Jhalakathi students showcase climate solutions at youth peace fair
At a youth peace fair on Thursday, students in climate-vulnerable Jhalakathi showcased innovative ideas, street theatre and creative campaigns on river erosion, floods, heatwaves and community resilience.
YouthNet Global and Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service jointly organised the event on 20 August at the Jhalakathi District Shilpakala Academy under the "Youth Actions for Climate and Peace" initiative.
Jhalakathi Deputy Commissioner Md Momin Uddin inaugurated the event as chief guest and praised students for turning climate concerns into creative action.
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"Students' creativity and leadership can help build a climate-resilient society. Climate clubs should be strengthened in educational institutions," he said.
Around 150 climate club members from five educational institutions presented models, wall magazines, videos, street theatre and other creative works highlighting climate risks and locally developed solutions.
More than 300 students, teachers, government officials, journalists, civil society representatives and youth leaders from 10 educational institutions attended the programme.
The civil surgeon of Jhalakathi highlighted the growing health risks associated with climate change and called for greater environmental awareness and stronger measures to protect children and young people.
Students presented disaster-resilient community models, initiatives to protect rivers and wetlands, pollution-reduction ideas, heatwave awareness activities and performances showing links between climate change and social challenges.
Jhalakathi, in Bangladesh's climate-vulnerable coastal region, faces river erosion, tidal flooding, salinity intrusion, extreme heat and environmental degradation. These problems affect education, health, livelihoods and community wellbeing.
Organisers said the fair sought to recognise young people not only as victims of the climate crisis but also as leaders capable of developing solutions.
They said extreme weather, displacement, livelihood losses and competition over resources were increasingly turning climate change into a human security concern.
YouthNet Global General Secretary Arifur Rahman Shuvo said climate change could not be separated from education, health, livelihoods and peace.
