‘We have a Stake in protecting the Natural Resources’ – Young People to Gov’t
Story by: Ishmael Barfi
One of the leading Youth-led non-governmental organizations in the natural resources sector in the country, Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND) has strongly indicated to the government that, young people should be engaged and involved in all discussions and policies geared towards safeguarding the natural resources and the environment of the country.
Though the natural resources sector plays a very significant role in the development of the economy and country as a whole, SYND noted that there is a need for more engagement and involvement of young people at the local, national and international levels.
Speaking at the launch of the National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance, Miss. Agyekum, lead for Climate Change at SYND explained that, though the rate at which young people are been engaged in all levels of decision-making and implementation of some of the global instruments policies at the local and national level is encouraging, more needs to be done.
“So, as young people; we also believe that we have a stake because the people making the policies now wouldn’t necessarily be around to feel the impact of the policies they are drafting”, she noted.
Cross Section of young people at the official launch of the National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance
Stressing that, right from the word, go, young people should be involved in everything that happens when it comes to the governance of the natural resource and environment sector.
Touching on the rationale behind the maiden National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance slated for 27th April 2023, the lead for Climate Change at SYND indicated that, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders will get the opportunity to understand and appreciate the issues in the sector how young people can be involved when it comes to decision making its implementation at the local and national level.
Secondly, it serves as a platform for students to understand how important the sector is so that they can take or consider career paths in the sector so that they can also contribute to the development of their country and also find careers for themselves.
“We have young people from across the country that are already in their small way doing actions around climate change, biodiversity, forestry, and the other sectors in the energy sector. So we hope that this conference will get them to allow them to directly engage the policymakers and for them to understand the existing structures through which they can also in their way influence policy at the local and national levels.
The official launch of the National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance
“So they get to understand how in their small capacity, they can start influencing policy because that’s literally where it has to start from before we get to the national level and also at the global level”, she acknowledged.
Miss. Patience Agyekum, therefore urged young people to be interested in natural resources and the environmental governance sector adding, there are numerous opportunities in the energy sector they can take advantage of.
She further wished that many young people in Ghana will become experts in the natural resource sector because it’s a critical area for development.
“Because the coal and oil we extract, this is where we get most of our revenue or income from. So if we start getting or be interested in the sector to ensure it’s effectively managed”, she said.
Patience Ayekum, Lead for Climate Change at SYND
On his part, Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, a lecturer at the department of Marines & Fisheries Sciences at the University of Ghana, strongly advocated for young people to be at the center of protecting the natural resources and environment, hence safeguarding the future of the natural resources and environment.
According to him, this is of great importance explaining that a forest that has no young trees has no future adding “If we do not inculcate environmental responsibility in our youth now, they will grow to be leaders who don’t care about the environment”.
The younger generation he noted will be taking over from the older generation to continue the fight, therefore empowering them should be the nation’s priority, hence the National Youth Conference on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance is timely.
Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene at the Launch
“Some of us are old, we will die and go but it is the youth that is going to take on the fight after we have gone, and that is why we need to give them the knowledge now, the skills now for us the older generation to be at the back whiles the young people will be at the forefront with guidance from us so that we can push them to the level where they can comfortably feel like they can also manage the resource of the country”, he asserted.
The 1st National Youth Conference 2023 on Natural Resources & Environmental Governance aims to provide a space for young people to showcase their environmental actions including green businesses as well as deepen partnerships and enhance synergies between young advocates and other key State and non-State actors towards the attainment of Ghana’s commitment to the Africa Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerning Environmental Sustainability.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
