Pro-Environmental behaviour and implementation of environmental interventions in Pakistan

Abstract

In reaction to the swiftly growing global environmental complications, many call for changes in how individuals should deal with the environment. A vital aspect of moving towards an environmentally sustainable world is to encourage and promote pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental psychologists are studying the human aspect of environmental issues. Recently, focus on, how everyday behaviours of people can be a reason to environmental changes and how to inspire individuals to perform environmentally friendly behaviours has ever been increased. In recent times, the social and psychological features of individual environmental behaviours have been broadly investigated. The aim of this work is to debate the possible role of environmental psychology for environmental protection by encouraging responsible environmental behaviours in people of Pakistan. The main drive for this study is to conduct a literature review of different western based environmental models and evaluate their usefulness toward major environmental issues in a developing country like Pakistan. Social, cultural and psychological factors that could strongly influence environmental behaviour were also analysed in a Pakistani perspective. The outcome of this study suggests that willingness to act for the environment and a sense of concern for the environmental issues are significantly low in Pakistani people. It is also concluded that western based behaviour models cannot be applied directly in Pakistani society due to the difference in, lifestyle, cultural, social and religious norms of the people. It is also evaluated that mainly young and old people, rich and elite groups, very poor people from rural areas and people with no educational background are performing worse toward environmental issues in Pakistan. Furthermore, it is concluded that the general level of environmental behaviour and awareness is very low in Pakistan. This is attributed to a lack of infrastructure supporting environmental behaviour, lack of environmental value⁄culture and general education level in Pakistan. At the governmental level environmental rules and policies should be aimed at promoting pro-environmental behaviour among people and altering the discriminatory attitudes and values toward environment. Environmental laws in Pakistan should be custom-made for specific population segments of the country.