Ministry, Network engages youths in the review process of the 2025-2030 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change has partnered with National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC) to engage the youth in the reviewing process of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2025 to 2030.
The current Biodiversity Strategy is expiring in 2025.
Chief Environmental Officer responsible for Biodiversity Conservation Mphatso Kalemba Msukwa said young people should be given a space to contribute in decision making and vision setting of the strategy and action plan for biodiversity.
“We want to hear from young people about what they think and what they envision as a matter of managing biodiversity in Malawi,” she said.
Msukwa said the previous Strategy process did not involve the youth saying it is a new thinking to engage them as they are planning to develop the first draft for the strategy.
NYNCC National Coordinator, Dominic Nyasulu expressed the critical importance to involve the youth in the process as well as in the implementation of various policies.
“It is critical for young people to be involved in the discussions and implementations of various activities in order to achieve both national and global targets of biodiversity framework,” he said.
According to Nyasulu, in December, 2022, the Global community adopted the Global Biodiversity Framework and the decision was made that all members should revise their national biodiversity strategies and action plans to align the international framework.
It is in this regard that Malawi is involving the youths in the process because their input has a huge impact in future, he said.
Prisca Namakopwe, a student at Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) said it is important that young people’s voices are heard and included in all the processes of the strategy and the plan.
