NEW APPROACHES NEEDED TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS Orlando Hall Rose and Peter Bridgewater Preamble Since the advent and proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), novel concepts and approaches to environmental education and public awareness (EPA) Prospects, vol. XXXIII, no. 3, September 2003 Original language: English Orlando Hall Rose (Costa Rica) Since 1996 Chief, Science and Technology Education Section, UNESCO. Degrees in curriculum planning and development and in general sciences/biology education. Teaching and bachelor degrees in science, biology and environmental sciences. Previously with the UNESCO-UNEP International Environmental Education Programme. Before joining UNESCO he was a professor at the University of Costa Rica, and National Co-ordinator of Science, Biology and Environmental Education at the Ministry of Education. He undertook many consultancies for UNESCO (1985–1989) and has participated in numerous environmental education events around the world. Peter Bridgewater (Australia) Ph.D. Director of the UNESCO Division of Ecological Sciences, and Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere Programme. Formerly Chief Science Adviser, Environment Australia (1997–1999) and Chief Executive, Australian Nature Conservation Agency (1990–1996). In August 2003 he assumed the role of Secretary-General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Previous appointments: Chairman, International Whaling Commission; Chair, Inter-government Co-ordinating Council for the Man and the Biosphere Programme; Chair, Standing Committee for the Convention on Migratory Species, Chair, Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention in 1996. He has published over 170 articles on nature conservation, biodiversity and associ- ated subjects, and maintains research interests in ecology. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: A PILLAR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT