Climate change addressed at Commonwealth Youth Forum

Climate change dominated the agenda on the second day of the 6th Commonwealth Youth Forum.

Young participants from 48 Commonwealth countries are attending the week long Forum, which was opened by Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, on 14 November 2007 in Entebbe, Uganda.

In his keynote address, Mark Collins, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, told young participants that human activities are the major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. This is leading to rising temperatures on the Earth’s surface, which is threatening the sustainability of the world’s eco-system.

Referring to a report by the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre -- which conducts research into what could happen under climate change -- Dr Collins said that global temperatures are likely to continue rising.

Dr Collins noted that one significant problem is the global redistribution of water resources. He explained that experts are predicting increasingly heavy rainfall and melting ice which are likely to lead to further rises in the sea level of between 0.1 and 0.9 metres by 2100.

“But it could be a lot worse…An increase of five metres is perfectly possible, and if the planet was to become completely ice-free, sea levels would rise by 70 metres. Conditions like this have not been seen on Earth for 100 million years,” he warned.

Dr Collins added that “too many governments don’t understand that they must not only provide an opportunity for growth and transformation, as this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will emphasise, but they must also recognise and work within ecological limits to growth.”

Following Dr Collins’ speech participants discussed the issues raised. Many of those present urged governments to put in place measures to protect the environment and prevent further climate change.

“Our governments should not just look at this as an economic issue. People are dying from floods and a lot of property is being destroyed. This is something that touches our very own existence,” Rebecca Birungi, a delegate from Uganda argued.

She said some forest areas and wetlands were being destroyed for industrial development, which could affect the country's eco-system.

“I think we need to have clear policies about which areas we should allocate for development, rather than destroy our tropical forests in the name of development,” she added.

Young participants from Commonwealth small island states -- which number about 25 in total -- drew attention to their countries’ vulnerability to extreme weather patterns and sea level rises, and said that urgent measures need to be taken to halt the cycle of climate change.

The Youth Forum is one of a series of summits leading up to the main Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which takes place from 23 to 25 November 2007.

The theme for this years Forum is ‘Breaking Barriers: Unleashing Young People's Potential for Development’. A final Communiqué that will be drafted by the youth is expected to be presented to Commonwealth Foreign Ministers and the Heads of Government at the CHOGM.

Key Links:

• Sustainability
• Country Profile: Uganda