2.4.1 Challenges faced by youth in accessing global climate funds
Despite the growing number of international climate finance initiatives to help different countries in addressing the challenges caused by climate change, African youth still face a lot of constraints when seeking funds for their climate action (UNEP 2014). Generally speaking, Africa continues to face challenges in accessing international climate funding (AfDB 2014).
Youth Action 12: Pan-African youth climate advocacy
Most youth action has been focused on lobbying and advocacy in international
climateevents.TheAfricaYouthInitiativeonClimateChange(AYICC)exemplifies this concentration of youth efforts in lobbying and advocacy. Founded by youth from several African countries in 2006 during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) twelfth Conference of Parties (COP 12), AYICC has had a presence in all UNFCCC COPs since then.
There is therefore a need to equip youth with accurate and coherent information on the modalities of accessing green funds. The inability
of young people to successfully navigate the rigorous climate funding process leaves their climate action impaired. For instance, accessing the Adaptation Fund which was established under the UNFCCC and Kyoto protocol to provide additional funding for adaptation activities in developing countries is difficult but surmountable for national organisations. The only entities that can apply for funding are those accredited by the Adaptation Fund Board and operating on national, multinational, or regional levels. The accreditation process is quite intensive. An alternative is to partner with a national implementing entity which is accredited (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [IFRCS] 2013). This lengthy and highly technical processes often has short financing cycles but long approval processes. In light of this, it would be prudent for global climate funds to have customised funding mechanisms that specifically target young people, or to support locally-administered initiatives by nationally accredited agencies that can allocate funds to support local youth action.
Food for thought
• Climate knowledge needs to be mainstreamed into formal education in order to raise a climate aware generation that will ensure that climate change adaptation amongst African communities will be the norm, not the exception.
• The setting up of irrigated organic gardens in schools can help in providing healthy food for school children, especially in rural parts of Africa.
• Young people can play a vital role in shaping the development agenda on the continent. By harnessing the power of information technology and tools, such as social media platforms, young people can be at the forefront of advocacy campaigns urging governments and other stakeholders to increase efforts towards cleaner mobility.
• The involvement of youth in the procurement and distribution of clean cooking stoves can be a path to economic empowerment. The use of efficient and clean cooking stoves saves lives, improves livelihood, empowers communities, and contributes to combatting climate change.
2.4.2 Enhancing youth adaptation to climate change
Due to erratic rainfall patterns, and other environmental pressures, young people in many parts of rural Africa face a bleak future. This
pushes many of them into unsafe migration (United Nations 2017). As such, young people need viable opportunities and adequate resources to remain in their communities of origin.
Climate smart adaptation in South Africa
GenderCC Southern Africa in partnership with Seed Community South Africa, and Oxfam South Africa offers climate smart training to youth groups in Siyandhani Village and Dzingi Dzingi Village in Giyani Township, Limpopo Province. The training helps them to develop skills adapting to climate change, including: setting up solar energy, organic farming, biogas digesters, rainwater harvesting, market access, and value chains within the cities.
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A Breath of Fresh Air
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