THE YOUTH GLOBAL CALL TO CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

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By 2050, we will have a global population of around 9.6 billion and we would need the equivalent of almost 3 planets worth of resources to sustain our way of living, if our current consumption and production patterns remain the same. [UNEP, 2011, http://bit.ly/1Niu2q7]

Climate Change, in simple terms, refers to any change in climate over time whether due to natural causes, or human activity.

In a UN survey, 73% of youth say they currently feel the effects of climate change. [UNEP, GlobeScan Survey, 2008, http://bit.ly/1CtR3zZ]. 

The intensification of extreme weather and Climate change potentially represents a major threat to the health and livelihoods of youth—especially in developing countries, where 80% of young people live.

RECENT EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN UGANDA

 

WHAT IS VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS (VSO) DOING ABOUT IT?

Through its DYNAMIC project, VSO is training young people on Climate SMART farming Practices ,as youth make up the majority of the population, and have an increasingly strong social and environmental awareness. This has the power to transform our societies towards a climate resilient future.

Young people in Agribusiness are being skilled on green house farming, irrigation, vertical farming, making organic fertilizers and pesticides, compost manure farming, maggot, worm and grubs production, backyard farming, making hybrid manure, hydroponics farming, IMO piggery system, semi-free range and free range poultry system, modern fishing systems,aquati plant growing for animal feeds, biogas processing, pasture establishment, afforestry, and paddocking system.







WHAT INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CITIZEN (ICS) ALUMNI HAVE DONE, ARE DOING AND PLANNING TO DO.

  • Strongly campaigning for climate action.
  • Recycling plastics.
  • Planting more trees.
  • Avoiding encroachment on wetlands.
  • Using more sustainable materials.
  • Awareness raising through radio talk shows.
  • Blogging about climate change.
  • Traveling more on foot and shared vehicles.
  • Doing backyard, kitchen and sack gardening.
  • Using alternative sources of energy instead of charcoal and firewood. 
  • Writing petitions to the government to do something about climate change.
WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE AS YOUTH

  • More youths in green jobs like Agribusiness.
  • Increased skilling of youth in Agribusiness.
  • Increased innovations and technology in combating climate change.
  • A collaborative response to climate change issues.
  • More wetland and water body conservation activities.
  • Reduced air and water pollution.
  • Reduced plastic usage.
  • Proper disposal of plastics.
  • Stronger government policy implementation on environmental policies.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In honour of the International Youth Day (IYD) events this year, the National Youth Engagement Network-UK, in collaboration with the National Youth Engagement Network-Uganda organized a Global call to Climate Change Action on 6th August, which was attended by over 150 Youths from UK, Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tanzania and Kenya.

What is presented in this blog post represents their views and what they plan to do to combat climate change at a personal level. You, too, can make a big difference to make our world a better place to live in! 

"THE FUTURE IS IN 

OUR HANDS"




 
 

 



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