Kenya is experiencing significant environmental challenges, including deforestation, drought, and biodiversity loss, which directly affect communities and future generations.

We urge the State Department of Youth Affairs & Creative Economy to integrate these environmental and climate change provisions into the Youth Bill 2024. Empowering youth in this regard will not only address pressing environmental concerns but also harness their potential as catalysts for sustainable development and climate action.

Proposed Provisions:

• Integrate environmental education into youth development programs and curricula.
• Foster awareness campaigns led by youth to encourage sustainable practices in communities.
• Establish a Youth Climate Action Fund to provide grants for youth-driven projects addressing environmental challenges such as reforestation, waste management, and renewable energy.
• Encourage public-private partnerships to mentor and fund youth innovations in green technology
• Form Youth Environmental Committees at national and county levels to serve as advisory bodies on environmental matters.
• Ensure representation of youth in task forces or boards related to climate change policy development and implementation.

Community-Based Conservation Programs

• Develop initiatives that engage youth in biodiversity conservation, such as creating tree nurseries, restoring degraded ecosystems, and promoting wildlife conservation.
• Offer incentives, such as scholarships or grants, for youth participating in community-based environmental activities.

Climate Resilience and Disaster Preparedness

• Train youth on climate resilience practices, including water conservation, sustainable agriculture, and disaster response planning.
• Establish youth-led early warning systems in vulnerable regions to mitigate the impacts of climate-related disasters.

• Provision: Support establishment and capacity building for youth associations.
• Proposed Amendment: Include a framework for supporting youth-led organizations, mechanisms for funding, mentorship, and training, ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and accountability, particularly for marginalized groups.

Rationale: A structured framework mitigates inefficiencies and ensures equitable access to support for all youth-led organizations, addressing the risk of operational limitations and exclusion of disadvantaged groups.

• Provision: Support youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
• Proposed Amendment: Introduce a comprehensive coordination framework for organizations, tracking mechanisms for progress, and strategies addressing mental health challenges for NEET youth.

Rationale: Coordinated efforts reduce inefficiencies, tracking ensures measurable impacts, and mental health strategies address key barriers to reintegration.