EEASA Annual International Conferences

EEASA (est. 1982), has hosted conferences throughout the southern African region. Conferences are a flagship tool for the association to strengthen awareness of the environmental sustainability discourse and associated practices. Our conferences provide a platform for practitioners to share and learn together; to propose, agree upon, and support campaigns that strengthen environment and sustainability education; and to continuously raise the agenda of education for sustainable development in various sectors.

Our conferences also play a key role in growing academic scholarship. We not only accept academic papers, but also encourage presentations, workshops, posters that demonstrate practice on the ground. Presenters are encouraged to convert their presentations to academic papers, and news articles for our publications. To this end, most of the southern African countries are encouraged to host the conference.

Our conferences have over the decades provided a platform for members to deepen and localise the meaning of quality education especially with respect to shifts in global, regional and sub-regional policies and associated discourses. Consequently, conference themes have also evolved with the changing times: showing shifting tendencies from focusing on the traditional concept of Nature Conservation, to a broader approach of Environmental Education, to Education for Sustainable Development. Most recently the themes have reflected strongly the global issues of Climate Change and the Green Economy.

Landmark policy and practice responses include documents such as the Gaborone Declaration (2002) and the Matsapha Declaration (2015). 

EEASA 2023

EEASA 2023 will be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa. Click here for more details

EEASA 2022

EEASA 2022 Namibia – Watch this space for more details.

We would like to encourage you to register or re register as a member. Due to the pandemic the membership fees for this year has been reduced.

Conference hosting

The process leading to hosting the conference is outlined in the EEASA Conference Hosting Guidelines. Any entity in southern Africa who wish to host an EEASA conference have to submit a written letter of intent to the EEASA Council at eeasa@eeasa.org.za and copy secretary@eeasa.org.za and supply a bid at the EEASA Annual General Meeting.

Summary of Past Conferences

2016 Ekurhuleni, South Africa

2016 Ekurhuleni, South Africa

The 34th EEASA Conference was hosted by the Gauteng Environmental Education Forum (GEEF) from 3 -6 October 2016. The conference theme was “Environment and Sustainability Education and Training to meet the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.” It kicked off with the pre-conference workshop on “Participating in the Southern African Scaling of the Global Action Plan for ESD” which was attended by participants from over 9 countries.The 34th EEASA Conference was hosted by the Gauteng Environmental Education

2015 Matsapha, Swaziland

2015 Matsapha, Swaziland

The 33rd EEASA Conference was hosted by Swaziland from 21st -24th September 2015. The Swaziland Environment Authority took lead of the conference hosting with the conference theme “Creating sustainable societies: Scaling up ESD through Global Action Programme.” The conference came up with resolutions dubbed The Matsapha Declaration, that can guide institutions and individuals to implement environment and sustainability learning.

2014 Windhoek, Namibia

2014 Windhoek, Namibia

The University of Namibia (UNAM) and the Namibian Environmental Education Network (NEEN), lead the hosting of the 32nd EEASA Conference from the 9th to the 12th of September 2014. The conference was held under the theme “Reflections on the current and emerging ESD issues and practices informing the post DESD Framework Programme”.

2013 Lilongwe, Malawi

2013 Lilongwe, Malawi

Malawi hosted the 31st EEASA conference from the 10-12th September 2013, Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe. The conference theme was “Green economy: Insights and perspectives for environmental education in Southern Africa”. Malawi hosted the 31st EEASA conference from the 10-12thSeptember 2013, Crossroads Hotel, Lilongwe.

2012 Grahamstown, South Africa

2012 Grahamstown, South Africa

The 29th EEASA conference was hosted by Rhodes University in Grahamstown. The 29th EEASA conference was hosted by Rhodes University in Grahamstown.

2011 Maseru, Lesotho

2011 Maseru, Lesotho

The 28th conference that was hosted by Lesotho had the theme: “Advancing Partnerships in ESD within the Second half of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development”

2010 Lusaka, Zambia

2010 Lusaka, Zambia

The 27th EEASA Conference was hosted by the Zambia Network for Environmental Education in Lusaka.

2009 Gaborone, Botswana

2009 Gaborone, Botswana

The 26th EEASA conference was hosted by the University of Botswana in Gaborone.

2008 Manzini, Swaziland

2008 Manzini, Swaziland

The 25th EEASA Conference was hosted by the University of Swaziland in Kwaluseni. The 25th EEASA Conference was hosted by the University of Swaziland in Kwaluseni.

2007 Durban South Africa (EEASA/ WEEC)

2007 Durban South Africa (EEASA/ WEEC)

The EEASA Conference was hosted in conjunction with the 4th World Environmental Education Conference in Durban. The theme: “Learning in a changing world”

2006 Harare Zimbabwe

2006 Harare Zimbabwe

The 24th edition of the EEASA annual conference was held at the Belvedere Technical Teachers’ College, with ACTION as secretariat of the event. The 24th edition of the EEASA annual conference was held at the

2005 Lusaka Zambia

2005 Lusaka Zambia

Zambia hosted the 23rd EEASA 2005 Conference. The conference was organized by the Zambia Network for Environmental Educators and Practitioners (ZANEEP) in collaboration with the Environmental Council of Zambia.

2004 Treverton, South Africa

2004 Treverton, South Africa

The 22nd Annual Conference of the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa was organised by the Treverton Colleges and had a practical focus on how environmental educators can benefit from and contribute to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2004-2015). This was a momentous event because EEASA was founded in Treverton.

2003 Windhoek Namibia

2003 Windhoek Namibia

The 21st EEASA Conference was hosted by Namibia Environmental Education Network in Windhoek. The 21st EEASA Conference was hosted by Namibia Environmental Education Network in Windhoek. The 21st EEASA Conference was hosted by Namibia Environmental Education Network in Windhoek. by Namibia Environmental Education Network in Windhoek.

2002 Gaborone Botswana

2002 Gaborone Botswana

The 20th annual conference was held in Gaborone, Botswana from the 19th to the 21st August 2002. The theme for this year’s conference was “Environmental Education processes for Sustainable development.” Over 250 participants attended the workshop and contributed to the landmark 2002 Gaborone Declaration which was a preamble for participation in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).