By Tendai Guvamombe
Harare, Zimbabwe (News of The South) – The effects of climate change are increasingly becoming a threat to the entire world posing a likelihood for compromising future generations, young people in Zimbabwe are now on an overdrive to embrace reduction of carbon of emissions through various initiatives.
This was revealed during the just held Climate Change Workshop in the capital which was attended by different government departments, environmental experts, youth peer groups on climate change.
f interest was the involvement and active participation by youth from different organizations who are now offering immense contribution on the pertaining subject area.
News of The South spoke to Gine Mhandu, National Youth Coordinator of Young African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, said youth across the entire continent has a greater role to play in the quest to reduce carbon emissions in the fight against climate change , thus creating synergies for sustainable development for the future generations.
“The youth are concerned in the fight against climate change because climate change is coming as a giant in our day to day lives , so we are more concerned about preserving our future and make sure that we have somewhere to exist and as a continent and young people we are coming with actions so that we mitigate climate change to make sure our continent have adequate water to survuve on, at the moment we are at risk because of the green house effects which have been emitting to the atmosphere for years and years.”
Coming up with youth initiatives across the whole continent will be a game changer achieving sustainable development goals on climate change, mitigation and adaptation.
Guarding against any further resurgence of catastrophic events such as Cyclone Idai will effectively create a stable society in which hard hitting effects of climate change in Zimbabwe and the Southern World.
“Us as young people particularly from Southern Africa we are more threatened by climate change because of the development that has happened over the years heance we have to adapt first thus making sure that we able to survive during this lifetime because you can see that we are already facing threats such as cyclone idai and shortage of water and food security and its also proven by the global in turn of 2019 that if we are more likely to have more climate change there is likely to be more violence and no peace hence so it is affecting our daily lives so we have to be at the centre of everything.”
According to Loretta Marembo, Programs Oficer of Young Volunteers for Environment believes that young people as the future generation have a role to be pro- active in engaging various communities in standing the advocacy way in managing the environment, agriculture and waste management.
“We as volunteers for environment in Zimbabwe we engage with young people particularly the youth to join hands to work on sustainable development. The role of young people is to be very pro active because we believe as young people we are innovators and the future of tomorrow. We also engage with communities stand the advocacy way to build capacities to train people ob how ti relate to thier environment in areas to do with agriculture and waste management and all other sectors that includes our development.”
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