The West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adaptation Land Use (WASCAL), a large-scale research-focused Climate Service has urged the Government to include the youth in climate change issues to unearth their innovative solutions towards environmental challenges. 

One surest way for their inclusion was to take steps to continue to embed climate literacy in the tertiary and graduate curriculum to ensure that the future leaders had knowledge, skills and were adequately prepared to take over.

Professor Benjamin Kofi Nyarko, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Geography and Regional Planning Department suggested at the launch of Climate Change Action Now (CCAN), a climate advocacy initiative of West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adaptation Land Use (WASCAL).

The event which was part of this year’s World Environment Day celebrations was on the theme, “Youth Powering Ghana’s Climate Resilience.” 

Ghana faces increasing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, ranging from erratic rainfall, prolonged drought to severe flooding and rising temperatures. These challenges did not only impact livelihood but affected security, public health with young people, and rural communities bearing the brunt. 

The CCAN Initiative would therefore spotlight youth-led climate solutions, foster dialogue among stakeholders, embark on a national tree-planting drive, advocacy march, and signing pledges towards safeguarding the environment. 

Prof Nyarko said there were several youth-led innovations such as clean energy, recycling and manufacturing of various products to enhance livelihoods.  and urged stakeholders to support such youth-led initiatives.

The youth require access to funding, a platform to operate, and mentorship to make genuine decisions. “We need an ecosystem that supports the youth. Resilience is not about bouncing back but by moving forward.” 

Prof. Nyarko, said climate resilience did not mean people should be left behind, adding that there were several people who did not get access to education but have indigenous ideas which could be tapped into to sustain the environment. 

He called on the government to facilitate the provision of micro grants or seed funding to nature, their innovations and ideas of the youth. 

“Climate resilience should be based on bold decisions and real investments. 

Youth should not be seen as an afterthought. They should be given the platform and policy support, nobody should be left behind when it comes to climate resilience, Climate change is real, and we need to act now.

We need to recognise the youth as agents of change because they bring what many institutions lack,” Prof.Nyarko said. 

He said the youth had the courage to challenge the status quo, demand accountability and action, and think creatively. 

Prof. Wilson Agyare, Director of Graduate Studies Programme, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said climate extremism and heatwaves were major drivers of food insecurity. 

Prof. Agyare mentioned deforestation, urbanisation, and unsustainable farming as some of the activities affecting the climate

He said that land use and planning were only done on paper but did not happen in practical terms.

Prof Agyare emphasized on the need to educate children on climate literacy and preserve Ghana’s wetlands. 

Prof. Emmaneul W. Ramde, Executive Director, WASCAL said his organisation was dedicated to grooming and helping the youth in their innovative ideas. 

He said WASCAL would continue to shape and commercialize the ideas of the youth. 

The correlation between climate change and entrepreneurial skills could be a solution to youth unemployment. 

Prof. Ramde said WASCAL has so far trained about 500 graduates, Masters, and PhD students in various fields such as climate change and economy, climate and conflict, climate and health, marine life, and blue economy, among others. 

WASCAL is dedicated to implementing comprehensive solutions caused by climate change. 

Kwame Nsiah also known as Okyeame Kwame, a musician and Environment advocate, appealed to the public to make sacrifices to save the environment. 

“I have personally stopped eating meat because of climate change, that is a concrete sacrifice I have made to help save he climate.” he added

CCAN is expected to mobilise over 10,000 Ghanaians through both digital and offline channels to take climate action and strengthen collaboration between government and academic institutions. 

It would also create a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss and promote youth-led climate action strategies. 

WASCAL and its stakeholders later planted trees to mark this year’s World Environment Day.