Youth Adaptation Dialogue: Celebrating Youth-led Adaptation Solutions
This Dialogue celebrates the role of young people in climate adaptation action on International Youth Day.
Event description:
Our young people are going to bear the brunt of climate change, so we must involve them—now—as we draw up solutions. The GCA established the Youth Adaptation Network (YAN) to engage, empower and amplify the role of youth and young people in climate change adaptation.
The YAN’s ‘Global Youth Call to Action’, presented to world leaders at the Climate Adaptation Summit in January 2021, called for raising awareness, promoting education and skills, fostering youth participation, expanding economic opportunities, accelerating adaptation solutions that benefit and involve young people, and strengthening youth leadership particularly of young women and the most vulnerable youth.
Together with young people around the world from the YAN, GCA is organizing a series of engaging dialogues to promote and consult on specific research, programs and events in support of this agenda.
On International Youth Day (12th August 2021), the next Youth Adaptation Dialogue will focus on the role of young people as key stakeholders in adaptation action as well as current and future decision-makers. As part of the event, the GCA will launch a new technical paper ‘Young People and Drivers and Barriers to Climate Adaptation Action’.
Among other things, the paper explores the perceptions of young people on climate impacts and successful adaptation methods; as well as how extreme weather events have impacted, and activated, engagement by young people at the local level.
The research informing the paper surveyed more than 3,000 youth worldwide and conducted in-depth interviews with 19 young people across Africa and two in China, to better understand their perspectives and role in adaptation action. The online International Youth Day dialogue will feature young people whose direct experiences of climate impacts and adaptation have informed this report, the work of the GCA, as well as adaptation experts and decision-makers.
PROGRAM
Opening Remarks
- Prof. Dr. Patrick Verkooijen, CEO, Global Center on Adaptation
- Heeta Lakhani, Global South Focal Point, YOUNGO
Presentation on Findings
- Dr Sander Chan, Senior Scientist Non-State Climate Action, Global Centre on Adaptation
- Shristi Singh, Program Coordinator, Climate Change, Centre for Environment Education
Youth Action in Extreme Weather Events: On-ground Case Studies
- Cidia Chissungo, Founder of Central de Apoio, Mozambique
- Elizabeth Gulugulu, Project Manager at the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change
- Hassan Yasin, Somali Greenpeace Association
Reflections from Practitioners and Policy Advocates
- Adriana Valenzuela, Youth Leadership and Education Program Lead, Global Center on Adaptation (Moderator)
- Roop Singh, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center
- Adama Bamba, Africa Union Youth Advisory Board on Disaster Risk Reduction
Launch of the Technical Paper
Closing Remarks
- Kimberly Olson, Manager of Partnerships, Canadian Centre for Climate Services