THE PLANET NEEDS US!

Youth for Climate Action

 Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is Climate Action and it requires us all to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. The goal has 5 targets and 8 indicators. We take special focus on the first three indicators that are more relevant to the case of Kenya as a developing country and how the youth of this country can actively participate to protect the future of the planet. The three indicators are:

• Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

• Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

• Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

Climate change is real! It is happening here too, in Kenya, and it will hurt most the young people of today and future generations if we don't act. You must have noticed the changes in the normal weather patterns, higher/lower than 'normal' temperatures, increased flooding even in previously less flood prone areas, rivers drying up, prolonged dry periods, withering of crops, etc. All these point towards climate change. It's impact builds slowly and will be fully felt by children and the young people of today. We need to ACT NOW! fight back before it gets the better of us.

 

Youth-Led Climate Action in Kenya 

The youth are generally regarded as the backbone of every nation and the future leaders. Kenya, in particular, boasts of a youthful population with 13,777,600 (29%) of the total population being youth (18-34 years), according to the census 2019 data. The population aged below 35 years was 35,700,787 (75.1%) in 2019. This is the massive population likely to feel the impact of the adverse effects of climate change if we do not act.

These aren't just numbers but a manifestation of power that we posses; power, that if we mobilize, we can get the policy makers of this country to pay attention. It has become necessary to elevate the voices of young people in Kenya to protect the future of the nation and the planet at large. Therefore, it is important to be increasingly aware of the challenges and opportunities brought about by climate change and consequently take appropriate action. We need to strengthen resilience and create adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in Kenya. We (the youth of Kenya) also need to actively take part in the discussions and forums for integrating climate change measures into National and Counties' policies, strategies and plans.

So far, the Kenyan Youth have made commendable strides towards combating climate change. Some of the initiatives taken include;

• Tree planting activities across the country through initiatives such as "Adopt a Tree campaign", "Green Generation Initiative" among others.
• National landscape restoration initiatives such as Kenya National Landscape Restoration Scaling
• Youth inclusion in climate action. This encompasses advocacy, capacity building and active participation in decision masking processes linked to climate action.
• Youth Innovative initiatives such as using art and sports to create awareness on Climate Change.
• Youth registered Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in support of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. These CBOs are responsible for landscape restoration, training programmes, resource mobilization to finance locally led climate action, community regreening, conservation initiatives among others.
• Youth climate activism.
• Volunteering for existing conservation projects.
• Young Climate Champions across the country.

 

Impediments to Youth-Led Climate Action in Kenya

 

Youth Action towards climate change mitigation and adaptation in Kenya has not been without challenges. Some of the notable challenges include;

1.     Inadequate funding of youth climate change related organizations and projects at community level.

2.     Limited engagement of the youth in policy making, planning and budgeting activities related to climate change at different government levels.

3.     Lack of coordination among all youth engaging in climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.

4.     Low youth and women involvement due to socio-cultural barriers in most Kenyan communities.

5.     Lack of reporting mechanisms for youth-led restoration, adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

6.     Inadequate support towards youth efforts at different levels of government and the private sector.

 

Actions that the Youth can take to combat Climate Change

We the youth have every right to participate and take part meaningfully in the decision-making processes that impact us. It is imperative that we engage with leaders on public forums and offer necessary support in such processes. There are several ways in which we can actively engage and participate in actions to combat climate change and its impacts. They include but not limited to:

1.     Raising Awareness- This should be done through increased youth participation at community national and global levels, engaging with leaders and policy makers and having climate action champions in all devolved units (County Governments). The devolved system of governance provides a good opportunity for the youth of this country to engage and offer localized solutions that are unique to each region.

2.      Education Programmes - It is important that matters Climate Change are ingrained in all curricula of our education systems from lower levels where knowledge, values and practices are easily cultivated. This will help us act on Climate Change through technology, science and law. For example, in law,  there is very minimal legislation guiding climate action in Kenya.

3.     Adopting Environmentally Friendly Practices – This may include but not limited to; 

·         Recycling plastics to create art and, or, building using recycled plastics.

·         Create market for recyclables

·         Conduct clean-up and waste collection activities in our community 

·         Adopt responsible dumping and avoid littering

United Nations #COP26

    4. Promoting Renewable Energy - We need to champion the use of green and renewable energy in Kenya in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduce some types of air pollution.

 

    5. Push the Government to do more - We should mobilize and push for the government to do more on climate action. Our numbers alone are a strength that we can leverage on.  

    6. Conserving nature.

 

    7. Implementing Mitigation Projects - There are several projects we can take up as young people in order to mitigate the impact of climate change and related natural disasters in Kenya. Some of the projects include but not limited to;

·         Resilient farming practices: This seeks to address issues related with the impact of climate change on rain-fed agriculture and ensure food security (Goal 2). 

·         Re-vegetation: We can undertake re-vegetating activities in our communities in order to conserve and maintain the balance of nature. 

·         Sustainable Land and Water Management: We should take charge in guiding and implementing sustainable land and water use in our communities to ensure there is no waste or improper use that disturbs the balance of nature.

·         Community-based Disaster Risk Management: The youth of Kenya can act through offering solutions or implement mitigation projects that seek to address natural disasters in our communities. For example: Creating community early detection and warning techniques for flash floods in the flood prone areas, Spearheading the construction of flood proof classrooms that can withstand adverse weather events in flood prone areas among other mitigation projects.

8. Entrepreneurship and Business approaches in responding to the climate crisis- This calls for the youth, through innovative ideas, to take up opportunities that arise from actions taken to combat climate change and it's effects.

This is an appeal to fellow youth in Kenya and the World at large to join the movement, act now, create awareness and participate fully for We Don't Have Time!

THE PLANET NEEDS US! ACT NOW! Our action represents the present and is very crucial to advancing climate resilient practices for the future.