Indian Youth Climate Network Calls for National Summit on Climate Change
In continuing with its commitment to bring together and unite the youth from across India, to tackle the issue of climate change and demand stricter policy level interventions to mitigate the same, the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) – the youngest Indian coalition on the issue – has called for an Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change (IYSoCC). The summit will take place in the Indian cyber city of Hyderabad (now also known as Cyberabad) from 7th to 10th August, 2008 in the Infosys campus and will be the voice of young India, to secure and safeguard the future of the Nation and the Planet. The summit will also highlight the importance and need of youth representation in policy level decisions and push to ensure that the voice of the youth is heard for the fact that it is the future of the youth which is actually at stake.
As an entire generation that will have to live with the risk of a changing climate, youth have a major stake in climate change mitigation. In particular, as the Kyoto Protocol approaches the end of its implementation period, the next few years will prove significant for any meaningful mitigation approach. In this context, IYCN believes that the Indian youth should now express their concern with different stakeholders through collective action and concerted efforts.
The underlying objective of the summit is thus to provide a platform for youth to define climate change from their viewpoint and to engage in dialogue on possible solutions through steadfast and resolute action, in order to fight climate change and to propagate the values and principles of sustainable development.
In addition to IYCN, the summit is also being organized by the Friendship Foundation (Hyderabad), Global Citizens for Sustainable Development (Bangalore), Nature & Biological Sciences Society with Infosys and the Asian Citizens Alliance as the key partners, all of whom are working to ensure adequate youth representation from all parts of the country.
Previously, IYCN’s Delhi Youth Summit on Climate (DYSoC) organised in the heart of the capital city New Delhi, saw participation from all over the city. Like DYSoC, the IYSoCC is also planned to come out with an Indian Youth Charter on Climate that would be presented to the President of India and to all concerned decision making bodies in the country.
Registration Form and other details for the Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change can be downloaded here: http://iycn.in/summit/iysocc
Click here to read the Delhi Youth Charter on Climate
Ghana National CSO Youth Coalition on Climate Change
Introduction
Climate change on international agenda is starting to receive the very highest attention that it merits. It has become one of the major issue of discussion among the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations and dialogue between developed and developing countries have already begun.
Scientist have affirmed the warming of the climate system and linked it to human activities. This is justified by the increase in the average surface temperature by about 0.6 C.
Development is about expanding human potential and enlarging human freedom. It is about people developing the capabilities that empower them to make choices that they value most.
Climate change threatens to erode human freedoms and limit choice. It calls into question the enlightment principle that human progress will make the future look better than the past.
The early warning signs are already visible for everybody to see. In most developing countries, millions of the world’s poorest people are already being forced to cope with the impacts of climate change. These impacts do not register as apocalyptic events in the full glare of world media attention. They go unnoticed in financial markets and in the measurement of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, increased exposure to drought, to more intense storms, to floods and environmental stress is holding back efforts of the world’s poor to build a better life for themselves and their children.
The starting point for avoiding dangerous climate change is recognition of three distinctive features of the problem. The first feature is the combined force of inertia and cumulative outcomes of climate change. Once emitted. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for a long time.
There are no rewind buttons for running down stocks. People living at the start of the 22nd Century will live with consequences of our emissions just as we are living with the consequences of emissions since the industrial revolution.
For instance for the first half of this 21st Century the world in general, especially the poor will have to live with climate change to which are already committed.
The fourth assessment review of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has established an overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is both real and man-made.
In the last three decades, about 22 countries in Africa have been affected by flood and 1.5 million people have been displaced, whilst at least 300 people have been killed.
The Secretary General of the United Nations in his special contribution in the 2007/08 Human Development Report acknowledged that “we are beginning to see these catastrophes (of climate change) unfold. As sea levels rise and tropical storms gather in intensity, millions of people face displacement. Dryland inhabitants, some of the most vulnerable on our planet, have to cope with more frequent and more sustained droughts. And as glaciers retreat, water supplies are being put at risk”.
Ghana’s Situation
Ghana is part of this pending global disaster. Unfortunately it has not been given the needed attention in country to mitigate its impact in the future. Very rare do we hear of any discussion on climate change by the leadership of this country.
Currently Ghana does not have any policy direction or framework in addressing climate change.
The consistent human activities in the industrial areas, emission of greenhouse gases, bush fires, felling of trees and the discovery of oil which will lead to the sitting of oil companies puts Ghana in a more dangerous position in the coming years.
The recent flood that hit the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Western Regions in September 2007 revealed the nations vulnerability. The following were the statistics that were recorded by the Ministry of Interior with regards to the flood;
Number of deaths – 56
Number Displaced – 331,360
Houses Destroyed – 34,919
Roads Damaged - 655
Farmlands Destroyed – 46,851
Dams & Bridges Destroyed – 140
The economic, health and social cost of this flood was so enormous that donor agencies, philanthropist and companies had to come in to support the victims.
There exist a gap between scientific evidence of what is happening and political actions.
Climate change is a challenge that needs to be addressed now to reduce the risk it poses to a developing country like Ghana, especially the future generation. The future generation of this country stands directly in harm’s way and they have the least resources to cope.
Kenneth, no offence intended, but do you have any idea what a 0.6oC rise means in global terms? And that this warming has mainly occurred at night and in cold regions? (I refer you to the laws of thermodynamics).
A bit of CO2 in the atmosphere isn’t going to harm Ghana at all when compared to the fact that it’s right next to an enormous and naturally expanding desert.
Ghana’s elite need to start the process of developing the country to deal with ALL threats to human life by relaxing laws that prevent the formation of small businesses.