What do young people think about climate change and health? For Joshua, from Australia, the situation is worrying: “It’s getting hotter. We’ve experienced bush-fires recently, we’ve experienced drought, we’ve experienced flooding.”
Joshua is one of the young people who attended the 25th World Scout Jamboree recently held in the Republic of Korea. Representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) spent time with the young leaders to hear their thoughts on the changing climate.
Ana Paulina Acosta, a scout from Mexico, is another concerned young person. “There has been an extreme heat wave,” she said. “In Mexico there has been a water crisis, which affects people’s health and sanitation.” Chan Yi Xian, from Malaysia, is worried about the impact of climate change on food supply. “Drought negatively impacts the farmers’ harvests,” he said. “And the people will not be able to get food.”
The Jamboree is one of the world’s largest international youth events. This year it brought together over 40 000 scouts from across the globe, many of whom have directly felt the impact of climate change in their daily lives.
WHO joined the Jamboree with other United Nations agencies to collaborate on activities related to health and well-being. These agencies included the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Women and the World Food Programme (WFP). Around 900 scouts joined the activities, which included suggesting climate actions on a message board and making their own hand fans as a reminder about taking personal actions in relation to climate.
For Niilo, from Finland, personal actions are very important. “I try to bike as much as I can, use public buses, the metro. I recycle as much as I can and think about what I eat and what I buy in ecological terms,” he said.
The young people had strong messages for world leaders, calling on them to take urgent action. Ana Paulina believes in the power of everyone doing their part. “I think it’s important for world leaders to know that it’s a problem that affects populations a lot, and a lot can be done,” she said. “Even if we make small actions, by the end of the day, those small actions can contribute to a lot.”
Taylor, from Australia, highlighted the need for world leaders to unite behind this important issue. “We definitely need to do something and we can only work together as a team, so let’s do it all together,” she said.
Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. WHO is working hard to support countries to protect people and health systems against the impacts of climate change. Understanding the perspectives of young people is a key part of this work.
WHO is committed to engaging and partnering with young people to find the best ways to empower them, support action, promote partnerships and ensure recognition and visibility. More than ever, we need the ideas, the energy and the leadership of young people to build a healthier, safer and fairer future.