Environmental Education and the Cultivation of Student Agency in the Himalaya. A case study of Dhading Besi township, Nepal

Abstract: This study investigated the quality and availability of environmental education (EE) in Dhading Besi, Nepal. Focus was placed on the cultivation of students’ agency and their participation in environmental actions. Interviews were conducted jointly at two local high schools with students and teachers, and with climate science researchers and local environmental NGOs. The study found that current environmental education, although limited, was having both a positive and significant impact on students’ environmental literacy and increased their agency through active participation in environmental actions. Interview findings highlighted the need for a nationally coordinated EE framework and updated EE curriculum. This would likely result in improved environmental sustainability, climate change resilience and socio-economic development in Nepal.