Ambiente y sustentabilidad en las instituciones de educación superior en América Latina y el Caribe

Abstract

This document presents a general description of the historical process and the recent situation of the incorporation of the environmental dimension in higher education institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. From a historical perspective it shows how this process has been developed for more than six decades, through three stages characterized by a higher environmental education focused successively on natural resources, the environment and sustainable development. In this process, the promotion programs of several international organizations and the national environmental education policies of some countries of the region have played a very important role. But the merit of the achievements in the long process of environmentalization of higher education corresponds mainly to the universities themselves. To describe the current situation of higher environmental education in LAC, we present some of the experiences that the authors knew, at the time of writing the article, regarding training, research, extension and environmental management in universities. This overview allows us to appreciate the great diversity of practices and approaches to sustainability that higher education institutions in the region have developed. However, the knowledge we have about this complex process is still very fragmented and superficial. To overcome these limitations it will be necessary for the scientific community dedicated to the study of environmental education at the higher level to agree and develop a common research program, in a collective work that is just beginning.