National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC) in collaboration with Action Aid Malawi has intensified sensitization campaign to youths across the nation on helping them to stimulate debate and participate in local and international decisions on climate change adaptation measures.
The partnership comes in the heels of the country’s preparation for the forthcoming Conference of Parties (COPs) 21 slated for December 2015 in Paris, France which is expected convening 750+ cross-sector participants from business, Government, investors, UN, NGO and civil society.
The conference will provide an opportunity to reinforce business innovation in the climate change arena, accelerating international sustainable development and bring scale to low carbon innovation and creating dialogue, enable collaboration and showcase game-changing solutions to climate challenges while featuring 80+ foremost expert speakers, high level plenary sessions, interactive panel debates, workshops, cultural components and enhanced networking opportunities.
In a communiqué released on Monday, August 3, 2015 available to the Maravi Post spells out the burden of sideling youth in decision making such that the relationship between NYNCC and Action Aid will address the gap with the emphasis on empowering young people with the use of climate resilient and sustainable practices on agriculture in addressing climate changes injustice issues coming from rich nations.
The communiqué derives from a week long interaction and discussions on climate change with its impact which attracted youths from the districts of Karonga, Lilongwe, Machinga and Zomba that converged at Mponera in the central district of Dowa on July 27-31, 2015.
“Most youth aren’t critically aware of climate change and its impact, their role in policy and development spaces and how they can adapt to most prominent impacts including increase in food insecurity, loss of livelihoods, water scarcity, and exposure to extreme weather changes which leads to floods, dry spells, and hailstorms among others.
“Young people are partially engaged such that exclusion of us into climate change issues decisions is tantamount to violation their human rights guaranteed by the Republic constitution and chapter 25 of Agenda 12 adapted at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
“Its disheartening to learn that the Malawi Government continues to adapt and promote some agricultural practices that encourage unhealthy soils which live our land hungry leading to less harvest especially to most vulnerable people. We need meaningful and effective approach to climate change injustices by engaging young people who constitute large proportion of the country’s population including promotion of climate smart agriculture, conservation farming and agro forestry”, reads part of the communiqué signed by Dominic Nyasulu, NYNCC Programs Manager.
The Maravi Post later caught up Andrew Chapusa, Action Aid Malawi’s Acting Resilience Building Theme Manager who emphasized the need for implementing partners on fight against effects of climate change by meaningfully engaging youths.
“Its high time all implementing partners are engaging young people meaningfully towards climate change adaption measures as they haven’t spared from its effects. This is the reason we have sealed the relationship with NYNCC with a long goal which will be cemented by various activities including capacity building trainings, debates among others”, assures Chapusa.
