Dhaka, Bangladesh – Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiatives (BYEI) today launched the YUVA on Climate Change, which aims to empower young people to take action on climate crisis in the Sundarbans (India-Bangladesh) and Manas (India-Bhutan) biospheres. The project is supported by the U.S. Consulate General, Kolkata, India.
YUVA stands for Young Unheard Voices for Action. The project will build cross-border youth coalitions to create campaign and advocacy products, as well as concrete ideas for interventions in the two biospheres. The project is initially open to young change makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 30 who have an idea or solution to help combat climate change.
The main objective of the project is to produce policy recommendations and three to four concrete ideas for interventions in these two critically important transboundary biospheres. The project consists of seven steps, where the final phase will take place in Kolkata which will bring together selected youth from all teams across the borders of three countries to present the key pitches/ideas and solutions on Climate Action, in the form of a YUVA Idea Board on Climate Action.
“The YUVA project is a great opportunity for young people to make a difference on climate change,” said Syed Muntasir Riwan, Executive Director of BYEI. “We are excited to work with young people from Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India to develop innovative solutions that will protect these critical biospheres.”
This opportunity provides young people with mentoring and handholding by experts to strengthen and sharpen their ideas. Participants will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other youth working on similar issues and to present their ideas to global experts and leaders. The best ideas may also get a chance to secure some pilot seed funds.
This project will also focus on raising awareness about climate change among young people in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and India. The project will work with local communities to develop and implement climate-resilient solutions. It will also track the impact of the interventions and share the lessons learned with other organizations.
YUVA on Climate change is a unique opportunity for young people to make a real difference on climate change. It is a chance to work with experts, collaborate with other youth, and develop solutions that will have a lasting impact.
