Beyond Access to Environment and Sustainable Development Information by Youth in the OECS

Background
In 2007 a Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey on Environment and Protected Areas was done through the OECS Protected Areas and Associated Livelihoods (OPAAL) project

Background
This presentation is based on the results the study for youth (15-34 years old) in the OECS

Access to resource materials Youth perceptions of preferred methods to obtain information Environmental departments preferred methods Gaps Roles in production and dissemination of resource materials and information Beyond access

Access to resource materials

Main sources of information
Television Radio Workshops/seminars/Meetings/Conferences Internet Exhibitions Newspapers Drama/Theatre Books/Magazines Brochures/Pamphlets/Flyers Newsletters

20.0

60.0

10.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

0.0 Very Somewhat

En vir on m en ta lo ffi ci Pe al rs / on T o ffi s ea ce Pe on ch r Ne rso lo c ers ws ns al T pa on V pe ra r r dio ep Re o G lig ov io Int rts er us er n m l ne Lo e ca en a d t l c Ad t e La o m ve off rs w m rtis ici en un em als f o ity e rc le n t em a s en de t o rs ffi ce r

Access to resource materials sources Youth perceived trustworthiness of environmental information

Not at all

Environmental departments' perception of communication tools success

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Access to resource materials

Not at all Very limited Moderately Highly

Te le vi si on Ra or ks di o ho ps et c In te rn Ex et hi Br bi oc t io Ne hu ns re ws s/ pa Pa pe m rs ph Bo le ok ts s/ et m c ag az in es Ne ws le tte rs M ee t in gs /W

Youth perception of effectiveness vs environmental departments' perception of success of comm. tools

70

The comparison => gaps

60 50

40

30 Youth perception High + 20 Agency perception Highly

10

Production and dissemination of resource materials and information

What should be done?

Information dissemination should use all mass media as well as more participatory situations such as community group meetings and engagements Get youth attuned to environmental issues, Youth show high interest

in face-to-face approach
use their favorite social media to reach them on environment topics they care about . Integrating environmental education into the formal system should be a consideration. Sessional formats should conform to current trends: discursive, interesting and incisive, as well as authoritative. Messages and presentations needed to cut through competitive clutter.

Beyond access
Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration
recognizes that environmental issues are best handled with access to information, citizen engagement and access to remedies and relief

Beyond access
consider access to information an inalienable right identify the barriers to the use of information related to sustainable development with special reference to vulnerable communities and individuals develop/implement capacity building and technology support programs to remove those barriers and achieve full integration by those communities and individuals

Beyond access

There is a chain from the information itself through interpretation of the information (analysis) to policy making to implementation. If any link in the chain is defective then the full realization of the investment in information would not be realized
WG 1 White Paper

Beyond access
We need to explore data/information analysis policy implementation links under various circumstances
e.g. developing country context, youth context, etc. and the interactions between these

This should help us to identify ways of improving institutional, governance and network arrangements so that evidence based policy making and policy implementation can take place
WG 1 White Paper

Thank you for your kind attention