ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that the present government was well aware of the fact that engaging the youth in climate action and green activities was vital to transforming the country towards a low-carbon and climate resilient future.
Addressing a cycle rally here on Saturday as a chief guest, he said that over 60 percent of the country’s population is below the age of 30 while 29 percent is aged between 15 and 29 years. The cycling under the theme ‘Cycling for Green Pakistan’ was held by a local organization of young students in support with the climate change ministry.
The prime minister’s aide said that various ambitious initiatives had been launched by the incumbent government as a part of the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision for clean and green Pakistan (CGP) programme, wherein the youth were being actively engaged.
He highlighted that the CGP programme was being implemented to make cities environmental-friendly and climate-resilient with the help of 120,000 youth volunteers, which had been registered with the programme since its launch last year in November.
He pointed out that human-caused activities globally including the use of fossil fuels, deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices, soaring use of coal for energy purposes over last several decades contributed to global warming, which made global economies, particularly in developing countries, highly vulnerable to adverse fallouts of climate change
However, these negative impacts of climate change have fast led to decline in the availability of nutritious food and clean water to millions of thousands of people worldwide including Pakistan, and destroyed ecosystems and living environments. Consequently, today millions of the people face malnutrition, hunger, diseases, and migration to safer places, rendering youth particularly vulnerable, he added.
“Given the backdrop, we must realize that it is high time that youth populations are made part of the programmes and activities related to climate change, low-carbon energy, climate smart agriculture and particularly raising public awareness, so that they would effectively pedal the global climate action towards climate-resilient future,” he remarked.
He reemphasized that the prime minister Imran Khan-led government well recognizes the unprecedented role that youth can play to support the government policies framed for dealing with climate change impacts.
Given the reason, it continues to work closely with youth-led and youth-focused organizations around the country. Besides, many youth organizations are being empowered through the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Clean Green Pakistan Programme, Recharge Pakistan Programme, Protected Areas Initiative to join government’s adaptation and mitigation actions, which would help enhance their effective participation in climate change policy decision-making processes.
“We are strongly committed to supporting and helping young people of the country raising youth voices on the climate actions and green actions to take action to drive country towards the clean and green Pakistan and to build a better, stronger and climate-resilient future for our children and young people,” he reaffirmed.