Environmental education and sustainable water use in arid regions: a bibliometric and systematic review
Keywords:
Development, education, environment, sustainabilityAbstract
Introduction: Human activities such as deforestation and industrialization have caused significant environmental degradation, contributing to global warming and the intensification of extreme weather events. Objective: The main objective was to elaborate a synthesis of previous scientific literature on environmental education to promote sustainable water use in arid regions, evaluating the effectiveness and impact on the awareness and behavior of communities regarding water use. Method: As part of the methodology, a search equation was performed in the Scopus and ScienceDirect databases, evaluated with respect to the relevance of the articles, from 1989 to the present. These studies were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria aligned with the research. A total of 217 articles were selected in Scopus for bibliometric analysis and analyzed with VOSViewer and Bibliometrics. For the systematic review, after elimination of duplicates, 32 articles were selected from Scopus and ScienceDirect, exploring research trends, co-authorships, and conceptual structure in the field. Conclusions: The study allows establishing that most of the research, although focused on environmental education for environmental protection and sustainable development, there are few studies referring exclusively to the importance of environmental education in the sustainable use of water, being important to emphasize these environmental principles, especially in arid regions, which suffer stress due to water scarcity.
Downloads
References
Acosta, P., & Queiruga, A. (2022). Education for sustainable development (ESD): An example of curricular inclusion in environmental engineering in Colombia. *Sustainability, 14*, 9866. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169866
Amran, A., Perkasa, M., Satriawan, M., Jasin, I., & Irwansyah, M. (2019). Assessing students' 21st century attitude and environmental awareness: Promoting education for sustainable development through science education. *Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1157*(2), 022025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1157/2/022025
Arinushkina, A. (2019). Environmental education for sustainable development: Perspectives from Russia. *IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 274*(1), 012138. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/274/1/012138
Baena, S., & Fröberg, A. (2023). Towards a more sustainable future: Simple recommendations to integrate planetary health into education. *The Lancet Planetary Health, 7*(10), e868–e873. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00194-8
Bask, A., Halme, M., Kallio, M., & Kuula, M. (2020). Business students' value priorities and attitudes towards sustainable development. *Journal of Cleaner Production, 264*, 121711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121711
Blum, N. (2008). Environmental education in Costa Rica: Building a framework for sustainable development? *International Journal of Educational Development, 28*, 348–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2007.05.008
Brandt, J., Barth, M., Merritt, E., & Hale, A. (2021). A matter of connection: The 4 Cs of learning in pre-service teacher education for sustainability. *Journal of Cleaner Production, 279*, 123749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123749
Castro, A., & Leal, D. (2023). Environmental education or education for sustainable development? The ethical sense of environmental education. *Kawsaypacha: Sociedad y Medio Ambiente, 2023*(11), A-007. https://doi.org/10.18800/kawsaypacha.202301.A007
Cervantes, G., & Chan, G. (2020). Water management and environmental education as facilitators of sustainable tourism development in Valladolid, Yucatan. *Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua, 11*(5), 30–70. https://doi.org/10.24850/J-TYCA-2020-05-02
Esteban, M., Lucena, I., Amador, L., & Mateos, F. (2020). Environmental education, an essential instrument to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in the university context. *Sustainability, 12*(19), 7883. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197883
Fu, H., & Liu, X. (2017). A study on the impact of environmental education on individuals' behaviors concerning recycled water reuse. *Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13*(10), 6715–6724. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/78192
Guevara, I., Pérez, J., & Bravo, B. (2023). Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on educational research on environmental education. *Eureka, 20*(2), 2. https://doi.org/10.25267/Rev_Eureka_ensen_divulg_cienc.2023.v20.i2.2501
Huang, H., & Hsin, C. (2023). Environmental literacy education and sustainable development in schools based on teaching effectiveness. *International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 18*(5), 1639–1648. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.180535
Hume, T., & Barry, J. (2015). Environmental education and education for sustainable development. In *International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences* (Vol. 7). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.91081-X
Kartseva, A., Minim, V., Korhonen, T., Nurmi, E., & Belyakov, V. (2021). Environmental education of Z generation students for sustainable development of rural areas (the example of the Russian-Finnish project Luga-Balt-2). *E3S Web of Conferences, 296*, 08017. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202129608017
Lakshmi, G., Nguyen, K., Maxhikeyev, A., Hack-Polay, D., & Anafiyayeva, Z. (2022). Nudging student recycling behaviour: An experimental study in Kazakhstan and UK higher education. *Journal of Cleaner Production, 377*, 134164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134164
Law, J., Lye, C., & Ng, T. (2023). Can environmental literacy and integrated behavioral factors encourage green practices at home? Evidence from Malaysia. *Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 10*, 100134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100134
Liu, L., & Tobias, G. (2024). The impact of environmental literacy on residents' green consumption: Experimental evidence from China. *Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 12*, 100165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2023.100165
Lozano, K., Verástegui, C., Paredes, H., & Revilla, M. (2022). Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible y educación ambiental: Estrategias de comunicación para su consolidación. *Revista Venezolana de Gerencia, 27*(8), 1249–1262. https://doi.org/10.52080/rvgluz.27.8.33
Marcén, C., & Molina, P. (2006). *La persistencia de las opiniones de los escolares sobre el medio ambiente: Una particular visión retrospectiva desde 1980 a 2005*. Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental. https://www.miteco.gob.es/content/dam/miteco/es/ceneam/articulos-de-opinion/2007_01marcen_tcm30-163503.pdf
Márquez, D. (2003). *De la teoría a la práctica en educación ambiental: El caso del agua*. Congreso Agua y Educación Ambiental: Nuevas Propuestas para la Acción. https://agua.org.mx/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/aguayeducacionnuevaspropuestasparalaaccion.pdf
Martínez, R. (2010). La importancia de la educación ambiental ante la problemática actual. *Revista Electrónica Educare, 14*(1), 97–111. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=4780944
Muslum, R. (2023). Basics of sustainable development: The example of environmental education. *E3S Web of Conferences, 458*, 06005. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202345806005
Naghizadeh, R., Elahi, S., Manteghi, M., Ghazinoory, S., & Ranga, M. (2015). Through the magnifying glass: An analysis of regional innovation models based on co-word and meta-synthesis methods. *Quality & Quantity, 49*(6), 2481–2505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-014-0123-7
Ojedokun, O. (2014). Reconciling ecological sustainability and human development: Ideas for environmental and sustainable development education. *Asian Social Science, 10*(7), 119–128. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v10n7p119
Organización de las Naciones Unidas. (2023). *Informe de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible: Edición especial*. https://peru.un.org/es/245789-informe-de-los-objetivos-de-desarrollo-sostenible
Piras, S., Righi, S., Banchelli, F., Giordano, C., & Setti, M. (2023). Food waste between environmental education, peers, and family influence: Insights from primary school students in Northern Italy. *Journal of Cleaner Production, 383*, 135461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135461
Quintero, M., & Solarte, M. (2019). Las concepciones de ambiente inciden en el modelo de enseñanza de la educación ambiental. *Entramado, 15*(2), 130–147. https://doi.org/10.18041/1900-3803/entramado.2.5602
Ramírez, V., Acosta, P., Castro, Y., & Queiruga, A. (2023). Current state of environmental education and education for sustainable development in primary and secondary (K-12) schools in Boyacá, Colombia. *Sustainability, 15*(13), 10139. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310139
Sanders, A., Subramanian, K., Redlich, T., & Wulfsberg, J. (2017). A systematic interaction approach to determine the compatibility of Industry 4.0 and lean management in manufacturing environment. In *IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology* (Vol. 514, pp. 341–349). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66926-7_39
Solano, E., Castellanos, S., López, M., & Hernández, J. (2009). La bibliometría: Una herramienta eficaz para evaluar la actividad científica postgraduada. *Revista Científica de las Ciencias Médicas en Cienfuegos, 7*(4), 59–62. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1727-897X2009000400011&lng=es&tlng=e
Su, Y., & Zhao, H. (2023). Infiltration approach of green environmental protection education in the view of sustainable development. *Sustainability, 15*(6), 5287. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065287
Suárez, I., Valero, J., Leyva, D., Rivera, P., & Garcés, C. (2021). Educating for the future: How higher education in environmental management affects pro-environmental behaviour. *Journal of Cleaner Production, 321*, 128972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128972
Tan, H. (2021). Environmental education for the sustainable development of suburban communities in Ho Chi Minh City. *E3S Web of Conferences, 234*, 00057. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202123400057
Türkoğlu, B. (2019). Opinions of preschool teachers and pre-service teachers on environmental education and environmental awareness for sustainable development in the preschool period. *Sustainability, 11*(18), 4925. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184925
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2009). *Informe de seguimiento de la educación en el mundo. Inclusión y educación: Todos y todas sin excepción*. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374817
Uralovich, K., Toshmamatovich, T., Kubayevich, K., Sapaev, I., Saylaubaevna, S., Beknazarova, Z., & Khurramov, A. (2023). A primary factor in sustainable development and environmental sustainability is environmental education. *Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences, 21*(4), 965–975. https://doi.org/10.22124/cjes.2023.7155
Vargas, C., Rosario, R., & Briones, C. (2017). Impacto de la materia desarrollo sustentable en el cambio de la conciencia ambiental de los estudiantes del nivel superior. *Luna Azul*, (45), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.17151/luaz.2017.45.2
Vidrevich, M., Pakhalchak, G., & Pervukhina, I. (2020). Environmental education as a tool of sustainable development of territories. *E3S Web of Conferences, 208*, 09008. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202020809008
Wetering, J., Leijten, P., Spitzer, J., & Thomaes, S. (2022). Does environmental education benefit environmental outcomes in children and adolescents? A meta-analysis. *Journal of Environmental Psychology, 81*, 101782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101782
Xu, P., & Luo, F. (2020). Investing to a better future: Education for sustainable development as a means to strengthen environmental education. *IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 576*, 012011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/576/1/012011
Yuan, W., Shih, K., & Lin, C. (2020). Research on the integration of inquiry-based approach into the environmental education of sustainable development. *IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 576*(1), 012012. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/576/1/012012
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2026-08-11 (2)
- 2025-06-02 (1)
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yvonne Cutipa, Delia Mamani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
