Conditions for sustainable development in rural areas - how to support transformation processes in practice?
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they translate to the local level are the starting point for thinking about regional sustainability strategies. The article focuses on Goal 4 - education, which can significantly support the implementation of other goals if it targets important actors of sustainable development.
The aim of the research was to map the current situation in the regions of the Czech Republic with regards to the (prospective) role of education at the local level, and to analyse the needs of individual actors of rural development and their potential input in the context of education for sustainable development. The questions (that the research team asked in the framework of the training for representatives of Local Action Groups (LAGs)) were formulated and subsequently distributed in the form of a questionnaire survey among LAG managers.
The data was evaluated using quantitative and mainly qualitative methods, with emphasis on unique experiences and insights. The results show that local actors (represented by LAGs) are aware of the need for training and the shortcomings in this area, and also understand the implications of this deficiency for sustainable development in the environmental, economic and social spheres.
The potential of individual actors (their role in sustainability processes) remains untapped, which affects the capacity to innovate.