Abstract
M.Ed.
Literature portrays a gloomy picture about the state of the living environment in some parts
of the world (Gates, 1999: 138-143; Mhlathuze water, 2000: 44; Yeld, 1993: 48-52). Some
of the environmental problems commonly cited include global warming, depletion of the
ozone layer and massive loss of bio-diversity (Yeld, 1993:48). Many of these environmental problems are caused by human actions and they pose a serious threat to the living environment. There is a link between environmental problems threatening the
environment in various parts of the world because environmental destruction in one part of
the world can also affect other parts of the world. For example, pollution created by the
burning of the fuel fossils in power stations in the Mpumalanga highveld also affect remote
areas such as Swaziland by damaging the environment and consequently affecting the
health, lifestyles and farming activities of the people in those areas negatively (Sowman &
Urquhart, 1998:82). Environmental threats can be categorised into two main classes, those common in developed countries such as industrial air pollution as well as those commonly experienced in developing countries. The latter category includes threats such as population explosion, poverty, housing shortage, deforestation and increasing desertification, among others (Delport, Pillay & Dalton, 1999: 144). According to Hanselman, Raghunathan and Sarabhai (1990:115), the major causes of all the problems related to the threats of the living environment are associated with human behaviour. South Africa experiences a combination of the problems experienced in both developed and developing countries. The sustainability of the living environment of this country is however threatened by a variety of factors which can be locally or regionally categorised, the most common of which are deforestation, competition for scarce resources, high population growth and excessive consumption of resources (Yeld, 1993:4). Some of these factors are a common threat to the sustainability of the living environment in the low-cost housing units in South Africa. Examples of such problems include air pollution, soil erosion, littering, illegal dumping, poor water management, overcrowding, diminishing vegetation,, unemployment and poverty. These problems cannot be left to continue unchecked, but have to be addressed in order to maintain the sustainability of the living environment. Although there may be other ways of attempting to maintain the sustainability of the living environment, there is consensus among various authors that education can play a significant role in this regard (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) (1998); Gates 1999; Gough 1994; Sowman & Urquhart 1998; Yeld 1993). There are a host of factors threatening the sustainability of the living environment and these factors differ from one situation to another. For the purposes of this study illegal dumping, littering, poor water management, air pollution, soil erosion, eradication of nearby vegetation, overcrowding and poverty within a low-cost housing unit will be discussed and dealt with. This research report also forwards the view that education, particularly in the form of community education programmes can help address these problems. To this end examples of community education programmes or projects, which have played a role in trying to solve these problems, are cited. The first part of the essay presents an orientation to the problem being investigated followed by the aim of the study. The second part presents the literature review, which focuses on a brief overview of community education and the factors associated with threatening the sustainability of the living environment. Then it details the research strategy and methods, which were used in this study. The last section presents and discusses the findings and concludes with recommendations to empower the community of the low-cost housing in maintaining the sustainability of their living environment.