The event brings together youth from the region and all the ICIMOD member countries with an aim to familiarize them with the potential benefits of earth observation for addressing climate change related issues. At the same time they are provided with a platform for sharing and learning of experiences in the extended Himalayan region. The forty attendants are true “climate champions” as they were selected from 750 applications based on individual essays, their fields of studies and their social involvement, to provide a representative cross-sectional sample of voices from across the region.
The Youth Forum will be inaugurated by dignitaries, like ICIMOD’s Director General Andreas Schild, Ashoka Fellow Anil Chitrakar, and Jason Kessler from NASA. Basanta Shrestha, coordinator of the event and the Division Head of MENRIS, ICIMOD, is looking forward to the event. “While the usage of Earth Observation is beneficial in multiple contexts, youths are “agents of change” and communicators in their communities, as well as in regional and international arenas.”
Over the upcoming week the participants will get exposed to the general themes of 1) Climate Change and the Himalayas and 2) Understanding Earth Observation. A considerable part of the Forum will be hands-on exercises familiarizing the participants with basic Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (RS/GIS) skills, case studies related to use of EO in climate actions, and internet related resources such as GoogleEarth. The sessions will focus on issues such as snow and land cover change, disaster management and air quality. The last two days of the Forum are dedicated to project work preparing the youths to take local action in the community.
The Youth Forum has been designed to provide a regional platform to share and learn from each other. ICIMOD is already supporting youth network group, namely the Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA) which focuses on bringing together different civil society stakeholders at a national and international level on climate change issues. It is expected that the youth groups represented at the Forum will help to further disseminate the information about earth observation and the SERVIR-Himalaya initiative in their communities, the media and the public.
Throughout the Forum this blog will keep you updated on the proceedings, opinions and ideas presented. Please also check out our twitter page @earthsymposium for live commenting and coverage.
