human-made environment. It creates awareness about issues such as population growth, pollution, resource use,
technology, transportation, and the planning of urban and rural areas. Through such learning, individuals become
capable of understanding how their actions affect the total environment and how they can work towards
maintaining environmental balance. Environmental Education teaches people how to use and conserve natural
resources properly while maintaining ecological equilibrium. It encourages learners to recognize environmental
values and understand different concepts related to environmental issues. Many scholars describe Environmental
Education as education about the environment, education for the environment, and education through the
environment. This means that students should learn not only the facts about the environment but also develop a
caring attitude and the ability to act for its protection. The need for Environmental Education has increased as
the world faces serious challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, and pollution.
These problems are largely the result of human activities. Therefore, learning about the environment from an
early age is essential. Schools have a major role to play in shaping the attitudes and behaviours of children. When
environmental knowledge is provided at the school level, students become more conscious about their
surroundings and develop a sense of responsibility. Environmental Education should begin in preschool and
continue throughout life. It should also be interdisciplinary, meaning that different subjects like science, social
studies, geography, and even moral education should work together to provide a complete understanding of
environmental issues.
In India, Environmental Education has been organized systematically in the formal education structure. At the
primary level, the main focus is on creating awareness. Children are introduced to the environment through
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