Environment Minister Ahamed suggests tapping regions’ youth to tackle triple planetary crisis confronting world

By Ifham Nizam

The youth in the Asia-Pacific is a major group that could be engaged for effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution which we call, the Triple Planetary Crisis, Environment Minister Eng. Nazeer Ahamed said yesterday. Speaking at a United Nations Environmental Forum, he said that a coordinated action is needed to address rapid environmental degradation and the challenges linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, that is, the Economy, the Environment and the Society.The Minister said that he was of the view that these three pillars should be balanced to achieve sustainable Development.

He also said that the Asia-Pacific region is home to 60 percent of the world’s population and the region is one of the most vulnerable areas to the climate crisis. A recent UNDP survey has found that around 63 percent of people in Asia and the Pacific recognize climate change as a major “global emergency”, he noted. He had found youth across the region are frustrated with the lack of climate action by their leaders – and they feel that their voices are not being heard.

“This frustration has been demonstrated over the years by the multiple climate strikes campaigns and other youth-led movements happening across the region,” he said.

The Minister noted that the Asia-Pacific region must increase youth efforts to prepare and tackle urgent, overlapping crisis if it is needed to strengthen the resilience of its people and the economies.

“So, the youth in this region is a major group to engage with for effective, inclusive and sustainable multilateral actions to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution which we call, the Triple Planetary Crisis”, he said.

The Minister added that rural areas also remain highly vulnerable to drought and flooding.

“It is the children and young people that stand to be most affected by these impacts of climate change”, he said.

The Asia-Pacific Youth Environment Forum will aim to promote collective, impactful and sustainable measures for the Triple Planetary Crisis at all levels – national, regional and global.