MUTARE– Climate change experts have urged youths to take a leading role in advocating for climate change interventions while calling on the government to live up to international conventions it is signatory to.
By Donald Nyarota
Speaking at a youth climate change conference jointly organized by the Zimbabwe Youth Biodiversity Network and Green Governance, National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO), eastern region director Joseph Kauzani spoke on the need for generational consciousness to transform future generations through active participation in climate change interventions.
“As young people we need to take a leading role when it comes to issues of climate change, protecting our environment, it is the duty of young people to interpret climate change to older generations to understand the changes in climate.
“We need to be intellectual about our approach to advocacy, and as young people it is incumbent upon us to take active roles in utilizing new media technologies.
“If we build a generation of young people who are eager to fight for the environment and tackle climate change issues this will build a generational consensus among us and the future generations, if we develop youths today the future is safe,” said Kauzani.
Programs coordinator of ZYBN, Knowledge Vingi said national demographics called for greater involvement of youth voices in the national strategic plans, and policy interventions that aim to mitigate and facilitate adaptation to climate change.
He called on government to live up to international conventions that it is signatory to, including the UN environment conventions, Sustainable Development Goals and any such treaties that have been ratified and signed by government.
“The frequency and variability of climate change induced disasters point to a changing environment and calls for greater involvement of youth in whom our future is invested.
“From our most recent census we see that 57% of the population in the country are youths which means that the youths can influence policies.
“We have the National Biodiversity Strategy Action plan that lacked youth voices, we need to have their voices heard in the next policy intervention by government. Zimbabwe as a signatory as youth we need also to see what government has done to achieve those goals,” he said.
Walter Mushaiwa, of Green Governance Zimbabwe said there was need for government to promote the sustainable uses of natural resources, including good agricultural practices which utilizes ecofriendly pest control methods.
“We are advocating for government to promote the sustainable use of wetlands, use of biological and eco-friendly pest control methods to ensure that as a country we adapt to climate change,” he said.
