NEBBI, September 18, 2023 – In a bid to advocate for climate justice, youth in Nebbi district over the weekend turned up in big numbers to celebrate the belated International World Youth Day by participating in a 7-kilometre run.
According to Wikipedia, climate justice is a concept that addresses the just division, fair sharing, and equitable distribution of the burdens of climate change and its mitigation and responsibilities to deal with climate change.
While addressing youth at Luo playground in Nebbi Municipality, Robert Abak the Nebbi Resident District Commissioner [RDC] said the run for climate justice was meant to mobilise the youth to plant more trees so as to tackle climate change.
Abak added that the youth in every sub-county would benefit from Shs 1 billion donated by State House for tree planting.
“Since the environment is getting depleted, 20, 000 tree seedlings will be given to youth for planting to restore the lost environment,” Abak said.
The RDC urged the youth not to waste so much of their time on social media, saying it is non-productive in nature.
“Let’s work hard to fight poverty and plant more trees to support the eco-diversity of our environment by restoring the lost trees in our communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Female Youth Member of Parliament, Phiona Nyamutooro while speaking at the event attributed climate change to bad agricultural practices such as bush burning during dry seasons.
She added that the rate at which trees are being cut down without replacement shows there is extreme poverty in the communities. She urged government to provide more funds for environmental conservation but also involve sensitise the youth on the protection of the environment.
Meanwhile, civil society organisations, ActionAid Uganda and Agency for Community Empowerment [AFCE] are partnering with Nebbi district local government to amplify the voice for climate justice.
Robert Asiimwe, project assistant West Nile region said: climate justice is a concept that addresses fair sharing and equitable distribution of the burden of climate change and its mitigation and responsibilities to deal with climate change. “There is a need to engage youth to participate in climate justice because climate justice connects the climate crises to the social, racial, and environmental issues in which it is deeply entangled.”
However, the Nebbi district youth chairperson, Savour Rwothomio said youth have limited resources which don’t allow them to participate in tree planting on a large scale. He appealed to government and development partners to engage the youth in environmental protection, saying some of the youth have resorted to cutting down trees so as to earn a living.
International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.
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