Panel 24 on Youth and Adaptation at the Adaptation Forum 2012 in Bangkok

Panel 24: Youth and adaptation, 13 March 2012, Tuesday, 13:30-15:00

Background

Climate change has wide range of effects on environmental and socioeconomic sectors. From water to agriculture to food and human health to biodiversity almost every sector has witnessed negative consequences due to this process largely through the uncertainty it has created and increased climate extreme events. Changes in rainfall pattern has resulted to severe water shortage and flooding. Melting of glaciers has damaged and thus induced flooding has washed away many villages, large constructions, productive top soil and so on. While mitigation is expected to solve the problem in the long run adaptation seems urgent as we cannot run away from climate change affects that have already starting showing strong presence in our daily life.

Human beings have been adapting to the variable climate around them for centuries. Worldwide local climate variability can influence peoples’ decisions with consequences for their social, economic, political and personal conditions, and effects on their lives and livelihoods. The effects of climate change imply that the local climate variability that people have previously experienced and have adapted to is changing and changing at relatively great speed[1]. Need of present day is to develop case specific adaptation measures with a strong involvement of communities (CBA) and considering local environment (EBA). Effective adaptation measures will need easy interfacing between people and resources and established linkages among different stakeholders, environmental realities, social processes, development activities enabling timely response mechanism.

Youth, the most vibrant group in any community, share almost 30% of the world's population. The involvement of today's youth in adaptation decision-making and implementation practice is critical to future sustainability of the planet. The parallel session on ‘Youth and Adaptation’ is developed on this foundation.

Objective

To understand the situation, identify gaps and challenges, explore opportunities and develop way forward for engaging youth on climate change adaptation.

Panelists:

• Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, Head, Environmental Education and Training Unit (EETU), Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI), UNEP HQs, Nairobi
• Mr. Saurav Dhakal, British Council’s International Climate Champion, Nepal
• Mr. Tek Jung Mahat, APMN Node Manager, ICIMOD, Nepal
• Mr. Wilson Ang, President, Eco-Singapore
• Ms. Tanzima Shahreen, ICIMOD’s Asia Pacific Youth Forum Alumni

Guiding questions

Q1. What is the level of understanding among youth regarding climate change adaptation? (TANZIMA)

Q2. How have youth-led, -driven or –oriented activities contributed to adaptation actions? What are the gaps and challenges faced? (SAURAV)

Q3. What are the opportunities for and benefits with youth engagement in adaptation? What is the level of youth engagement in global/regional/national processes? UNFCCC COP to national policies and initiatives level (Wilson)

Q4. How can the education system better serve youth’s needs for climate change adaptation knowledge? (MAHESH)

Based on responses to above questions the panel will distill some recommendations and develop way forward.

Programme

Panel 24: Youth and Adaptation (13:30-15:00)
Time	Panelist	Activity (including discussion)
13:30 - 13:35	Mr. Tek Jung Mahat	Introductory presentation
13:35 – 13:45	Ms. Tanzima Shahreen	Youth and adaptation – Reflection from Bangladesh (presentation of a case study including status, challenges and opportunities)
13:45 – 13:55	Mr. Saurav Dhakal	Youth and adaptation – some pictures from Nepal (presentation of a case study including status, challenges and opportunities)
13:55 – 14:05	Mr. Wilson Ang	Status of youth engagement in CCA – global to regional and national level, and options ahead
14:05 – 14:15	Mr. Mahesh Pradhan	Youth capacity building to enhance CCA process – status, challenges and opportunities
14:15 – 14:50		Floor discussion
14:50 – 15:00	Mr. Tek Jung Mahat	Key conclusions and way forward

Event coordinator

Tek Jung Mahat, ICIMOD, Nepal, tmahat@icimod.org

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[1] UNFCCC (2007) Climate Change:  Impacts, Vulnerabilities and Adaptation in Developing Countries. Available at http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/impacts.pdf (accessed on 18 September 2011)