Mindscapes and landscapes: Framing planetary health education and pedagogy for sustainable development in Africa

Abstract

This paper explores the urgent need for reconceptualization of education and learning in Africa within the framework of planetary health as a critical response to the escalating environmental and health crises. It argues that the current planetary crisis, marked by harmful climate change impacts, ecological degradation and the disruption of natural systems, is not only an environmental or health issue but also a crisis of the mind—knowledge, education and cognition. The paper critiques the dominant educational paradigms in Africa, which are heavily influenced by human-centered colonial educational legacies that often ignore the interconnectedness of human and non-human systems. In mindscapes and landscapes, therefore, the paper foregrounds the disconnect between human actions on nature and the integrity of natural systems. The paper advocates for a transformational educational paradigm that integrates Indigenous knowledge Systems while highlighting the value of non-human systems beyond their economic utility. It proposes the adoption of a planetary health education approach that promotes systems thinking, ecological mindfulness and the mutuality between humans and the natural environment as determinants of health and wellbeing. This approach, the paper argues, is essential for fostering sustainable development practices that emphasize the integrity of natural systems, as well as equipping learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to address the complex challenges of the Anthropocene. The paper calls on higher education institutions in Africa to show leadership through intentional educational and pedagogical transformations that embed Planetary Health concepts and concerns in cross-curricular and transdisciplinary learning processes to challenge dominant narratives of human-centered development obsessions.