First Global Summit of Children's and Young People on Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss
Climate change is a burning problem all over the world. UN agencies and different National governments have organized climate change conferences every year in different parts of the globe since 1995. The first conference of the parties (COP-1) was organized in Berlin in 1994 showcasing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Since then a series of climate change conferences have been organized. UN climate change conference COP- 27 organized during November 6 to 18 to tackle climate emergency. The climate change has led to a wide range of damage for survival on this planet such as biodiversity loss extinction of animals and plants, drought rising of sea level. rising temperature, ocean acidification, air pollution, water pollution, emission of toxic chemicals and gases.
Children are worst affected by climate change. Climate change has deprived children of the ability to grow healthy and happy and exposed them to various illnesses, diseases and death. The environmental degradation coupled with biodiversity loss has led to the devastation of agriculture and depriving children off from nutrition, food and safe water.
Children’s climate change index (CCRI) reveals that climate change is a child right crisis. Climate change and environmental hazards stimulate the well-being and future of children globally. The children are exposed to environmental hazards ,stress shocks and intellectual ability. Climate change has affected children in various forms. Many children are exposed to air pollution and 920 million children are exposed to water pollution.. Not less than 240 million children are highly exposed to coastal flooding and 400 million children are exposed to cyclones. Heat wave generated by climate change has affected not less than 820 million children globally. Children and young people are likely to have devastating consequences of climate crises and biodiversity loss.
Climate change and biodiversity loss have not only undermined health, safety, wellbeing and education of children and young people but also scaled down their prospects for a better future. There is an urgent need to educate children (13yrs-17yrs) and young people (19yrs- 24yrs).t about the adverse effect of climate change and biodiversity loss. They need to develop a green mind. Children and young people are to be sensitized to raise their voices on the damaging effects of climate change. They are to be included in climate-related discussions making .UNICEF. Executive Directors Catherine Russell has recently observed "the impact of climate change already pose an unpredicted threat to health, nutrition, survival and future potential of children around the world"
KT Global is going to be a pioneering climate-smart school and teach environmental education by training teachers on climate-smart education. Young and adolescent children are oriented on climate change education and government policies and programs on climate change.
KT Global School, an innovative model school for creative education has included mitigation of climate change as an agenda on their objective statement. KT global school takes a lead role in hosting the first global summit of children and young people on climate change and biodiversity loss from 27th November to 1st December 2023 at Bhubaneswar Orissa India.
This global summit will create a platform where young people and children from different countries of the world will be facilitated to air their voice on the climate crisis and interact with policymakers, parliamentarians representatives of development agencies academicians on various issues of climate change and biodiversity is loss. They will be facilitated to raise their voice and call on the government to protect future generations against pollution, damaging impact of climate change and expand investments in environmental education and green economy apart from safeguarding the right of children and addressing climate change as child right.
The Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 emphasize climate action .Adolescents and youth in the age group from 13 to 24 years are considered as a more powerful resource for achieving sustainable development goals of 2030.They are powerful forces for combating climate change and its impact. They are leaders of the next generation to initiate climate action. They are to be included in the decision-making process with global leaders for climate action. Climate changes threaten the life of future generations including children, adolescents and youth and indigenous communities. This Global Summit aims at preparing children, adolescents and young people to take leadership in initiating climate action with green mind.
The tribal leaders, students from schools in tribal areas NGOs, communities representatives shall be invited to showcase the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss in forest regions by storytelling, using audiovisual materials. Environmental scientists, academicians, biodiversity expert shall initiate dialogue with indigenous and local communities focusing on indigenous knowledge and local mechanism for mitigation of climate change and biodiversity loss. This process will provide an update of knowledge on scientific, cultural and socio-economic aspects of climate change. The indigenous and tribal communities have local knowledge and mechanism. Most of the indigenous and forest communities depend on forest and natural resources with local adaptively capability to sustain their resource-based livelihood. The resource based livelihood covers land and water protection conservation, natural resource and endemic species conservation, agro forestry, soil conservation, adapting agricultural practices to reduce climate change risks holistic approach for community adaptation to climate change, suatainable water and land management, community dams, dry season gardening and so on.
Climate change has affected them drastically .The indigenous people and local communities are actively involved in the local solution to reduce pressure on natural resources and balance ecol health with human health. Through storytelling they will explain their efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and what barriers exist in that environment and their capacity to benefit. During jungle camps organized in biodiversity heritage sites and the facilitators and moderators will orient community the agenda and technique of storytelling on environmental issues in simple mechanism to be understood by them. Steps shall be taken to conduct awareness campaigns for the community by young people and children in these Jungle camps. Environmental organizations and groups shall be involved in facilitating activities of jungle camp. The young people led organizations and NGOs shall be encouraged to promote capital building for young people adolescents and children for climate action
It is a special attraction of the global summit where children and young people from different parts of the world initiate campaigns and advocacy rally and demonstration for climate action for reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollution which cause fatal respiratory diseases among children and affect their brain development. Increased temperature is associated with incidents of child death including malaria, cholera and dengue.
Young people and children are the most vociferous and committed advocates for urgent action on climate change. This global summit shall encourage young people and children to participate in mass demonstrations and youth led climate strikes. Through advocacy and campaign they shall not only pressurize government, corporate houses and public leaders to initiate urgent climate action but also showcase their frustration, anger for not initiating climate action. Their demand for climate justice needs to be addressed by Government and other stakeholders, The children and young people shall be encouraged to initiate letter campaign to Ministers and UN authorities, interact with teachers and local leaders such as MLA, MPs, etc.
KT Global School is going to create a model for climate action in grassroots level. Five forest villages of Dhenkanal District shall be adopted where women Self Help Groups shall be selected for spreading climate change awareness in other villages. They will be oriented on periodic basis by students and teachers of this school on climate change, green house gas emission and how their children, agriculture, land and water resources are drastically affected, they will be oriented about different schemes of solar energy promoted by State as well as Government of India.
The Sarpanch of Gram Panchayats shall be motivated to adopt solar light and other solar equipment’s such as solar lanterns on subsidy basis for the villagers. They will be motivated to promote restoration of biological diversity in managed land, and often have positive effects on water resources. They will be educated about agro forestry, intensified agricultural production and integrated systems which will lead to increased food production and ensure food security and food sovereignty.
Each group will be assigned to create awareness among women in five villages. Plantation drive shall be carried out by School children along with village women to create village forest by collecting saplings from Horticulture and Forest Department of Government of Orissa. They will raise saplings nursery both at School campus as well as in adopted villages for distribution towards promoting plantation.
The school students visit to forest and invite local school students and take them into heart of forests for understanding and appreciation of forest, They must realize that forests give us fresh air, clean water and incomparable opportunities for leisure. The role of young generation is impotent for saving forests. The students will learn when they develop an emotional connection with environment and understand climate change and its impact, through such exposure, they will discover their relationship with nature and develop leadership qualities.
The forest offers a natural laboratory where the children can leave the built environment of the city and discover for themselves the natural environment around them. They will examine green leaves, flowers, smell fresh watered earth, taste sweet forest fruits and discover scientific sense within them, What they have observed and learnt will express through drawing, painting, story writing and share with their friends, families and neighbors. When they will grow up they will promote deeper appreciation for natural resources and fight to conserve these resources.
