ELEF integrates environmental education into impact assessment, smart-cities governance, sustainable infrastructure, community participation and climate resilience strategies.
Technology-led smart-city development, sustainable infrastructure, and climate-resilient planning cannot succeed through technology alone, which is the focus of most climate mitigation initiatives. Technology alone cannot drive sustainable smart-city development. To be effective, solutions must be understood, accepted, used responsibly and sustained by local communities. This paper proposes the Environmental Literacy and Education Framework (ELEF), a human-centred approach integrating environmental literacy and education into climate resilience strategies.
ELEF defines environmental literacy as more than awareness. It combines knowledge, values, informed decision-making, responsible behaviour, participation, and adaptive capacity. The framework has five dimensions: environmental awareness, sustainability education, community participation, evidence-based governance, and resilient infrastructure planning. They enable people and institutions to understand environmental risks, participate in impact assessment and planning, and support sustainable outcomes.
ELEF positions technology as an enabler rather than driver. Digital infrastructure and data-based assessment can strengthen decisions, but their value depends on people and institutions being able to interpret information, participate, and act on evidence. The framework links environmental literacy with inclusive governance, impact assessment, sustainable infrastructure, smart-city development, and climate adaptation.
The paper places human capability and public participation at the centre of decision-making.
I, Odeleye Idowu Peter an urban planning researcher at American University of Sharjah, my focus is on environmental literacy of grassroot communities sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience.