Integrating Japanese Local Government and Communities into the Educational Curriculum on Regional Sustainability Inside the UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks

Abstract

This study analyzes whether biosphere reserves (BR) and geoparks (GP) can serve as platforms to contribute to education for sustainable development by integrating local authorities and communities into the educational process. For two years, we conducted the integrated course named “UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks”, with a total number of 143 students. The curriculum was carefully designed together with the local government and community members. Both BR and GP increased the awareness and knowledge of regional sustainability and served as educational platforms to integrate the local government and communities inside the academic curriculum. Students replied that their knowledge about the BR and GP was raised by 83% and 92%, respectively. Practical field trips showed an increased awareness of the locals’ efforts towards regional sustainable development. Both BR and GP provided site-specific knowledge and functioned as the learning platform to teach about the linkage of human–nature interaction towards regional sustainable development. Most of the students expressed that BR helped them to analyze the situation at the issue-oriented community level (76%), whereas GP helped them to think broadly about the relation of humans with the Earth at the global level (89%).