Youth & Climate Change
By Dr Arvind Kumar
All of us are living in an era where environmental issues have loomed large and the ill-effects of environmental crisis are being experienced by all and sundry. Youth has key role in mitigating the adverse impact of climate change because the future belogs to the youth. It is expected that the number of youth living in developing countries will grow to 89 per cent by 2025. Half of the population of India is already under 25 years of age.
Thus youth would be the largest human resource available in coming years. Concurrently, it would be the key agent for technological innovation, social change and ecological equilibrium. The youth is admittedly better equipped to create environmental awareness through social network sites and it has a resource to go global with ideas, concerns and innovations.
Environmental problems should no longer be perceived as abstract concerns that can only be addressed by governments or businesses; it devolves on the youth to play a greater role in ensuring that various eco-missions entail long-term sustainability.
The environmental issues need much more than social entrepreneurship. Undoubtedly the youth is best suited for providing sustainability to eco projects, yet there is still a need for a policy framework to galvanize the youth potential for a clean and safe environment.
