NAP Expo 2024: Youth Engagement with National Adaptation Plans

During NAP Expo 2024, GCA’s Youth Leadership and Education program, in collaboration with the UNFCCC Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG), YOUNGO (official youth constituency of the UNFCCC), youth networks from Bangladesh, the International Center for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), and other development partners will hold a multi-stakeholder consultation which will bring together governments, UN bodies and youth organizations to discuss about youth engagement with the formulation, implementation and evaluation of adaptation policies including National Adaptation Plans (NAP) and adaptation action. 

Event description

As young people will experience the consequences of climate change the longest, it is important to encourage youth participation in the formulation and implementation of adaptation policies and actions, including NAPs, to foster innovative climate-resilient solutions.

As part of the NAP Expo 2023 in Santiago de Chile, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in partnership with the UNFCCC LEG/ Multi-stakeholder subgroup organized an event titled ‘Harnessing the Power of Youth in National Adaptation Plans’. In 2023, GCA organized six regional forums engaging over 6,500 young people from 137 countries to collect youth perspectives on adaptation action at global, national, and local levels, including insights on NAPs.
 
The outcome of this consultation process is the #Youth4Adaptation Communiqué, included in GCA’s publication ‘Youth Engagement with Adaptation through the Global Stocktake’. The communiqué emphasizes the critical importance of involving young people in adaptation policy-making and the need to increase the awareness and capacity of young people to engage in NAPs. The communiqué advocates for prioritizing youth involvement in at least one activity related to each phase of NAPs in every country by 2030. 
 
The consultation methodology will include: 

• Panel Discussion: A panel composed of government representatives and young people will showcase good practices on youth engagement with national adaptation policies.
• Open Dialogue: Participants will discuss guiding questions and interact through Mentimeter to provide their input with possibility to discuss their comments with the audience.  

Key objectives: 

• Identify gaps and needs of governments and policymakers to facilitate youth inclusion in adaptation efforts across policies, projects, programs, and actions. 
• Showcase best practices and solutions, specifically focusing on African countries and addressing the diverse values, perspectives, and priorities of young people, to ensure their inclusion in the formulation, development, implementation and evaluation of NAPs. 
• Facilitate knowledge exchange, technical assistance, and collaboration between government officials, young people, policymakers, and experts, particularly from Least Developed Countries, on promoting youth inclusion in national adaptation planning, implementation and evaluation for enhanced adaptation action.

Guiding Questions: 

• How can young people be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of national adaptation policies? 
• What are best practices and initiatives related to including young people in adaptation policy planning, implementation, and action? 
• What are the needs of young people to effectively engage in the formulation and implementation of adaptation actions and policies, including NAPs?
• What are the best sources of communication to better involve young people in NAPs?     

Outcomes 
This consultation will serve the development of GCA’s ‘Guide on Youth Engagement with National Adaptation Plans’ centered on developing and least developed countries with a focus on Africa to be launched at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.