Applications of Geospatial Technologies to Promote Environmental Education and Sustainability V. Chris Lakhan, 1 Abdolhossein Parizanganeh, 2 and Sajid R. Ahmad 1 1 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4 2 Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences, Zanjan University Zanjan - Iran ABSTRACT This paper focussed on the application of geospatial technologies in the form of global positioning systems, geographical information systems (GIS), remotely-sensed satellite images, and a Virtual Globe to collect, analyze, and visualize environmental survey data from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Data from 9,062 survey questionnaires were first analyzed with loglinear modelling techniques. After statistically identifying that educational attainment, age, gender, and location, were major factors influencing concern for the environment and sustainability issues, a GIS was used to map and visualize the spatial differences in education and concern for the environment. Numerous areas throughout Iran were identified as having low concern for the environment. These areas could be considered as “hotspots” and should be the focus of spatial targeting. With the geospatial results policy planners, community leaders and environmentalists could now prioritize areas in order to deliver effective environmental education programs and environmental sustainability practices. Keywords: Geospatial Technologies, Geographical Information Systems, Virtual Globe, Loglinear Modelling, Spatial Targeting, Iran, Hotspots, Environmental Education, Sustainability. 1. INTRODUCTION While various strategies to improve environmental governance and to ensure environmental sustainability have been advocated yet environmental problems continue to escalate, especially in many countries of the developing world. One reason for the lack of progress in attaining environmental sustainability could be attributed to deficiencies in environmental education at local and national levels. According to [1, p. 37], “if real sustainability is to become increasingly meaningful and mainstream, rather than devalued and marginalized, education in all forms and in all sectors has a vital role to play.” Given the necessity to promote environmental education this research demonstrates the application of geospatial technologies to examine and target those areas and regions with inadequate levels of educational attainment. The assumption was made that high levels of educational attainment will correspond with higher concerns for the environment, and greater knowledge of sustainability practices. To demonstrate the effectiveness of geospatial technologies for addressing and alleviating issues pertaining to the delivery of environmental education, this research utilized survey data collected with geospatial technologies, and acquired by interviewers from the Islamic Republic of Iran. 2. STUDY AREA AND DATA ACQUISITION The focus was on Iran because the expectation was that the country should be at the forefront of effective environmental governance given the stipulation of Article 50 of the Constitution which deemed environmental protection to be a public duty in order to safeguard the quality of life for both the present and future generations. Recent findings by [2], however, found that Iran is confronted by a broad spectrum of environmental problems ranging from air and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, soil losses, pesticide contamination, excessive industrial and agricultural wastes, and degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The U.S. Energy Information Administration [3] also reported that overfishing in lakes and rivers has resulted in declines in fishing
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Applications of Geospatial Technologies to Promote
Environmental Education and Sustainability
V. Chris Lakhan,1 Abdolhossein Parizanganeh,2 and Sajid R. Ahmad1
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
2Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences,
Zanjan University
Zanjan - Iran
ABSTRACT
This paper focussed on the application of geospatial
technologies in the form of global positioning
systems, geographical information systems (GIS),
remotely-sensed satellite images, and a Virtual Globe
to collect, analyze, and visualize environmental
survey data from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Data
from 9,062 survey questionnaires were first analyzed
with loglinear modelling techniques. After
statistically identifying that educational attainment,
age, gender, and location, were major factors
influencing concern for the environment and
sustainability issues, a GIS was used to map and
visualize the spatial differences in education and
concern for the environment. Numerous areas
throughout Iran were identified as having low concern
for the environment. These areas could be considered
as “hotspots” and should be the focus of spatial
targeting. With the geospatial results policy planners,
community leaders and environmentalists could now
prioritize areas in order to deliver effective
environmental education programs and environmental
sustainability practices.
Keywords: Geospatial Technologies, Geographical
Information Systems, Virtual Globe, Loglinear
Modelling, Spatial Targeting, Iran, Hotspots,
Environmental Education, Sustainability.
1. INTRODUCTION
While various strategies to improve environmental
governance and to ensure environmental sustainability
have been advocated yet environmental problems
continue to escalate, especially in many countries of
the developing world. One reason for the lack of
progress in attaining environmental sustainability
could be attributed to deficiencies in environmental
education at local and national levels. According to
[1, p. 37], “if real sustainability is to become
increasingly meaningful and mainstream, rather than
devalued and marginalized, education in all forms and
in all sectors has a vital role to play.” Given the
necessity to promote environmental education this
research demonstrates the application of geospatial
technologies to examine and target those areas and
regions with inadequate levels of educational
attainment. The assumption was made that high levels
of educational attainment will correspond with higher
concerns for the environment, and greater knowledge
of sustainability practices. To demonstrate the
effectiveness of geospatial technologies for
addressing and alleviating issues pertaining to the
delivery of environmental education, this research
utilized survey data collected with geospatial
technologies, and acquired by interviewers from the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
2. STUDY AREA AND DATA ACQUISITION
The focus was on Iran because the expectation was
that the country should be at the forefront of effective
environmental governance given the stipulation of
Article 50 of the Constitution which deemed
environmental protection to be a public duty in order
to safeguard the quality of life for both the present
and future generations. Recent findings by [2],
however, found that Iran is confronted by a broad
spectrum of environmental problems ranging from air
and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, soil