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The participation of young people in disaster risk reduction and climate talks is critical, to strengthening disaster readiness and environmental protection in the near future.

This was highlighted by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Coordinator in Fiji, Ratu Josefa Lalabalavu, saying that these young people will be responsible for climate emergencies over the next few years.

Hence, their participation and understanding in various organized climate conferences are important to strengthen their understanding, advocacy, and resilience.

Lalabalavu says more attention must be given to youth in the Asian-Pacific region, as these areas are prone to massive natural hazards today.

“More importantly, how we need to integrate them into these spaces, needs to be quite strategic, so that they are not only ticking the box of participating, but they also need to be exposed to a lot of these sorts of platforms and more importantly, higher up the strategic level to ensure that they have an opportunity to converse with government delegates, to have the opportunity to converse with leaders of organizations, leaders of crop agencies, and more importantly, have the backing and support of their government of the youth councils.”

Lalabalavu has also commended the Australian government for its continuous commitment and for recently allocating an additional $74.1 million to the AHP.

He adds that the fund is for the effective implementation of disaster preparedness programs in Fiji, through the Australian humanitarian partnership disaster relief program.