Paper short abstract:

An analysis in Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana revealed that environmental attitudes are largely influenced by basic need values.

Paper long abstract:

Mindful of the significance of human behaviour as a major driver of most environmental problems, it is increasingly becoming acknowledged that efforts to promote positive global environmental outcomes must now include attempts to understand local attitudes concerning environmental issues. These attitudes are influenced by worldviews which people hold. Nevertheless, environmental attitudes in Africa haven't received much attention. To date, most research on environmental attitudes has been western-centric.

An analysis based on questionnaire surveys in Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana revealed that environmental attitudes are largely influenced by utilitarian values. People are less reluctant to make pro-environmental changes in their lives if these changes are going to threaten their ability to fulfil basic needs such as food. On the other hand, people are more willing to make pro-environmental changes in their lives in the domain of broader issues which do not have direct impacts on their basic needs. The findings also show that basic needs are not solely financially-linked. A basic need can also be a cultural factor such as religion and this accounts for regional differences in environmental attitudes in Africa.

This research amplifies calls for the framing of pro-environmental knowledge in Africa either within the utilitarian domain (with the provision of ecosystem services which address basic needs such as the production of food and water), or, the socio-ecological systems approach which is consistent with holistic framings of nature and culture as one in several traditional African societies.

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