Information Disorder in Environmental assessment education: insights from Pakistan

Environmental Assessment (EA) education is essential for producing competent practitioners, and its quality depends on the information used in teaching and research. In Pakistan, EA education has been reported to be compromised. Recognizing the central role of information in education, this study explores, based on the perceptions of academics, how information disorder manifests in EA education in Pakistan. Drawing on the information disorder framework and based on semi-structured interviews with academics, the study examines the mechanisms, agents, drivers, and pathways through which mis-, dis- and mal-information enter EA education. The findings reveal that incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated information enters through both teaching and research pathways, with mis-information emerging as the most prevalent form. Dis-information does not originate within education itself but seeps in indirectly from practice. Key mechanisms include outdated lecture content, limited integration of practical aspects, and weak research quality. These are driven by underlying factors such as limited practical experience of teachers, weak collaboration between academia and Environmental Protection Agencies, and limited importance given to EA teaching and research. Moreover, inadequate quality control within Pakistan’s higher education system contributes to the issue. Addressing these challenges requires integrated efforts across education and practice.