VOI, Kenya, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's youthful green campaigners on Wednesday resolved to rally behind nature-based initiatives aimed at strengthening the resilience of local communities grappling with a host of climate disasters.
At the conclusion of a three-day meeting in Kenya's southeastern town of Voi, the youth said they were committed to supporting nationwide habitat restoration plans to help tame climate shocks like floods and drought.
Raymond Omondi, a grassroots conservationist from the coastal county of Kwale, said the local youth were ready to revolutionize the protection of vital ecosystems like tropical forests, wetlands, and marshlands, as part of their contribution to climate response in Kenya.
Omondi said that the young generation was bearing the brunt of climate emergencies hence the motivation to rally behind nature-based activities that would boost resilience.
Once empowered with skills, finances, and technology, the Kenyan youth will be part of the solution to the unfolding climate crisis, said Joyce Mwanzange, another conservationist.
Mwanzange said that the future of African youth hangs in the balance amid climate emergencies that have worsened poverty, displacement, loss of livelihoods, and resource-based conflicts.
Doris Mutta, the senior programs officer at the Nairobi-based African Forest Forum, said the youthful demographic can utilize its entrepreneurial spirit to help reverse habitat degradation and place Kenya on a green development trajectory.
Mutta said that restoring degraded landscapes will not only create green jobs for the youth but also accelerate a transition to a resilient and sustainable future for local communities that bear the brunt of the climate crisis. ■
