Abstract

Problems of environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and continuous depletion of natural resources have become critical issues that call for some behavioral change and sustainability measures. Although laws and regulations may act as critical means of environmental protection, their application is limited by insufficient public awareness, lack of legal knowledge, and absence of community participation. This study will attempt to measure the effects of environmental law education on sustainable natural resource management and environmental protection by way of measuring the influence of environmental responsibility and conservation behaviors. The method of quantitative research was adopted in collecting data from 350 respondents falling into various categories, including students, environmental experts, locals, conservationists, and policymakers. The data was collected through a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert scale. The data collection tool used was a structured questionnaire with five-point Likert Scale which was analyzed using reliability test, correlation test, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results of the reliability test proved the validity of the proposed constructs, with Cronbach's alpha values between 0.84 and 0.90. Findings of the structural equation modeling showed that environmental legal education plays a vital role in improving environmental responsibility (β = 0.62, p < 0.001) and ecological conservation results (β = 0.22, p < 0.01). The concept of environmental responsibility had an impact on sustainable resource protection behavior (β = 0.71, p < 0.001), and sustainable resource protection behavior improved ecological conservation effectiveness (β = 0.68, p < 0.001). The results show that legal education for the environment acts as an effective tool in enhancing participation in conservation, fostering sustainability, and addressing the divide between environmental governance and environmental protection.