Host Organisation

Eastern Himalaya and Mekong Region Youth Network on Climate Change, Center for Indigenous Peoples' Research and Development (CIPRED) and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact Foundation

Description

The Indigenous youth representative of Eastern Himalayan and Mekong Region Youth Network on Climate Change was created to amplify the concerns, ideas and solutions of climate change. The Eastern Himalayan region extends across Nepal, northeast India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China while the Mekong Region comprises countries sharing the Mekong River Basin including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Due to the topographical similarities, the countries across the Eastern Himalaya and Mekong Region share similar topography, climate and biodiversity and face similar issues and concerns due to climate change,​​ forced development projects, mining and just transition. The Eastern Himalayas and the Mekong River are facing increasing impacts of climate change including rapid glacier melting, flash flood, landslide, water crisis, and prolonged droughts. The Eastern Himalayas and the Mekong river provide important resources, and especially for Indigenous communities who are interdependent on these shared resources, the intensifying impacts of climate change pose critical threats to their lives, livelihoods, culture and tradition. Furthermore, increasing pressures of development projects, as well as various social and political factors further aggravate the existing vulnerabilities of the communities in these regions. However, despite the urgency of action, the voices and concerns of the Eastern Himalayan and Mekong Region and Southeast Asia are rarely given a platform in important climate change forums and discussions with very limited understanding and awareness of these climate concerns. Moreover, it is also neglected that the Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Youth of this region possess valuable knowledge and effective practices for climate solutions.
This side event is a collective effort of the Eastern Himalayan, Mekong Region Youth Network (EHMYCC), and Southeast Asia Youth Climate Defenders on Climate Change to amplify the challenges, experiences, and knowledge of Indigenous youths across the Eastern Himalayan and Mekong region and the shared impacts of climate change across the region. By shedding light on this urgent but often overlooked climate change hotspot, the side event aims to bring the issues and concerns of Indigenous communities in this region into the climate change discussions. Indigenous Youths have a crucial role as present and future custodians of the lands and resources, and by bringing the voices of Indigenous youths, the side event will explore youth aspirations, perspectives and recommendation on tackling the present climate crisis and enabling a more inclusive and equitable climate action that adequately incorporates the voices of the Eastern Himalayan and Mekong Region. Youth are not just participants but co-creators of solutions.
Objectives:
• Sharing challenges, experiences, knowledge of Indigenous youths across the Eastern Himalayan, Mekong region, and Southeast Asia
• Sharing contribution of Indigenous youth climate defenders to defend the climate through Indigenous youth climate action.

Speakers

• Remarks from Tashi Lhamu Sherpa, Vice Chair of the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality
• Background from EHMYNCC (Video Message: 3 minutes)
• Presentations from Ms. Twisa Tripura, Indigenous Youth from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh
• Video Message from Thailand
• Ms. Sharana Sherpa, CIPRED, Indigenous Youth from Nepal
• Video messages from the climate youth defenders in Thailand and Malaysia 

Languages

EN