Youth Responding to Climate Change in Africa: Reflections on Uganda
Several reports have indicated that low-income nations and those experiencing poverty bear a disproportionate share of the harmful effects of climate change. This is due to their reliance on natural resources for daily sustenance and their limited ability to adapt to the extremes that climate change delivers. Children are particularly susceptible to the consequences of climate change, natural catastrophes, and extreme weather occurrences, according to the International Labor Organization. According to Rema Hanna et al. (2016), children in low-income nations may be especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to World Vision (2021), children residing in areas that are already at a disadvantage are particularly vulnerable to the catastrophic effects of climate change.
Despite their great diversity, young people are impacted by climate change, thus it seems reasonable to take their age into account when analyzing those effects. Young individuals typically begin their lives with little money, poor wages, little work experience, and few social networks. This makes it challenging to obtain employment and increase financial security, particularly in light of the dearth of well-paying jobs. Young people who experience economic instability are more vulnerable to climatic hazards that have a quicker onset, such as flooding and storms, as well as those that have a slower onset, including desertification, sea level rise, and land degradation.
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According to a 2020 study by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) on how climate change is affecting young people's livelihoods in the Karamoja and Jinja regions of Uganda, increased flooding and droughts, as well as disrupted seasonality, are the main reasons why livelihoods are becoming more precarious. There is an increase in rural-urban migration as agriculture loses its dependability. Another study by Anna Barford (2021) et al. claimed that young people in Uganda and Eastern Africa, many of whom work in smallholder agriculture with low productivity, rely heavily on agriculture as a source of income. This is consistent with FAO (2017), which contended that 24% of Uganda's GDP is derived from agricultural production. But as a result of climate changes, droughts are becoming more frequent and prolonged, killing more livestock and affecting crop productivity. This suggests that by diminishing predictability and shortening the growing season, weather and rainfall variability have placed pressure on agricultural productivity. Young people frequently connect the effects of climate change to loss—the loss of natural resources, lives, livelihoods, or agricultural yield.
In Uganda, climate change also has an impact on education. Children and young people affected by disrupted education face both short- and long-term consequences, including effects on their educational progress and future employment prospects. The zeal and vigor of youth can be used to create solutions. Thus, even though they contribute very little to the phenomenon of anthropogenic climate change, youth from underdeveloped nations might have some answers. Although they cannot solve the world's problems on their own, young people can contribute to solutions by holding those in formal positions of power accountable and by offering knowledge, ideas, energy, and political activism.
According to research, there is broad agreement regarding the importance of utilizing indigenous, local, and traditional knowledge as an essential tool for coping with climate change. The youth of Uganda have played a significant role in the fight against climate change. According to a 2017 FAO research, young people in Uganda lead the way in community-based adaptation.
Young people in Uganda are responding to climate change out of necessity. According to a study by Anna Barford (2021) et al, young people can respond by changing their everyday habits, minimizing their environmental impact, actively taking part in tree-planting campaigns and other environmental initiatives, and getting involved in politics to push for systemic change. Thus, there is a wide range of responses to climate change among young people: those who are not at all engaged in reacting, those who are active in their communities, those who are global activists, and those who are trying to support their families or build their businesses. Many young people lack the political, social, and economic resources necessary to adjust to climatic disturbances. This is be the result of one of these many factors i.e. scarcity of resources, pessimistic feelings, a sense of helplessness in the face of climate change, a lack of agency in the formulation of public policy, or a lack of knowledge about adaptation techniques.
Supporting Uganda's youth would help them combat and respond to climate change more effectively. Initiatives like as education, training, and capacity-building programs can be used to provide youth with the knowledge and skills they need to respond to climate change. Since Ugandan adolescents bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of climate change, education and training are critical supports to improve their capacity to respond and fight the issue. Youth who are empowered with knowledge, skills, and expertise can become leaders, innovators, and advocates in the fight against climate change. Incorporating climate change education into school curricula with an emphasis on causes, effects, and solutions is recommended. Education and training can also emphasize resilience-building and climate change adaptation, empowering young people to design and carry out community-based initiatives. This will increase comprehension, spur action, and increase awareness. Programs for vocational training can also impart useful skills in eco-friendly technologies, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy. Youth, professionals, and legislators can get together for capacity-building seminars and conferences to exchange best practices, insights, and experiences. This encourages networking, cooperation, and creativity.
To enable them to put their ideas into practice, climate change programs, initiatives, and research also require financial assistance. As seen by the numerous projects in which they have previously engaged, Ugandan youth are keen to address climate change; nevertheless, they frequently lack the financial means to implement their ideas. Grants and funding fill this gap, enabling young people to spearhead climate change projects and have long-lasting effects. Funding is provided for youth-led projects such as eco-friendly inventions, sustainable agriculture programs, and installations of renewable energy. Grants can also help young people attend training sessions, conferences, and workshops related to climate change, which will increase their networks and capacity. Grants and financing can assist young people get over financial obstacles so they can concentrate on finding solutions to climate change. Additionally, by attracting and keeping bright young people in the climate change field, this funding can guarantee a constant flow of new concepts and methods.
In addition, youth need access to technology to combat and adapt to climate change. Technology gives people access to data, research, and information on climate change and can improve innovation, close the knowledge gap, and give their views more weight. Young people may stay informed, assess data, and make wise decisions by using digital tools, mobile apps, and internet platforms. Technology makes entrepreneurship and innovation possible. Young people can create and implement climate-resilient technology, such as eco-friendly gadgets, solar-powered irrigation systems, and mobile-based weather forecasting systems.
Policy influence is a vital support to enhance youth's fighting and responding capabilities to climate change. It is necessary to involve young people in the policy-making process to harness their creativity, vigor, and knowledge to propel significant change. Youth should be represented in task forces, groups, and forums that develop policies related to climate change. Incorporating their concerns, ideas, and viewpoints into policy decisions guarantees inclusive and efficient governance of climate change.
In conclusion, Uganda is not an exception to the general principle that youth agency is a crucial component of the continent's response to climate change. Young people are bringing about change and advancing sustainability via their inventiveness, willpower, and ingenuity. However, assistance in the form of funding and grants, political influence, technological access, education and training, and funding is necessary to fully realize their potential.
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