Ensuring Effective Forest Services to Mankind: Implications for Environmental Education in Nigeria

Abstract

Forests are a part of environmental resources being degraded as a result of human activities for which environmental education should be designed for their effective management and protection. The paper highlights the benefits of forest and its resources to mankind as well as causes of forests loss (deforestation) and effects of forest loss on mankind. The paper also attributes forest loss to unsustainable human activities on forest areas which include: logging, agriculture, urbanization, industrialization and high population growth rate. It sees environmental education as a viable tool that can develop in individuals, appropriate knowledge, attitudes, skills, motivation and commitment required to take responsible environmental actions that would lead to the protection, conservation and sustainable management of forests. The paper concludes that it is through the provision of appropriate environmental education that the effective forest services to mankind could be achieved.

Keywords: Environment, forest, environmental education, deforestation.