Article
Climate change and resilience, UNESCO calls on young professionals
Approximately 137 young professionals, including 99 Haitians, have joined a platform of young people from Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) that will address climate change, disaster management and risk reduction in the region.
As a means of prevention and to provide avenues for sustainable solutions, in collaboration with regional and international partners, the UNESCO Regional Office for the Caribbean launched this year the Youth Platform for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction.
Daphning Pierre, consultant of this platform said that the young professionals recruited come from diverse academic backgrounds, professional experiences and expertise. The young people will share their knowledge, practices and experiences in disaster risk management (DRM), climate change and resilience; discuss their views and take relevant actions and measures in the form of physical (on the ground) or digital (online/offline) initiatives.
To fulfill its mission, the platform is tasked with conducting four (4) major activities throughout the year, namely: discussions with national, regional and international stakeholders; organizing webinars focused on knowledge exchange; designing coordinated action plans, projects, events and other initiatives to improve disaster risk management in small island developing states (SIDS).
Activities will focus on raising public awareness and developing the disaster preparedness and response capacities of key stakeholders; networking with other similar platforms around the world to facilitate, learn and exchange best practices to increase their resilience to climate change.
Experience over the past decades has shown that Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) have experienced frequent and severe natural disasters, such as storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts. At least 14 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, are expected to reduce their vulnerability at the family and community level.
In 2018, UNESCO's Caribbean office had already launched the Caribbean Special Initiative (CSI) to address the special needs of Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). Two priorities were then identified as development themes, namely youth and climate change. Arriving in December 2019, UNESCO also supported the design and implementation of the Caribbean Youth Climate Change Network as a means of mobilizing young leaders in the Caribbean region to take action related to climate change resilience.
As a means of prevention and to provide avenues for sustainable solutions, in collaboration with regional and international partners, the UNESCO Regional Office for the Caribbean launched this year the Youth Platform for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction.
Daphning Pierre, consultant of this platform said that the young professionals recruited come from diverse academic backgrounds, professional experiences and expertise. The young people will share their knowledge, practices and experiences in disaster risk management (DRM), climate change and resilience; discuss their views and take relevant actions and measures in the form of physical (on the ground) or digital (online/offline) initiatives.
To fulfill its mission, the platform is tasked with conducting four (4) major activities throughout the year, namely: discussions with national, regional and international stakeholders; organizing webinars focused on knowledge exchange; designing coordinated action plans, projects, events and other initiatives to improve disaster risk management in small island developing states (SIDS).
Activities will focus on raising public awareness and developing the disaster preparedness and response capacities of key stakeholders; networking with other similar platforms around the world to facilitate, learn and exchange best practices to increase their resilience to climate change.
Experience over the past decades has shown that Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) have experienced frequent and severe natural disasters, such as storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and droughts. At least 14 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, are expected to reduce their vulnerability at the family and community level.
In 2018, UNESCO's Caribbean office had already launched the Caribbean Special Initiative (CSI) to address the special needs of Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS). Two priorities were then identified as development themes, namely youth and climate change. Arriving in December 2019, UNESCO also supported the design and implementation of the Caribbean Youth Climate Change Network as a means of mobilizing young leaders in the Caribbean region to take action related to climate change resilience.
