BY LINDELWA MYENI
MBABANE – Over 200 young people from across Eswatini have taken their climate concerns and proposed solutions to the national policy level, following a series of regional climate dialogues held throughout August.
The engagements, organised by LCOY Eswatini 2026, brought together young innovators, farmers, students, young agripreneurs and community activists from rural and urban communities across all constituencies.
The recommendations gathered during the dialogues are now being compiled into the National Youth Climate Statement, which will be presented to government ministries, development partners and environmental stakeholders at the main LCOY conference.
The initiative was aimed at ensuring that the voices of young people at community level directly contribute to national climate policies and broader international climate processes.
Among the key issues raised during the regional engagements were water scarcity, poor soil health and the effects of extreme weather on communities and livelihoods.
The decentralised approach also gave young people an opportunity to share challenges specific to their communities while identifying practical ways of responding to climate change.
The dialogues have already resulted in action beyond policy discussions, with participants initiating community-based activities such as waste management, tree planting and climate-smart farming.
LCOY Eswatini 2026 also used the regional engagements to strengthen young people’s capacity in climate adaptation, policy advocacy and community leadership.
Participants were able to build networks with other young climate advocates, farmers, innovators and community activists, creating opportunities for continued collaboration on climate-related initiatives.
The National Youth Climate Statement will consolidate the recommendations from the regional dialogues and present a unified youth position on climate change in Eswatini.
The statement is also expected to contribute to youth participation in global climate processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and YOUNGO.
The regional dialogues have therefore positioned young people not only as voices calling for climate action, but also as active participants in developing and implementing solutions within their communities.
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(Courtesy Pic)
