The session was unique as, in the words of the moderator, “it is not only youth-centered but also youth-led and will talk about the youth’s lived experiences and our challenges, rather than listening to others.” The event started with each youth panelist introducing themselves, their work, and the community they represent. Bruno Carrasco noted that the session is a good example of meaningful engagement with youth to discuss critical bridges to the future.

The panelists were asked to comment on how climate change affects them. Cristina Dilla cited the flooding of low-lying areas in the Philippines that is destroying livelihoods and spreading waterborne diseases. Sarah Sunny, a human rights lawyer who is deaf, noted that many deaf youths miss out on disaster warnings as they are often audio-based. Yuvraj Lama, who represented the blind community, noted that rising heat and drought in Nepal adversely affect food security and fuels conflict between humans and wildlife. Mariam Berdzenishvili discussed how women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change, e.g., women are responsible for securing water in agriculture and household chores, which become extremely difficult in the face of heat waves and water scarcity.

The discussion shifted to solutions and youth representatives shared the following ideas: youth can be agents of change by mobilizing peers to influence government, join actions to protect the environment, expand education programs in schools to teach protection and conservation, ensure focus on the most vulnerable when designing programs, collect and publish disaggregated data on marginalized and those affected by climate change, promote inclusiveness of people with disability and their needs, promote transparency and accountability in climate finance, and include people with disabilities in projects and events such as this.

Moderator Shameer Rishad then presented the 2024 Youth Agenda, which is the outcome document of the 4th Asia Pacific Youth Symposium held on 17-19 April 2024. The agenda has recommendations covering three major action areas: green jobs and green skills, youth and climate advocacy, and gender and green transition. He emphasized meaningful participation and collaboration among stakeholders over competition.

In his response to the recommendations, Bruno Carrasco pointed out that engaging with youth is vital for ADB as part of the bridge to the future (the Annual Meeting theme) and to build a better world. Further, it is about the intersectionality of poverty and marginalization where we need to do more with our resources. He emphasized that youth have much more at stake than anyone else in building a sustainable future. As part of inclusive engagement, disabled people should receive attention. He urged youth to organize and use digital means to amplify the various identities of youth and their voices.

Content originally published at https://www.adb.org/annual-meeting/2024/events/youth-climate-action