Theoretical framework for applied climate education: 1. Adult Learning Concepts and Principles to consider when developing and delivering training

Abstract

The variable climate has major impacts on agricultural production and sustainable resource management (Nicholls 1985; Garnett and Khandaker 1992; Buckley 2000). Better understanding of this variable climate in terms of how it impacts on production, natural resources and markets is critical for producers and agribusiness to maintain or improve their industry (Hammer et al. 2000). Improving knowledge and skills to better cope with climate is a goal that the Australian government has been working on since drought was no longer to be considered as an ‘exceptional circumstance’ but with an emphasis needing to be on increased self reliance (Anon. 1990).

Effort must therefore be applied to training and education of not only producers but others in the food and fibre chain who are impacted on when:
· production has short falls due to drought or other weather and climate induced problems, or,
· communities are negatively affected by other climate related problems such as competing water issues and other resource problems like erosion or salinity.
This paper describes adult learning principles and concepts that have been used successfully in applied climate and agriculture education. This is an edited version of the paper presented at the International Conference on Applying seasonal climate forecasts in agriculture, 24-26 September 2002., Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, INDIA.