The role of education in protected area sustainable governance

Abstract

PurposeGlobal challenges that the world faces today call into question people's understanding of sustainability and the actions to be taken to meet that ideal. The role assigned to education in promoting sustainability by international documents has yet to be applied to national strategies in many countries. This paper aims to promote a strategic approach and to identify techniques for analysis to be used in development of quality education programs, tailored to specific needs in protected areas and to sustainability goals in a particular social context.Design/methodology/approachUsing an adult education approach and social science methodology, a proposal for a research framework is offered, seeking a better understanding of the role of education in improving sustainable protected area governance. Within the framework of sustainable development and lifelong learning concepts, the existing gap in the field is discussed and a brief review of the issues present in Serbia as a country in transition is given.Practical implicationsThis approach may be modified to specific contexts and goals, and applied with this purpose to other similar social environments, especially in countries in transition within the region. It may lead to creating more adequate education programs and increased capacities for managing protected areas.Originality/valueThe paper moves away from a project‐driven, ad hoc and rather scholarly to an integral approach to capacities for sustainable protected area governance, including an institutional, organizational and individual level and a lifelong learning perspective. It also promotes a specific, contextual and participatory definition of sustainability, rather than seeking for a universal one.