Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum 2023: Minister Naseer Ahamed Highlights Critical Importance of Youth in the Fight Against Climate Change

On October 1, 2023, Sri Lankan Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed participated in the Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum, a significant event leading up to the fifth Asia Pacific Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities. The Ministers` Forum, which will be held in Colombo from October 3rd to 6th, is the largest regional environmental event in the Asia Pacific region.

In his address at the Youth  Forum, Minister Ahamed highlighted the critical importance of the Asia-Pacific region in the global fight against climate change. He noted that the region is home to 60% of the world’s population and is one of the most vulnerable regions to the climate crisis. A recent UNDP survey revealed that approximately 63% of people in Asia and the Pacific recognize climate change as a major global emergency.

Minister Ahamed also emphasized the growing frustration among youth in the region regarding the perceived lack of climate action by their leaders. He acknowledged the youth-led movements and climate strikes that have emerged in response to this frustration, emphasizing that their voices must be heard.

The Minister underscored the necessity of engaging with the youth to strengthen the region’s resilience in the face of overlapping crises, which he referred to as the “Triple Planetary Crisis” encompassing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Addressing the Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum 2023, Minister Ahamed stressed the need for coordinated action to combat rapid environmental degradation and align the three pillars of sustainable development: the Economy, the Environment, and Society. He also drew attention to the vulnerability of coastal and low-lying cities, such as Mumbai, Shanghai, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta, to sea level rise and extreme weather events. Rural areas remain highly susceptible to drought and flooding, with children and young people disproportionately affected.

The Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum aims to promote collective, impactful, and sustainable measures to address the Triple Planetary Crisis at the national, regional, and global levels. Minister Ahamed proposed a comprehensive focus on environmental degradation, economic challenges, and social disparities in the region.

Minister Ahamed’s address at the Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum highlights the critical importance of youth in the fight against climate change and other environmental challenges. The Asia-Pacific region is particularly vulnerable to these challenges, and young people in the region are demanding action from their leaders. Minister Ahamed’s call for coordinated action and a comprehensive focus on environmental degradation, economic challenges, and social disparities is essential to building a more sustainable future for all.