Abstract
The love for the planet Earth and the keen desire to protect it inspired me to carry out this study on climate change. Information was obtained from my personal experiences both in the rural and urban regions of Cameroon. I also obtained some of the data from the media especially the radio, television and news papers. The area of my study was made up of all the 10 regions of Cameroon. Keen interest was given to those areas where the effects of climate change were already evident to many Cameroonians. Findings revealed that climate change has significantly affected our agricultural system and presents serious threats to the economy given that Cameroon is agric based. This has generated a negative effect on employment, health and the standards of living. Moreover, results showed that if Cameroon must prosper; then the youth must combat climate change with the collaboration of national and international organisations. We must be receptive and embrace positive change, strengthen education for sustainable development, take immediate action, develop sustainable programs, help the poor to come out of poverty, integrate sustainability in all our activities to attract the general public and finally make maximum use of information and communication technologies to build our world and protect our planet.
The love for the planet Earth and the keen desire to protect it inspired me to carry out this study on climate change. Information was obtained from my personal experiences both in the rural and urban regions of Cameroon. I also obtained some of the data from the media especially the radio, television and news papers. The area of my study was made up of all the 10 regions of Cameroon. Keen interest was given to those areas where the effects of climate change were already evident to many Cameroonians. Findings revealed that climate change has significantly affected our agricultural system and presents serious threats to the economy given that Cameroon is agric based. This has generated a negative effect on employment, health and the standards of living. Moreover, results showed that if Cameroon must prosper; then the youth must combat climate change with the collaboration of national and international organisations. We must be receptive and embrace positive change, strengthen education for sustainable development, take immediate action, develop sustainable programs, help the poor to come out of poverty, integrate sustainability in all our activities to attract the general public and finally make maximum use of information and communication technologies to build our world and protect our planet.
Objective of the study
To find out:
1. How climate change has affected Cameroon
2. How climate change can be tackled through youth groups
To find out:
1. How climate change has affected Cameroon
2. How climate change can be tackled through youth groups
Some of the effects of climate change in Cameroon
Introduction
It has been proven scientifically that changes in atmospheric temperature are natural and common phenomena. However, dramatic change that comes as a result of man’s excessive activities poses a great challenge to the environment and consequently to all the organisms living in it. In fact, significant change in global temperature, precipitation and wind are a growing concern in the world today. It is an issue that concerns everybody irrespective of status, gender, race or region. No one is excluded. Climate change harbours a threat to mankind and is compounded by a range of global issues such as HIV AIDS, financial instability, poverty, terrorism and conflicts. Man’s incessant quest for a better standard of living has generated effects which can become adverse. In this essay, I will examine some of the effects of climate change on seasonal changes, crop production, endangered species, the human population, aquatic life and the government in my country Cameroon.
Contextual Background
Cameroon occupies a strategic geographical position in west and central Africa, bordered by Nigeria to the west, Chad to the North, the Central African Republic to the East, and Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea to the South. It has an estimated population of 18,000,000 inhabitants with a total surface area of 475,442sqkm. Cameroon is described as Africa in miniature. It is blessed with a lot of natural resources ranging from the rich equatorial rainforest in the South to the Savannah vegetation in the North. The rich Congo Basin Forest which is the world’s second largest dense humid tropical forest after the Amazon extends to Cameroon from the Atlantic Ocean. Cameroon has 10 regions. Its administrative capital is Yaounde and economic capital is Douala.
Nevertheless, Cameroon has not been spared by climate change or global warming. Economic as well as social activities in Cameroon have also contributed to climate change. For example, every working class citizen wants to own a car no matter the cost for prestige and other personal reasons. People do not care about the state or quality of their vehicles. As a result, the number of second hand cars imported from the west and emerging economies like China has recorded an increase in our major towns and cities. Also, the rate of exploitation of forest resources in Cameroon is alarming.
More still, Cameroon has witnessed a rapid growth of urbanisation and deforestation in the recent decades. Every young Cameroonian wants to live in the town. People especially urban dwellers purchase, use and dispose of a variety of products such as computers, vehicle tyres, and plastic papers which seems to make our lives comfortable. However, the result is massive damage to the environment. Some people even dispose of these products by burning which results to an increase in greenhouse gases. There is also an increase in the burning of fossil fuel in the country. Cameroon also own industries which emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone, majority of them located in Douala near the coast. There is also the prevalence of bush fire and poor farming practices in some parts of Cameroon like the North West region. Some of these practices have led us to find ourselves where we are today.
The Effects of Climate Change on Seasonal Changes
Cameroon has predominantly two seasons; dry and rainy season. In the past, one could predict when each season begins and ends, for example the rainy season began around the 15th of March and ends around the 15th of November giving way to the dry season. This accurate prediction in the past had a positive effect on farmers. It helped them to make proper planning for each season. In contrast to the past, it is extremely difficult nowadays for us to make accurate judgement or prediction as to when each season will begin or end. It is now normal to experience frequent and heavy rainfall in some parts of Cameroon like Yaounde at the heart of the dry season, a thing which was very rare in the past. On the other hand it is now common to experience drought during the heart of the rainy season. This phenomenon creates a lot of confusion among farmers and the entire population. Some parts of Cameroon like Limbe and even Yaounde the capital city have experienced severe floods that have resulted to lose of lives and displacement of many people. The occurrence of rainfall during the heart of the dry season also has a negative impact on people doing construction with mud bricks. This is typical of the North West and West regions of Cameroon where a lot of people construct their houses with mud blocks.
The Effects of Climate Change on Crop Production
Cameroon is a typical agricultural country. Its highest foreign revenue comes from agricultural products and more than 80 percent of its population depends on agriculture. As a result, Cameroon like any other African country that depends on agriculture has been greatly hit by climate change. Dramatic change in temperature, precipitation and wind has an adverse effect on crop production especially on less resistant crops like coffee, cocoa, tomatoes and bananas. These changes sometimes results to premature growth and early flowering. The consequence is poor yields. Also, when farmers are confused due to climate change and plant crops at the wrong time, yields will always fall.
Some parts of Cameroon like Limbe and Douala have experienced heavy and persistent rainfall in the past years that has resulted to the destruction of crops in farms. Also, the Northern region of Cameroon and some parts of the North West region frequently experience strong winds that have a negative impact on their crops and belongings. It is now common to hear people complaining of poor yields due to changing weather patterns. For example crops like beans will not do well in the North West region of Cameroon when there is persistent and severe rainfall. In the same light, maize will not perform well when there is too much sunshine over a given period of time in the heart of the rainy season. The production of major export crops in Cameroon has experienced a drop in the current decades. This has greatly affected the prices of such produce in both the domestic and world market. The market forces of demand and supply are playing their role. As the demand for agricultural produce increases without a corresponding increase in supply, prices are bound to rise. Although the sellers benefit, this has generated frequent riots by poor consumers asking the government to reduce the prices of basic needs like food. Some of these riots have even led to the deaths of many hungry Cameroonians.
The Effects of Climate Change on Endangered Species
Today, more than ever before, our markets are flooded with genetically modified crops. Most traditional species are fast disappearing. For example cereals like beans, corn, cocoa and coffee, tubers like potatoes, yams and even fruits like oranges, cola nuts, pears and bananas. This is a very big problem because those natural species have more nutrients and value than the genetically modified ones. Sometimes poor farmers are unable to afford genetically modified seeds which are often very expensive in the market. Also, genetically modified crops have less resistance to changing weather patterns and diseases compared to the natural ones. This makes preservation extremely difficult. Climate change has not left out flower girls and buys. It has also affected the growth of some of their flowers especially those that add or make more meaning to our ceremonies. Some of the flowers die before their normal harvesting time. Rapid changing weather patterns also make preservation difficult. This has led to an increase in the prices of such scarce flowers.
The Effects of Climate Change on the Human Population
In addition, climate change has affected the human population economically. As a matter of fact, the cost of living has kept on rising everyday. People across the country are forced to purchase things like air conditioners and fans in order to regulate their room temperatures. This is compounded by the rising cost of basic necessities like food, shelter, and water. This situation is widening the gab between the rich and the poor as the poor gets poorer everyday while the rich gets richer everyday.
It has been proven scientifically that changes in atmospheric temperature are natural and common phenomena. However, dramatic change that comes as a result of man’s excessive activities poses a great challenge to the environment and consequently to all the organisms living in it. In fact, significant change in global temperature, precipitation and wind are a growing concern in the world today. It is an issue that concerns everybody irrespective of status, gender, race or region. No one is excluded. Climate change harbours a threat to mankind and is compounded by a range of global issues such as HIV AIDS, financial instability, poverty, terrorism and conflicts. Man’s incessant quest for a better standard of living has generated effects which can become adverse. In this essay, I will examine some of the effects of climate change on seasonal changes, crop production, endangered species, the human population, aquatic life and the government in my country Cameroon.
Contextual Background
Cameroon occupies a strategic geographical position in west and central Africa, bordered by Nigeria to the west, Chad to the North, the Central African Republic to the East, and Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea to the South. It has an estimated population of 18,000,000 inhabitants with a total surface area of 475,442sqkm. Cameroon is described as Africa in miniature. It is blessed with a lot of natural resources ranging from the rich equatorial rainforest in the South to the Savannah vegetation in the North. The rich Congo Basin Forest which is the world’s second largest dense humid tropical forest after the Amazon extends to Cameroon from the Atlantic Ocean. Cameroon has 10 regions. Its administrative capital is Yaounde and economic capital is Douala.
Nevertheless, Cameroon has not been spared by climate change or global warming. Economic as well as social activities in Cameroon have also contributed to climate change. For example, every working class citizen wants to own a car no matter the cost for prestige and other personal reasons. People do not care about the state or quality of their vehicles. As a result, the number of second hand cars imported from the west and emerging economies like China has recorded an increase in our major towns and cities. Also, the rate of exploitation of forest resources in Cameroon is alarming.
More still, Cameroon has witnessed a rapid growth of urbanisation and deforestation in the recent decades. Every young Cameroonian wants to live in the town. People especially urban dwellers purchase, use and dispose of a variety of products such as computers, vehicle tyres, and plastic papers which seems to make our lives comfortable. However, the result is massive damage to the environment. Some people even dispose of these products by burning which results to an increase in greenhouse gases. There is also an increase in the burning of fossil fuel in the country. Cameroon also own industries which emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone, majority of them located in Douala near the coast. There is also the prevalence of bush fire and poor farming practices in some parts of Cameroon like the North West region. Some of these practices have led us to find ourselves where we are today.
The Effects of Climate Change on Seasonal Changes
Cameroon has predominantly two seasons; dry and rainy season. In the past, one could predict when each season begins and ends, for example the rainy season began around the 15th of March and ends around the 15th of November giving way to the dry season. This accurate prediction in the past had a positive effect on farmers. It helped them to make proper planning for each season. In contrast to the past, it is extremely difficult nowadays for us to make accurate judgement or prediction as to when each season will begin or end. It is now normal to experience frequent and heavy rainfall in some parts of Cameroon like Yaounde at the heart of the dry season, a thing which was very rare in the past. On the other hand it is now common to experience drought during the heart of the rainy season. This phenomenon creates a lot of confusion among farmers and the entire population. Some parts of Cameroon like Limbe and even Yaounde the capital city have experienced severe floods that have resulted to lose of lives and displacement of many people. The occurrence of rainfall during the heart of the dry season also has a negative impact on people doing construction with mud bricks. This is typical of the North West and West regions of Cameroon where a lot of people construct their houses with mud blocks.
The Effects of Climate Change on Crop Production
Cameroon is a typical agricultural country. Its highest foreign revenue comes from agricultural products and more than 80 percent of its population depends on agriculture. As a result, Cameroon like any other African country that depends on agriculture has been greatly hit by climate change. Dramatic change in temperature, precipitation and wind has an adverse effect on crop production especially on less resistant crops like coffee, cocoa, tomatoes and bananas. These changes sometimes results to premature growth and early flowering. The consequence is poor yields. Also, when farmers are confused due to climate change and plant crops at the wrong time, yields will always fall.
Some parts of Cameroon like Limbe and Douala have experienced heavy and persistent rainfall in the past years that has resulted to the destruction of crops in farms. Also, the Northern region of Cameroon and some parts of the North West region frequently experience strong winds that have a negative impact on their crops and belongings. It is now common to hear people complaining of poor yields due to changing weather patterns. For example crops like beans will not do well in the North West region of Cameroon when there is persistent and severe rainfall. In the same light, maize will not perform well when there is too much sunshine over a given period of time in the heart of the rainy season. The production of major export crops in Cameroon has experienced a drop in the current decades. This has greatly affected the prices of such produce in both the domestic and world market. The market forces of demand and supply are playing their role. As the demand for agricultural produce increases without a corresponding increase in supply, prices are bound to rise. Although the sellers benefit, this has generated frequent riots by poor consumers asking the government to reduce the prices of basic needs like food. Some of these riots have even led to the deaths of many hungry Cameroonians.
The Effects of Climate Change on Endangered Species
Today, more than ever before, our markets are flooded with genetically modified crops. Most traditional species are fast disappearing. For example cereals like beans, corn, cocoa and coffee, tubers like potatoes, yams and even fruits like oranges, cola nuts, pears and bananas. This is a very big problem because those natural species have more nutrients and value than the genetically modified ones. Sometimes poor farmers are unable to afford genetically modified seeds which are often very expensive in the market. Also, genetically modified crops have less resistance to changing weather patterns and diseases compared to the natural ones. This makes preservation extremely difficult. Climate change has not left out flower girls and buys. It has also affected the growth of some of their flowers especially those that add or make more meaning to our ceremonies. Some of the flowers die before their normal harvesting time. Rapid changing weather patterns also make preservation difficult. This has led to an increase in the prices of such scarce flowers.
The Effects of Climate Change on the Human Population
In addition, climate change has affected the human population economically. As a matter of fact, the cost of living has kept on rising everyday. People across the country are forced to purchase things like air conditioners and fans in order to regulate their room temperatures. This is compounded by the rising cost of basic necessities like food, shelter, and water. This situation is widening the gab between the rich and the poor as the poor gets poorer everyday while the rich gets richer everyday.
Water Scarcity and desertification. Water scarcity or shortage is a very big problem in many parts of Cameroon both in the rural and urban areas. This ofcourse is as a result of climate change. There is also a danger of increasing desertification in the Northern regions of Cameroon which poses a threat to many lives given that the majority of the population are peasants
Socially, climate change has influenced the way Cameroonians youths dressed especially girls. It is now common to find young girls moving half naked in our major streets and institutions. Although some do that for personal reasons like prostitution, others find it comfortable when places are too hot. This has greatly influenced our indigenous culture and identity.
More over, climate change provides favourable conditions for mosquito breeding in Cameroon। Worthy of note is the fact that malaria is the single largest cause of most deaths in Cameroon। Statistics have proven that most people who visit the hospitals go there for malaria related illnesses. This situation is even worst in areas that were known to be free from malaria. Malaria prevention alone consumes a lot of money from the government. Also, international organisations like the World Bank and the United Nations are spending a lot of resources on malaria prevention and treatment. Cameroon has also of recent, recorded a number of deaths from skin cancer and other forms of cancer thought to be related to climate change and its consequences. All these diseases and others not mentioned affect the labour force as well as productivity as the youths contributes the largest labour force in the country.
Socially, climate change has influenced the way Cameroonians youths dressed especially girls. It is now common to find young girls moving half naked in our major streets and institutions. Although some do that for personal reasons like prostitution, others find it comfortable when places are too hot. This has greatly influenced our indigenous culture and identity.
More over, climate change provides favourable conditions for mosquito breeding in Cameroon। Worthy of note is the fact that malaria is the single largest cause of most deaths in Cameroon। Statistics have proven that most people who visit the hospitals go there for malaria related illnesses. This situation is even worst in areas that were known to be free from malaria. Malaria prevention alone consumes a lot of money from the government. Also, international organisations like the World Bank and the United Nations are spending a lot of resources on malaria prevention and treatment. Cameroon has also of recent, recorded a number of deaths from skin cancer and other forms of cancer thought to be related to climate change and its consequences. All these diseases and others not mentioned affect the labour force as well as productivity as the youths contributes the largest labour force in the country.
The Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Life
Climate change harbours threats to organisms that survive only in water, for example, fish and plankton. Rising sea temperature accompanied by high salinity have a negative effect on sea animals and plants. This is because most of the aquatic life cannot adapt to extreme fluctuations in their natural environments. This has resulted to the reduction and even extinction of some species of fish in our inland and ocean waters. As a consequence, the quantity of fish sold in the market has reduced drastically leading to rising prices as demand will always exceed supply everything being constant. This is really a bad signal to mankind as we all depend on fish as a good source of proteins and food. In February, 2008, Cameroonian youths went on to the streets in protest of rising food prices like fish, meat and other basic food stuffs. It is noteworthy that climate change does not only affect aquatic life. Animals that live on land are also affected, for example, a good number of animals like cows and goats have died each time there is severe drought in the North and North West regions of Cameroon. Also, persistent and heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds poses a threat to these animals as well.
The Effects of Climate Change on the Government
Climate change has also affected the Cameroonian government. A number of ministries have been created such as the Ministry of the Environment and Nature Protection, the Ministry of Forestry to take care of environmental issues. Although these ministries have offered employment opportunities to some Cameroonians, they consume a great amount of money that is usually allocated for each ministry in a given budgetary year. Also, the government spends a lot of money to evacuate people and their property whenever there is a disaster, for example the land slide that occurred in the West region in 2008 after a heavy down fall and resulted to the lost of human lives and property. Limbe in the South West region, parts of the centre region and the Northern regions of Cameroon have also experienced floods that have cost the government millions of Francs CFA. The government also spends a lot of resources to restore electricity and water supply damages that result from severe rainfall and storms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, climate change has significantly affected our agricultural system and presents serious threats to the economy given that Cameroon is agric based. This has generated a negative effect on employment, health and the standards of living. If we fail to join our minds and hands together to fight climate change, then the future is not promising for us and the next generation. Economic growth will fall and Africa as a whole will be the most hit continent because of its high poverty level and too much reliance on agriculture and commodity exports. We can clearly see that there is a pressing need for individuals, homes, schools, industries, government and Non Governmental organisations to fight climate change.
How climate change can be tackled through youth groups
As the 21st century unfolds, so are the challenges facing mankind. These challenges range from poverty, diseases, financial instability, conflicts to climate change. However, climate change seems to threaten the most our safety, peace hope, security and planet. Now is the best time for the youth in Cameroon and the world over to get up and participate in issues that directly or indirectly concern them. The youth are the ultimate architects of their own future. They must take responsibility into their own hands and work for their future, their children’s future and the future of the world. According to World Development Report (2007), roughly half the world’s population is under the age of 24, with 1.1 billion youth (ages 15-24) being the largest cohort ever entering the transition to adulthood. The opportunities that these young people have and the choices that they will make will profoundly influence current events and our collective future. If the youth have the desire and want to change the world positively they will given their numbers in the world. The youth population in Cameroon just like in other Sub Saharan countries in Africa is the largest and will continue to grow because of a slower pace of fertility decline. In this essay, I will examine some of the measures that youth groups can adopt in my country to combat climate change.
Solutions to climate change must be multi-dimensional or multi-faceted and all encompassing, depending on the context and the availability of means. However, education for sustainable development must be the first priority for us to tackle climate change. That means we must meet our needs today and those of future generations without compromising or sacrificing the resources we need now and in the future. The world will not be able to support growth or reduce poverty in the future without sustainable development. This statement corroborates the previous statement that education for sustainable development is the key to our common future. People need to understand the situation our country, this generation and generations to come are faced with. This understanding can only come from education. More is also needed in the area of research on how used products can be recycled in order to fight environmental degradation. Therefore, youth groups must engage themselves into this kind of education and research for capacity building purposes and to fight climate change.
To add, youth groups should become less pretentious and change into learning organisations. Individuals should value conversation, collaboration and egalitarianism over profitability. Groups should identify knowledge, skills and attitudes that might be conducive to the creation of a sustainable future. Youths should learn to be facilitators or mediators during interactions with the general public on climate issues and sustainability. Therefore, they must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills such as critical thinking, communication skills and problem solving skills. Keith W, Hesselink F,and Corli P(2005) points out that people should be learning individuals in transforming organisations. Therefore, youth activities should empower people and prepare them for using their rights and responsibilities in society
More over, there is greater need for a change in mindset. We cannot solve a problem with the same ideas or thinking that led to the problem. Therefore, our ways of seeing the world and our roles in it must change. Young people must learn that climate change is a global issue that concerns everybody. It is not an issue for environmentalists or a selected few in the society, but for people from all walks of life in the community. People should be courageous to change from existing practices that damage the environment. For example, by adopting alternative methods of transportation which are even cost effective like bicycles and vehicles with less emission of Carbon dioxide. People can also decide to go to work by foot for job sites not far from home. This will even reduce congestion and the number of accidents in our roads.
In addition, young people have to develop sustainable programs that are primarily ‘bottom up’ (Demand Driven). They must recognise the importance of involving people and the community in identifying climate issues that are relevant to them, involving them in developing problem statements, and in generating and implementing action plans. The participants should also be involved in setting time frame, developing activities and defining indicators for evaluation. For example in the rural communities, youth groups should work to promote sustainable agriculture which tackles hunger and poverty but at the same time does not damage the environment.
Also, the youth should help poor communities manage their forests to benefit both present and future generations. New wood-burning stoves which cut the amount of fuel wood needed for cooking by half should be encouraged and made available at affordable prices for people to buy. This will reduce the rate of deforestation as well as the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Youth groups can also help local communities to develop urban programs which provide employment, shelter, schools, hospitals, clean water and sanitation. This will reduce the wave of migration to urban areas, poverty and consequently contribute to solving climate change.
More over, youth groups should learn that sustainability is part of their core business and start to take action so that it is part of their mission and accompanied by an implementation strategy. They should be encouraged to relate their activities and future professions to climate issues and learn more about sustainable production and consumption. Young people should develop attractive programs such as leadership training conferences, mentoring programs and advocacy programs on global warming to win the public and international support for the fight against climate change. This will encourage industries to become more involved and cut down the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This will also encourage the government to give subsidies to those industries that have reduced their emission of greenhouse gases and even go for renewable energy sources. The youth should also be leaders and set clear examples for the general public to copy, for example by going out to the field and doing say planting of tress.
More still, youths have to take greater advantage of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in building their world. The Internet, Mobile Phones, PDAs, Digital radio and Television provides the youth with an unprecedented power to participate in life as it happens. Youth groups should make maximum use of Blogs, discussion forums, The World Wide Web, and other features of the internet in solving climate issues. Where there is no internet, local FM Radios can be of great help in disseminating information on climate change. Groups should also learn to cooperate with other groups by checking each others policies for sustainable development. They must develop a common approach and better coordinated support to tackle climate change. The Internet and other mobile devices will greatly improve peer networking and mentoring. As a matter of fact, ICTs holds the answer to some of our environmental problems. It has the potential to bridge the disparity gab between people across the world and make this planet a better place to live.
In conclusion, If Cameroon must prosper; the youth must join their hands together to combat climate change with the collaboration of national and international organisations. We must be receptive and embrace positive change, strengthen education for sustainable development, take immediate action, develop sustainable programs, help the poor to come out of poverty, integrate sustainability in all our activities to attract the general public and finally make maximum use of information and communication technologies to build our world and protect our planet.
References
Keith W, Hesselink F,and Corli P(2005) Redefining Capacity Development for the 21st Century: New Learning for Sustainable Solutions. IUCN
World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation. World Bank.
Solutions to climate change must be multi-dimensional or multi-faceted and all encompassing, depending on the context and the availability of means. However, education for sustainable development must be the first priority for us to tackle climate change. That means we must meet our needs today and those of future generations without compromising or sacrificing the resources we need now and in the future. The world will not be able to support growth or reduce poverty in the future without sustainable development. This statement corroborates the previous statement that education for sustainable development is the key to our common future. People need to understand the situation our country, this generation and generations to come are faced with. This understanding can only come from education. More is also needed in the area of research on how used products can be recycled in order to fight environmental degradation. Therefore, youth groups must engage themselves into this kind of education and research for capacity building purposes and to fight climate change.
To add, youth groups should become less pretentious and change into learning organisations. Individuals should value conversation, collaboration and egalitarianism over profitability. Groups should identify knowledge, skills and attitudes that might be conducive to the creation of a sustainable future. Youths should learn to be facilitators or mediators during interactions with the general public on climate issues and sustainability. Therefore, they must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills such as critical thinking, communication skills and problem solving skills. Keith W, Hesselink F,and Corli P(2005) points out that people should be learning individuals in transforming organisations. Therefore, youth activities should empower people and prepare them for using their rights and responsibilities in society
More over, there is greater need for a change in mindset. We cannot solve a problem with the same ideas or thinking that led to the problem. Therefore, our ways of seeing the world and our roles in it must change. Young people must learn that climate change is a global issue that concerns everybody. It is not an issue for environmentalists or a selected few in the society, but for people from all walks of life in the community. People should be courageous to change from existing practices that damage the environment. For example, by adopting alternative methods of transportation which are even cost effective like bicycles and vehicles with less emission of Carbon dioxide. People can also decide to go to work by foot for job sites not far from home. This will even reduce congestion and the number of accidents in our roads.
In addition, young people have to develop sustainable programs that are primarily ‘bottom up’ (Demand Driven). They must recognise the importance of involving people and the community in identifying climate issues that are relevant to them, involving them in developing problem statements, and in generating and implementing action plans. The participants should also be involved in setting time frame, developing activities and defining indicators for evaluation. For example in the rural communities, youth groups should work to promote sustainable agriculture which tackles hunger and poverty but at the same time does not damage the environment.
Also, the youth should help poor communities manage their forests to benefit both present and future generations. New wood-burning stoves which cut the amount of fuel wood needed for cooking by half should be encouraged and made available at affordable prices for people to buy. This will reduce the rate of deforestation as well as the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Youth groups can also help local communities to develop urban programs which provide employment, shelter, schools, hospitals, clean water and sanitation. This will reduce the wave of migration to urban areas, poverty and consequently contribute to solving climate change.
More over, youth groups should learn that sustainability is part of their core business and start to take action so that it is part of their mission and accompanied by an implementation strategy. They should be encouraged to relate their activities and future professions to climate issues and learn more about sustainable production and consumption. Young people should develop attractive programs such as leadership training conferences, mentoring programs and advocacy programs on global warming to win the public and international support for the fight against climate change. This will encourage industries to become more involved and cut down the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This will also encourage the government to give subsidies to those industries that have reduced their emission of greenhouse gases and even go for renewable energy sources. The youth should also be leaders and set clear examples for the general public to copy, for example by going out to the field and doing say planting of tress.
More still, youths have to take greater advantage of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in building their world. The Internet, Mobile Phones, PDAs, Digital radio and Television provides the youth with an unprecedented power to participate in life as it happens. Youth groups should make maximum use of Blogs, discussion forums, The World Wide Web, and other features of the internet in solving climate issues. Where there is no internet, local FM Radios can be of great help in disseminating information on climate change. Groups should also learn to cooperate with other groups by checking each others policies for sustainable development. They must develop a common approach and better coordinated support to tackle climate change. The Internet and other mobile devices will greatly improve peer networking and mentoring. As a matter of fact, ICTs holds the answer to some of our environmental problems. It has the potential to bridge the disparity gab between people across the world and make this planet a better place to live.
In conclusion, If Cameroon must prosper; the youth must join their hands together to combat climate change with the collaboration of national and international organisations. We must be receptive and embrace positive change, strengthen education for sustainable development, take immediate action, develop sustainable programs, help the poor to come out of poverty, integrate sustainability in all our activities to attract the general public and finally make maximum use of information and communication technologies to build our world and protect our planet.
References
Keith W, Hesselink F,and Corli P(2005) Redefining Capacity Development for the 21st Century: New Learning for Sustainable Solutions. IUCN
World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation. World Bank.
