The Environmental Behavior Research in Pakistan: Why it is Needed? And What Questions it Should Address?

Abstract

Environmental problems are recognized as one of the major threat for humanity in the twenty-first century. Problems such as climate change and environmental pollution are affecting human health and livelihoods. Pakistan is also confronting several environmental challenges. Social scientists are studying the human dimension of environmental problems. Recently, interest in how everyday behaviors of individuals can cause negative environmental changes and how to encourage individuals to perform environmentally friendly behaviors has increased. The social and psychological determinants of individual environmental behaviors have been widely studied in recent times. The research on environmental behaviors in Pakistan is in its initial phase. The objective of this paper is to discuss the potential role of social sciences in improving the environmental protection by promoting responsible environmental behaviors in Pakistan, and to discuss the need for further researches in future on individual environmental behaviors in Pakistan. Finally attention is drawn to some of the questions that environmental behavior research in Pakistan should address in future studies.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p285